What you will Need:
Step 1. Soak Seed or Not
Larger seed such as sunflower, buckwheat, wheat and peas should be washed then soaked in water for 6 – 12 hours prior to seeding. Drain, rinse and drain the seed after soaking. Small seed such as broccoli and arugula are easier to sprinkle on top of the soil if they are not soaked.
Step 2. Prepare Soil
TIP: To check for overwatering, tip the tray to one end. Water should not pool enough to drip out of the tray.
Step 3. Fill Trays with Soil
Step 4. Sow the Seed
Sprinkle the seed evenly over the soil in the tray (pizza cheese shaker, spoon). The seeding density depends on the stage at which you’re planning to harvest. For small seeds for 1-week microgreens, start with approximately 15 -18 grams (1.5 – 2 Tbsp). Medium seeds like Radish 70 g (1/3 c). Sow slightly less seed for 2-3 week microgreens. Large seeds should be seeded quite thickly (one thin layer with the seeds touching one another after the seeds have been soaked).
Soaked and unsoaked seeds do not need misting if the soil has enough moisture. Mist if you need more moisture. Use a spray bottle or a garden spray nozzle set to light mist. The soil should be moist throughout, but not soaking wet.
Step 5. Cover the Seed
Doing away with soil as a seed cover decreases the work and time it takes to grow the greens. If stacking the trays on top of each other, use a cover directly on the seed like parchment paper, coroplast (cut to fit the inside of the tray), plastic sheet or wet unbleached paper towel layer. When not stacking trays, the seed will need protection from drying out. Most use domes/lids. Use a dome or an inverted 10 x 20” tray without holes. For smaller trays, use several layers newsprint or unbleached paper towels folded onto itself with or without a plastic sheet covering the top.
TIP: Most microgreens will grow taller when you keep the light out at the beginning, but this may make the stem weaker. Most seeds germinate in the light no problem.
Step 6. Stack Trays or Cover with Lids
Stacking helps to quickly force the roots into the soil, provides darkness, promotes even germination/growth. Stack 3-5 trays on top of each other with an empty tray on the top of the stack with a weight on it. Check at least once a day to see if the trays need water. Larger seeds stack for 4-5 days. Small seed 2-3 days.
If choosing not to stack, simply cover the trays with clear or black-out plastic, a lid or dome. Check at least once a day to see if the trays need water. Cover for the same number of days as above.
Sometimes the sunflowers develop fuzz on the hulls, mist with water to try to remove or unstack early.
Step 7. Light and Water
After 2-5 days, the microgreens should be ready for indirect sunlight. Be careful not to expose the plants to direct, hot sunlight as this can damage the delicate microgreens. Another option is to use fluorescent or grow lights. If the microgreens begin to get quite tall and leggy, this is an indication that they may need a bit more light.
Check the seed once or twice daily and water as needed. The soil should be moist, not wet.
Step 8. Harvest & Enjoy!
Microgreens are harvested at 1-3 weeks with scissors or a sharp knife. Make sure microgreens are not damp before storing. If needed, you may use a small fan or salad spinner to dry the microgreens before storing in a sealed container in the fridge.
Instead of harvesting all at once, you can start to harvest microgreens as soon as the first two leaves are spread out. Take only what you need for your meal and allow the rest to keep growing or put the tray in the fridge loosely covered and a plastic bag or dome to harvest another day.
Microgreens make everything better, so have fun with them and add them to your favourite dishes!