January can be downright boring for active gardeners. Besides perusing newly arrived seed catalogs and keeping houseplants alive, there just aren’t many gardening activities to undertake in the dead of winter in Greater Columbus.
If you are itching to get your hands back in the soil after the holiday decorations have been put away, consider growing some microgreens on your kitchen windowsill this winter.
Microgreens are different than sprouts, which are germinated seeds eaten as a complete plant — seeds, roots and leaves. Microgreens, however, are edible, immature greens that are harvested soon after germination when plants are just 1 to 2 inches tall. Like mature vegetables, microgreens are nutrient-dense and full of unique flavors and textures.
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These tiny delicate greens add color, texture and flavor to a variety of foods. If you have ordered a salad, sandwich or even certain soups in any white-tablecloth restaurant recently, you have no doubt encountered any number of microgreens atop your meal as an ingredient or garnish.
Microgreens are available in local grocery stores and can be relatively expensive, but they are simple to grow at home with supplies you may already have on hand.
This advice is timeless and a great reminder as we head into January weather.
Best seeds to grow as microgreens
Many different salad greens, leafy vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and even some grains can be grown as microgreens.
For beginners, some of the easiest crops to grow as microgreens include brassicas such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, as well as mustard, chia, sunflower and buckwheat.
Legumes such as peas, beans, alfalfa, lentils and chickpeas also make excellent microgreens.
Beets are a fun microgreen to grow because of their unique color, taste and texture. Some seed companies offer microgreen mixes, and my favorite is a brassica mix which includes mizuna, kohlrabi, broccoli and mustards.
You may choose to grow more than one type of seed as a microgreen together in the same container or grow different types of seeds in different containers and mix the microgreens after harvest.
Microgreen seed mixtures which contain a variety of different seeds with similar growth rates are available for purchase online.
Some common vegetable crops such as tomato, pepper, eggplant and potato are not edible at the seedling stage and are not suitable to produce microgreens because they contain toxic alkaloids.
Getting started
After you decide which crops to grow as microgreens and obtain your desired seeds, there are a few simple supplies you will need including planting trays, a misting bottle and growing medium such as peat-based seeding mixture or coconut coir.
Microgreens do not need a large amount of growing medium and can actually be grown on wet paper towels. Flat seeding trays are better than deeper pots when growing microgreens.
Plastic take-out food containers are perfect for growing microgreens, but be sure to poke several holes in the bottom of these containers for drainage.
Once you fill your containers with planting medium, set the containers in a pan of water in order to wet the medium from the bottom. Once the medium is thoroughly moist, remove from the water and let the excess moisture drain.
Unlike planting seeds beneath the soil in a traditional vegetable garden, seeds for microgreen production should be placed on top of the planting medium and not covered with planting medium.
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Larger seeds, such as peas, and those with hard shells, such as sunflower, should be soaked in water overnight before seeding to improve germination.
Warm, sunny windowsills make perfect locations to grow microgreens, especially if the window faces south. Microgreens also grow well under grow lights in other locations of the house, but I wouldn’t invest a lot of money in lighting, as microgreens typically germinate well in various light conditions in the home.
Managing and harvesting microgreens
Most seeds will germinate in three to seven days and will be ready for harvest in two to three weeks or less. After germination, keep the medium moist by watering the planting tray from the bottom by again placing it in a pan of water, or by using a misting bottle to moisten the soil.
Avoid using a watering can or other type of container to pour water on the planting medium, as this tends to move the seeds around and dislodge the tiny seedlings.
Microgreens should be harvested with scissors or a sharp knife immediately before you plan to use them, as microgreens have a short shelf life after harvesting. Some microgreens will continue to grow after the first harvest, allowing for additional harvests.
Once you grow your first microgreens, you will likely be hooked and ready to try growing different types of crops as microgreens, especially in the dead of winter.
Mike Hogan is Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources and associate professor with Ohio State University Extension.
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