CORVALLIS, Ore. — Go small with microgreens and grow tiny plants that pack big flavor for soups, salads and sandwiches.
“They can be grown from kits or seed packets. Almost any kind of herbaceous vegetable or herb seed can be used."
Microgreens are easy to grow and easy to find — online, or often at nurseries and garden centers. They’re also a fun way to get kids involved in gardening, said Brooke Edmunds, horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service.
“They can be grown from kits or seed packets,” Edmunds said. “Almost any kind of herbaceous vegetable or herb seed can be used. Just don’t use treated seed or bird seed, which isn’t meant for human consumption.”
The list of microgreens you can grow is long: garden peas, sunflowers, beets, cabbage, broccoli, basil, dill, cilantro, chard and scallions, to name a few. For a spicy kick, try mustard or radish microgreens. Sunflower microgreens offer a nutty flavor. You can also find pre-mixed seed blends for variety.
“When they’re ready, you can use them anywhere you’d use sprouts — salads, sandwiches, or as a flavorful garnish on soup or an entrée,” Edmunds said. “They’re so flavorful, a little goes a long way. Some even have red or yellow stems and are really pretty.”
Plant in succession to avoid waste
Because seed can be expensive, Edmunds recommends succession planting. Start just enough for two people to eat, then plant more every few days. This way, you’ll always have a fresh batch ready — and you won’t waste seed or end up with more than you can use before it spoils.
For best and most even growth, fluorescent lights work well, but a bright window also does the job. If you use a window, rotate the container regularly so plants grow straight and are easier to harvest. Microgreens can be grown outdoors too, but because of variable temperatures, harvest timing and watering needs can be harder to predict.
Because microgreens are harvested quickly, they typically avoid fungal problems like damping off. However, if you use a plastic cover, be sure to remove it right after germination to avoid excess humidity.
To learn more, participate in the OSU Extension Microgreens Grow Along workshop — a two-week program that delivers tips and tricks by email or text.
How to grow microgreens at home
Edmunds shares these tips for getting started:
- Use potting soil. Fill your container with bagged potting soil. Kits work well, or go low-cost with reused plastic nursery flats, yogurt containers, egg cartons or berry/takeout clamshells. Be sure containers have drainage holes — punch holes with a nail if needed.
- Sow and press. Sprinkle seed on top of the soil. Gently press it in using a piece of cardboard or your palm. Cover with a light layer of soil.
- Mist lightly. Use a spray bottle to dampen the soil. Water at least once a day, but don’t overwater. Avoid letting containers sit in standing water.
- Cover, then uncover. Close the clamshell or cover the container with plastic. Remove the cover as soon as the seeds germinate.
- Harvest at 2 inches. Most microgreens are ready to harvest in two to three weeks. Look for the first true leaves, which appear after the cotyledons (initial seed leaves). Use scissors to cut at soil level.
- Start fresh. Microgreens won’t regrow after cutting. Wash and reuse containers with fresh potting soil for each new batch.
- Use immediately. Rinse microgreens after harvesting. They don’t store well, so enjoy them fresh.
Previously titled Get big flavor from tiny microgreens
