Grow your own Microgreens

My new hobby is growing microgreens. Microgreens are typically very expensive and are served in fine restaurants.  Growing them at home is very cheap and very easy!  

Microgreens are the very young shoots of plants – they are harvested when the sprouts get 1 - 2” tall.  They are full of good nutrients – Google “growing microgreens” for more information from people who are a lot smarter than me.  They are so full of flavor!  Best of all, my almost 3-year-old is fascinated and this is teaching her about growing her own food.

My first batch was peas.  I purchased a packet of pea seeds for less than $2 at Lowes.  I’m going to try a mix of peas, asparagus, mustard, beets and spinach next time, and I’m going to order one of the mini-greenhouses for my back deck so I can grow bigger batches.

Try it!  All you need is a sunny window, a shallow flower pot, some potting soil and some seeds.  I mixed some vermiculite with my soil (that’s the white stuff you see in potting soil, it helps retain moisture and keep the soil from getting hard).  Fill the pot with soil.  Spread a ton of seeds on top of the soil, then cover with half an inch of more soil.  Water it well.  Set it in front of a window and watch it grow for a week or so.  Once the shoots get a couple of leaves on them, it’s time to harvest.   When you are ready to replant, just stir up the soil and start again. Leave the roots from the previous harvest in the dirt to fertilize it.

The photo shows my plants just before harvesting.  Grab some scissors and cut them off right above the soil level.  I started out my seeds the first few days under a loose cover of plastic wrap to help retain the moisture and heat.

I made a delicious salad with my microgreens. I took the pea shoots and added finely shredded carrots, some thinly chopped green onions, a little feta cheese and topped it all off with some creamy Balsamic vinaigrette.  It was so good with our steak!

Please leave comments if you try growing your own microgreens.  Let me know how it goes.  Don’t be intimidated – give it a shot!  You’ll love the results.