Microgreens are extremely good for your body, but are very expensive to buy in the store. I started experimenting with growing microgreens at home for past 3 month and have had good success. With investment of less than $200, I am able to grow a flat of microgreens for less than $1.50 which would have cost me $40 if I were to buy them at the store. It takes on average of 10 minutes per day of my time, and the results are worth it. Apart from the health benefits, this is the closest to the instant gratification a gardener can get. On the internet, there is tons of information people have graciously shared on growing microgreens, in these notes, I am documenting my experience in the same spirit of sharing.
I am growing microgreens using 2 methods – Coco mat and using soil. Coco mat method is ideal for small seeds like broccoli, radish, kale etc while soil method is ideal for larger seeds like peas, sunflower etc. I am experimenting with both methods and have had success with both.
For someone starting new, I would recommend going with the Soil method using 4 trays and growing Broccoli, Kale and Cabbage which are most forgiving. Once you get the hang of it, you should experiment to see what works best for you. There are so many variables – temperature, humidity, light, soil, water quality that are going to be different from mine, so what works for me may not work for you as-is.
There is a large variety of microgreens seeds, each of them have their nuances in growing and using them. I have captured results of my experiences so far in Seeds for Microgreens blogpost
Seeds are the most important input into growing microgreens. My goal in growing microgreens at home is to grow highly nutritious food that can provides a broad spectrum of high quality micronutrients. I try to grow a broad variety of microgreens, preferably with different colors to cover wide spectrum of micronutrients. Our family consumes large portions of microgreens either in salads or in smoothies. I grow the microgreens with this goal in mind rather than to sell them to restaurants as exotic garnish.
Bulk of the microgreens I grow are neutral in flavor and can be consumed in large quantities and in any dishes.
I buy seeds from Mountain Valley Seed Company, which are sold on their site – True Leaf Market. The shipping is free above $45. I usually buy 1 pound packets for most of the small seeds, but for expensive microgreens, I tend to buy smaller packets first for trial and then go for the 1 pound package. 1 pound package will give you more than 50 trays. For large seeds such as peas or sunflower, I buy 5 pound packages. True Leaf Market also sells popular seeds on Amazon as well but the variety is smaller and the cost is slightly higher as well. I now pretty much order them directly from the True Leaf Market.
Neutral Flavor Microgreens
I grow and consume these microgreens in bulk. I usually grow a tray or two of each per week. For salads, these form the most of the salad and I add small quantities of flavorful microgreens to spice them up.
This is currently my favorite, it is easy to grow, have not had any problems with the mould. The greens have nice crispy, crunchy texture and have pretty purple color stems.
Germination time: 3 days
Growth time: 7 days
Method: Fine with Soil or Coco mat. Stack trays with the Soil method.
These are very nutritious and easy to eat in large quantities. Very easy to grow and forgiving, I have not had any mould issues with these. I would highly recommend to start with these seeds if you are new to growing microgreens
Germination time: 3 days
Growth time: 7 days
Method: Fine with Soil or Coco mat. Stack trays with the Soil method.
This is also nutritious and easy to grow. It is easier to eat Kale in large quantities in this form. Very easy to grow, forgiving, I have not had any mould issues with these.
Germination time: 3 days
Growth time: 7 days
Method: Fine with Soil or Coco mat. Stack trays with the Soil method.
This is from the same brassica family as Cabbage, Broccoli and Kale, but now as well known. Very easy to grow, forgiving, I have not had any mould issues with these.
Germination time: 3 days
Growth time: 7 days
Method: Fine with Soil or Coco mat. Stack trays with the Soil method.
These are exotic, delicate, bright red plants. These are more difficult to grow, I would recommend growing these after you the hang of growing other kinds of microgreens. The seeds quantity is also much less and if you are using the soil method, do not stack this in middle. Stack this on the top and use a tray on top as a dome for these to germinate
Germination time: 3 days
Growth time: 7 days
Method: Fine with Soil or Coco mat. Do not stack
Seed quantity per tray: 3/4 tablespoons
Mould: Higher chances, do not overwater
Seed Package I use: 4 Oz
Cost: $13 for 4 ounce package
Flavorful Microgreens
I grow these in small quantity, I usually pick one of the variety for the week. Some of these take a longer time to grow, so I may start more trays but they will not be ready for couple of weeks.
These have onion flavor and have small black shells which are edible, I do not try to remove them. I grow them using coco mat method and they take a little bit longer but you don’t have to worry about harvesting them as soon as they are ready. In my experience they stay for couple of weeks and can be harvested over time.
These have a nice anise flavor that can be used both in salads or smoothies. The shells stay on the microgreens but I am not bothered by them. These take a long time to germinate and I put them on the top of the stack with a dome.
Germination time: 6 days
Growth time: 7 days
Method: Soil. Top of the stack with a tray used as dome.
These take a longer time to grow, but the effort is worth it. Just run your hand over the crop and smell your hand, it is divine. The microgreens are short, so be careful in harvesting, using the coco mat method makes it easy to harvest.
Germination time: 5 days
Growth time: 7 days
Method: Soil or Coco Mat. Top of the stack with dome.
Let's Grow Greens 