Getting started
Steps to start growing microgreens ...
Step 1 :
Decide who you want to grow for
Home use – If you are growing for home use, start off with two to four varieties. This way, you will have a nice variety and enough greens to keep you and your family going. Chances are, you will have enough greens to hand out to friends and relatives. Some varieties, like broccoli and Chinese cabbage, can yield more than 200 grams per standard 53 x 27 x 3cm grow tray.
Larger-yielding varieties like sunflower can yield around 500 grams of fresh greens per tray. So, four trays of greens can yield a fair amount. Note that sow weights, yields, and grow times can be found under each variety in our seed section.
Commercial or re-sell – When you start growing microgreens commercially, it is best to start small and then scale up as demand increases. Start off with 4 different varieties. The best varieties to start with are Sunflower, Radishes, Chinese Cabbage and/or Broccoli, and Peas. These are basic varieites and if you want to offer someshing different, Amaranth, Rocket and Beetroot provide great falvour and colour. Note that these are a bit trickier to grow.
You can then see how the process works and start sampling customers like chefs and restaurants. Have a look at our selling tips in the mictreens section for more info. As demand increases and you need more produce, simply add more trays as you require.
Step 2 :
Decide on where you want to grow
Indoors :
For the home, an exposed window sill works fine. However, if you would like to grow more trays, you will need some lights. So, which lights do you need? The blue and red lights you generally see are LED T8 Grow Lights and range between 9W and 22W depending on length. They are made up of 75% blue spectrum and 25% red spectrum light. The blue spectrum aids vegetative growth, or, in other words, leaf growth. The red spectrum aids fruiting and flowering. So, microgreens growers need more vegetative growth, making these lights great.
The other option is to use normal LED T8 Daylight 6500K tubes found at your local electrical shop. They are more affordable than the grow lights, and some microgreens actually perform better under the LED daylight tubes. 6500K is the color temperature of the light, and lights with 6500K closely mimic the spectrum of full daylight. Not the same, but close. A good option when deciding on lights for microgreens.
Two lights per line of trays parallel to one another do the job.
When growing indoors, make sure you have enough air circulation. If you’re growing commercially, it is a good idea to add some in-line fans to your setup. Because microgreens are grown so closely together, they really don’t like high humidity. Fans work great to circulate air. However, a dehumidifier and even an air conditioner will ensure better consistency and great microgreens.
Outdoors :
Outdoor growing is very popular and great for home users. Pick a spot in the garden or on a balcony and get going. If you are only doing 4 trays, you can have the trays of greens on a bench or raised grow box. If you are looking to grow larger amounts, like 10 to 20 trays, you can set up a north-facing shelf with multiple trays.
Remember, greens are fine and can get hurt easily. So, keep them where dogs, cats, and children can’t crash the party.
When it comes to sunlight, microgreens don’t need a full blast of sun all day. The partial shade works perfectly fine. If you are growing outdoors, remember that there are thousands of thirsty greens in one tray. Don’t forget to water and check that the growing medium doesn’t dry out. Especially in the hot months. Heavy rain and wind can damage fine greens. So, keep this in mind when selecting a spot.
Greenhouse – Greenhouse growing is very popular because the greens are sheltered from heavy weather conditions and animals. Greenhouses can become very humid. So, make sure you have enough ventilation to provide good airflow. Especially in the warmer months.
Step 3 : Decide which microgreens you want to grow
When you start growing microgreens, it is important to select varieties that are easy to grow. The best greens to start off with are Sunflower, Peas, Broccoli, Chinese Cabbage, Purple Kohlrabi, and Radishes. These provide good yields, great flavor, and color.
Greens like Rocket, Basil, Beetroot, and Cress are finer but packed with flavor.
More details on growing, sow weight, yield per tray, and grow time can be found under each variety in our seed section.
Step 4 : Decide how many trays you will need
The best way to grow microgreens is to use a two-tray system. One tray with holes and one tray without holes.
You plant in the tray with holes and use the tray without holes to weigh seeds down and bottom water when seeds have germinated. So, for 4 varieties, one would need a total of 8 trays. 4 with holes and 4 without holes.
For more detail on planting, click here to download the basic steps for growing.
Keep in mind that if you want fresh greens each week, you might need an additional set of trays. This way, you can start germinating and growing greens while using the already-matured tray of greens.
Commercial or larger growers will need to plan plant dates and harvest dates accurately to ensure constant delivery of fresh produce. Have a look at each seed variety in our seed section for more detail on grow times. Please note that we do send grow guides with online purchases to assist in the growing process.
Step 5 : Get started
The most important thing is to keep it simple. Start growing microgreens with a few simple varieties and get your grow on. You’ll be growing fresh greens in no time. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Happy growing.