Microgreens - What are They and How Do You Grow Them?

Microgreens are basically seedlings of edible plants and can be ready for harvest in uber quick time, in some cases as little as 14 days from sowing.

Don't confuse them with sprouted seeds that are produced in enclosed environments and that are generally consumed without any foliage. Sprouted seeds are normally used whole with roots attached, microgreens are allowed to develop and are then harvested as stems and leaves. 

Most of us will be familiar with the microgreen cress, but there are so many more species and varieties available including beets, alliums and brassicas, why not take your microgreen production to another level? 

If you are searching for a list of vegetable or herb species and varieties suited to microgreen production, it would probably to easier to list the items you can't use. The world of microgreens production is dynamic and varied.

However, certain species and varieties are more suited to producing microgreens than others. The main recommended groups of vegetables and herbs include:

• Alliums - Onions, leeks, chives, garlic chives
• Brassicas - Cabbage, red cabbage, broccoli, kale, rocket, watercress, radish, mustard/cress
• Salad leaves - Lettuce, spinach, chicory and radicchio
• Coloured foliage - Swiss chard, beetroot, amaranth
• Apiaceae family - Carrot, celery, fennel, dill
• Legumes - Peas
• Herbs - Basil, coriander, parsley, chervil

When purchasing microgreen seed, always avoid buying treated seed. Because of the short production time, any chemical residue from the seed will not have had time to break down and disperse. If possible, purchase organic seed.

You can find dedicated seed sections devoted to microgreens from the following seed companies:

Johnsons

Thompson & Morgan

Sow Seeds

Marshalls

Premier Seeds Direct

Wild Greens Farm

Moles Seeds

Chiltern Seeds

Grow So Greener

Sky Sprouts

Tamar Organics

Chiltern Seeds

As an alternative, feel free to search the entire seed company listings in the GrowMad Product Directory.

Growing your own microgreens couldn't be simpler.

In most cases, you can easily produce viable crops on your kitchen window sill, but for the very best results, a cold greenhouse, polytunnel or cold frame is ideal.

Method 1. Fill a container, pot or module with peat-free compost almost to the top. Wet the compost and sow the seed thinly. Cover the seed with a thin layer of compost and mist it with water.

It should be noted, that not all varieties/species require covering with compost e.g. basil prefers to be sown and left on the surface uncovered. Follow individual seed packet instructions.

Method 2. Microgreens can be grown successfully by simply germinating and growing on wet kitchen roll or cotton wool used as a growing media. Lay the kitchen roll or cotton wool into a shallow tray and add a little water. Sow seed thinly and mist it with water. Do not cover the seed.

As an alternative, you can purchase microgreen growing kits from several suppliers with everything you need to get started. They will include instructions and in many cases, a selection of seeds.

Whichever method of production you choose, place containers on a well-lit window sill or greenhouse bench and ensure you mist the germinating seedlings on a regular basis to keep moisture levels at the correct stage. 

When growing several types of microgreens together, bear in mind that they will all have differing germination and growing cycle times.

Cress will germinate and be ready for harvest within 7-10 days, whereas leeks or other allium species may take 25-30 days.

If you require all of your sowings to mature together, stagger sowing dates. A little experimentation will be required.

You can discover more about 'How to Grow Microgreens' in this video.

Growing microgreens is a very straightforward process even for the novice grower and luckily there is a very narrow band of potential problems.

Most issues are common sense. 

• Don't forget to water
• Don't overwater
• Don't expose to extremes of temperature 
• Don't expose to extreme sunlight
• Don't exclude light
• Harvest at the correct time

When to harvest your microgreens is a matter of personal choice. The optimum point of harvest will depend on the type of microgreen being grown. Some types are quick growing, whilst others are slower to reach maturity.

In general, all types and varieties will mature within 28 days from sowing, depending on the time of year.

Simply cut with scissors or specialist microgreen shears, as required.

GrowMad is incredibly lucky to have our very own biologist, nutritional expert and all-around science and tech bod, Claire.

Despite their small stature, microgreens boast a more intense flavour than larger vegetables and herbs. One study even found they have more health benefits and can be up to 40 times more potent in phytochemicals.

The study, from 2012 by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, analyzed 25 microgreens and, on average, determined microgreens have four to six times more nutrients than their mature counterparts. For example, red cabbage microgreens had 40 times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C, while cilantro microgreens had three times more beta-carotene.

Among the microgreens assessed, red cabbage had the highest concentration of vitamin C, coriander had the highest concentration of carotenoids (a type of antioxidant found in brightly coloured foods), garnet amaranth had the highest concentration of phylloquinone (a type of vitamin K) and green daikon radish had the highest concentrations of tocopherols (a type of vitamin E).

While microgreens are nutrient-dense, they aren’t typically viewed as a substitute for regular vegetables due to the cost and volume you’d have to eat.