Microgreens are tiny vegetables that can be grown either in soil or in water. One can easily grow these baby plants even in a tray. If you want to grow microgreens in medium systems, it will be the best choice to grow microgreens in a container. One can also grow them in small systems like in 2-inch trays. If anyone has any permanent vegetable garden, he/she can grow them in the garden. However, in urban areas, it can be more challenging for anyone to have a bigger space.
If you are distressed about not having a vegetable garden to grow these microgreens, don’t worry about that because one can grow microgreens in container as well. People worldwide are growing these microgreens in their homes because these plants have a high demand in the marketplace, and they are loaded with nutrients. You can also search for the healthiest microgreens.
Figure 1: Grow microgreens in container.
Grow Microgreens in Medium Systems?
Before discussing the steps, it is better to know about the growing systems and which growing systems you can choose for growing them.
Lack of sufficient space doesn’t mean that one can’t grow these plants. One can grow them in a plastic container as well. Microgreens can be grown in water, hydroponic solution, or soil. Soil can be the best choice because it can supply both macro and micronutrients to the plants to accelerate their growth.
Let’s see the essential items needed to grow microgreens in medium systems –
- A plastic container (2-inch depth)
- Microgreen seeds
- Water
- Light
- Spray bottle
- Soil
Now, it is time to explain the steps in brief –
- Buy the seeds
This will be the first step. Healthy seeds will germinate faster and successfully. As a beginner, it is wise to choose lettuce, pea, radish, broccoli, basil, sunflower, kale because these microgreens are profitable and full of nutrients. Before buying the seeds, always check for the expiry date. Once the seeds are bought, you need to pre-soak them. The duration of pre-soaking depends on the variety. Some microgreens require 8-12 hours, some require 6 hours, and others don’t require pre-soaking.
- Prepare the soil and container
While the seeds are in water, you must prepare the container and soil. Mix the soil with compost or organic fertilizers and avoid using synthetic or inorganic fertilizers as these fertilizers can affect soil pH and burn roots. Organic fertilizers will improve soil health and retain water.
- Sow the seeds and harvest the plants
Once the seeds and growing medium are ready, you need to sow your seeds and spray the container. Be careful in this stage because applying too much water will make the soil wet and soggy, which can cause root infection and rotting. Simply spray water to make the soil moist. Most of the seeds will take 2 days (maximum) to germinate if everything is favorable. Keep the growing system in the light. After germination, wait for 10-12 days. At this stage, the plants will have two leaves and a bright-white stem, and they will have a height of 3 inches maximum.
So, do you still find it difficult to grow microgreens in your kitchen or balcony?
You can easily grow microgreens in container. There is nothing to worry about maintenance because they are super easy to grow and harvest. Once you grow them well, you can sell them in the market.