Growing Microgreens: My Process - Page 2

LDx4 · March 17, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deborah

Great post Lyn! I KNOW I'm going to grow some. They'd be good on a sandwich, thrown into soup, and in salad. And potato salad. Oh, and in omelets. Your tables and the whole set up look really nice. Really!

Deborah - you should definitely be growing some - for both you AND your rabbits and cats!!

Worth1 · March 17, 2016

I dont go to the farmers market here in town but I can just hear the comments from people if I were trying to sell them.

I might be wrong though.

I can say the snails have had their fare share of micro greens at my place this year.

Worth

bower · March 17, 2016

I just brought my mom some kale microgreens today, but I didn't have the lights set up, and they didn't get enough light, just shot up the long legs about 3 inches tall.

I told her, it's just sprouts that you cut with scissors.

Have to try again with light.

FarmerShawn · March 17, 2016

I've been growing microgreens for sale on a small scale for a couple of years now, and here's a couple of thoughts.
Sunflowers are real tasty, but have a short harvest window. Let them get a true leaf, and flavor becomes awful.
Pea shoots are the only crop I get more than one harvest from. Cut to leave behind a set of leaves, and a week later, you can do it again. I usually get three or four cuttings from a pea planting.
Some things like beets, chard, and cilantro really benefit from a covering of potting mix, as it helps to remove the seed coats that otherwise cling to the leaves way too long.
My best seller is a spicy brassica mix, and I like it because it only takes ten days to two weeks from seeding to harvest.
If the micros are growing thickly and are sturdy, an electric knife is the fastest way to cut a whole 1020-sized tray, which is what I use. I just recently switched to shallow trays to economize growing medium use and make harvesting much easier.
I fill the shallow growing tray with my growing medium, press flat with a piece of plywood, sprinkle with seeds, water, spritz the inside of a 1020 tray, invert that over the growing tray for a humidity dome, and three days later remove the cover and move to the lights. Sprouts are about half inch tall, and blanched yellow at this time. One bottom watering soak after a couple more days, and that's it until harvest. That's for the brassicas, arugula, and the salad mixes.
A recent big surprise for me are popcorn micros. They must be grown in complete darkness, blanched, until four to six inches tall. But the flavor! Just like sweet corn. Not everyone's favorite, because they are so sweet, but I think as a garnish for a chile, or an addition to a stir fry, they would be outstanding. I have yet to really cook with them, though.
I also find that unwashed (dry) microgreens keep amazingly well in the fridge. We often keep ours for two weeks or more in ziptop sandwich bags before they start to go downhill.

Deborah · March 17, 2016

Lyn, good idea and can you believe I didn't think of them being good for cats and rabs?

clkeiper · March 18, 2016

I assume I can use the same seeds I buy for sprouting? there isn't some magic seed or site I have to buy from? I can buy my sprouting seeds from a local place by the pound.

LDx4 · March 18, 2016

No, seeds for sprouting will work fine. Any seed that is untreated will work (unless the leaves are inedible, like tomatoes

). I buy Waltham broccoli by the 5 lb sack and it's not labeled as sprouting or microgreens seeds.

Lyn

NarnianGarden · March 29, 2016

My current batch has watercress & brassicas, and I'm about to sow some beetroot as well. Since I'm not going to grow them in the summer (too many bugs and butterflies), I might as well enjoy them now in their small size...
Radishes are great too..

March 17, 2016	#19
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	Growing Microgreens: My Process I've been growing microgreens for sale on a small scale for a couple of years now, and here's a couple of thoughts. Sunflowers are real tasty, but have a short harvest window. Let them get a true leaf, and flavor becomes awful. Pea shoots are the only crop I get more than one harvest from. Cut to leave behind a set of leaves, and a week later, you can do it again. I usually get three or four cuttings from a pea planting. Some things like beets, chard, and cilantro really benefit from a covering of potting mix, as it helps to remove the seed coats that otherwise cling to the leaves way too long. My best seller is a spicy brassica mix, and I like it because it only takes ten days to two weeks from seeding to harvest. If the micros are growing thickly and are sturdy, an electric knife is the fastest way to cut a whole 1020-sized tray, which is what I use. I just recently switched to shallow trays to economize growing medium use and make harvesting much easier. I fill the shallow growing tray with my growing medium, press flat with a piece of plywood, sprinkle with seeds, water, spritz the inside of a 1020 tray, invert that over the growing tray for a humidity dome, and three days later remove the cover and move to the lights. Sprouts are about half inch tall, and blanched yellow at this time. One bottom watering soak after a couple more days, and that's it until harvest. That's for the brassicas, arugula, and the salad mixes. A recent big surprise for me are popcorn micros. They must be grown in complete darkness, blanched, until four to six inches tall. But the flavor! Just like sweet corn. Not everyone's favorite, because they are so sweet, but I think as a garnish for a chile, or an addition to a stir fry, they would be outstanding. I have yet to really cook with them, though. I also find that unwashed (dry) microgreens keep amazingly well in the fridge. We often keep ours for two weeks or more in ziptop sandwich bags before they start to go downhill. __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers Last edited by FarmerShawn; March 17, 2016 at 06:54 PM.

March 17, 2016	#20
Deborah Riding The Crazy Train Again Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, California Posts: 2,562	Lyn, good idea and can you believe I didn't think of them being good for cats and rabs? __________________ "The righteous one cares for the needs of his animal". Proverbs 12:10

March 18, 2016	#21
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I assume I can use the same seeds I buy for sprouting? there isn't some magic seed or site I have to buy from? I can buy my sprouting seeds from a local place by the pound. __________________ carolyn k

March 17, 2016	#17
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I dont go to the farmers market here in town but I can just hear the comments from people if I were trying to sell them. I might be wrong though. I can say the snails have had their fare share of micro greens at my place this year. Worth

March 17, 2016	#18
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I just brought my mom some kale microgreens today, but I didn't have the lights set up, and they didn't get enough light, just shot up the long legs about 3 inches tall. I told her, it's just sprouts that you cut with scissors. Have to try again with light.

March 18, 2016	#22
LDx4 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 321	No, seeds for sprouting will work fine. Any seed that is untreated will work (unless the leaves are inedible, like tomatoes ). I buy Waltham broccoli by the 5 lb sack and it's not labeled as sprouting or microgreens seeds. Lyn

March 29, 2016	#23
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	My current batch has watercress & brassicas, and I'm about to sow some beetroot as well. Since I'm not going to grow them in the summer (too many bugs and butterflies), I might as well enjoy them now in their small size... Radishes are great too..