Grow your own,
a windowsill will do just fine..
Some basics ...
Equipment – You can practically grow microgreens in a container on a windowsill. However, proper grow trays make it a bit easier. Sunlight is perfect if you have space outside. Grow lights and a simple rack system works great indoors. Feel free to contact us if you are in need of a more advanced system.
Environment – Microgreens don’t like high humidity. So, good airflow is important. Whether you have an indoor operation, a greenhouse or a windowsill, make sure you have good air circulation to avoid mold and fungus issues.
Grow medium – It varies on the type of crop you are growing. Some like potting soil and compost mixes, some prefer only Coco Peat and some do not require a grow medium. However, we have found that a Coco Peat and perlite mix is most versatile. Beacause of its cleanliness, Coco Peat is best if you want to avoid desease, and the perlite provides great oxygenation of the roots.
Duration – It depends on the crop you are growing. Some corps, like Sunflower, can be ready to harverst within 7 days depending on the temperature of the environment. Some crops can take up to 3 weeks. Nonetheless, it is not long before you have nutritios greens on your plate.
Seed – Probably the most important part of growing microgreen is that you use natural, intreated and Non-GMO seed in your operation.
Basic Steps for Growing Microgreens :
These steps might vary slightly depending on varieties, but they are the basic steps needed for growing microgreens.
1. Lay a thin layer of moist coco peat and perlite mixture in a tray (preferably with holes), about half the depth of the tray. Mist the surface of the grow medium.
2. Cover the surface area with seeds. Refer to suggested sow weights for our standard grow tray or sprinkle seeds evenly and avoid clumps of seeds.
3. Press down firmly and mist with water.
4. Add another tray (without holes) on top of the seeds. Add weight on the empty tray in the form of a thin tile or small stones. 1.5 to 2 kg weights. Make sure weight is distributed evenly. This helps to form strong roots and get rid of unwanted seed hulls. This is called placing seeds under weight.
5. Keep seeds moist with a spray bottle until all seeds have fully germinated. Remove top tray and flip over the tray to form a dome over the germinated seeds. This is called placing greens in blackout. This helps the stems to lengthen.
6. After about 1 to 2 days, greens should be 1 to 2 cm long, remove dome (top tray) and place under the one with the greens in (Under the tray with holes).
7. Then move greens into the light. This could be into artificial light, sunlight. An exposed windowsill will work just fine. If growing outside, avoid to much sunlight.
Make sure they have enough water each day. Remember to bottom water. This means placing water in the tray without holes. The water is then soaked up by the roots in the tray above. DO NOT OVERWATER. The medium should be moist but not soaked.
