How To Grow Microgreens

The Early Spring issue of Country Gardens with a feature story on our greenhouse also has an interesting story about growing microgreens. Here’s a link to the Country Gardens website with How To information on growing microgreens.

I started 3 crops myself, using 3 handmade plates by the talented Vermont potter Amanda Ann Palmer. Because microgreens are harvested a couple of weeks after the seeds are sown, a shallow dish with no holes for drainage is perfectly acceptable.

Within 5 days of sprinkling seeds on a bed of soiless potting mix, our bok choy and arugula seeds sprouted. Basil will take a little longer. We did put them on a heating mat designed for seed germination. Some plants germinate and grow faster than others. Check with your seed provider.

My crop is in the bright sun on our kitchen windowsill and I expect we will be able to ‘harvest’ them by snipping off the plant just above the soil, stem and all, in about 5 days from now. Use your Womanswork Incomparable scissors for this task!

I grew fond of microgreens over the past couple of summers at our Pawling Farmers Market. One of the vendors had trays of arugula, watercress and other tiny microgreens that she would snip off for an eager clientele each Saturday. At home I would sprinkle them on salads or put inside sandwiches. There are lots of ways to use microgreens, and they add taste as well as texture to a dish.