Re: Microgreens Gardening

**trolleydriver** 10/9/2015, 9:22 am

AM ... Just cut them off above the soil level when harvesting them. Some people send the soil (in this case MM) to the compost pile after harvesting. I may try to grow a second crop in mine but I'm not sure if the roots from the previous crop will cause a problem (e.g., decomposing, mold). I'm looking forward to planting sunflower seeds when they arrive. I placed an order for them with Mumm's SProuting Seeds (in Saskatchewan) last weekend and still have not received a shipping email.

**AtlantaMarie** 10/9/2015, 11:52 am

Thanks, TD.

And how deep is the MM? I'm guessing only a 1/2" or so since they are harvested so quickly...

**trolleydriver** 10/9/2015, 11:58 am

My MM is about 1 to 1.5 inches. You may be able to get away with 1/2 inch.

**trolleydriver** 10/9/2015, 3:36 pm

This afternoon I moved them out of the darkness to a large south facing window. Unfortunately its raining today so no sunshine to make them smile. Mrs TD may not be too happy since they are in the living room!

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9244_zpsreodubji

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9244_zpsreodubji

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9246_zpsdoryyyxh

**trolleydriver** 10/9/2015, 9:07 pm

In only a few hours after being let out of the dark, the radish leaves turned from yellow to green.

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9248_zpsj5jxjxar

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9248_zpsj5jxjxar

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9249_zpsdzseipon

**trolleydriver** 10/10/2015, 1:27 pm

As of early afternoon on Saturday (the radish seeds were sown on Tuesday afternoon) the crop continues to do well, albeit the plants are somewhat leggy. They are much greener now and are enjoying a bright sunny day today as sunshine pours in through the window.

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9251_zpsmjhjijov

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9251_zpsmjhjijov

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9254_zps2mqhvzwe

**sanderson** 10/11/2015, 1:16 am

Little green aliens!

Marc Iverson 10/11/2015, 2:13 am

Looking nice! Really great photos!

CapeCoddess 10/11/2015, 9:03 am

Cute. In that last photo they look like hearts on a stick.

yolos 10/11/2015, 9:46 am

Thanks for this idea. I have been researching it on the internet. I followed your two links and that is typical of what I am finding. Some say to put holes in the bottom of the trays and some don't put holes in the bottom. I am finding conflicting information but after my house guest leaves I will be experimenting also. I have a whole bunch of packs of seeds I will never use before they go bad so I think I will experiment with all the broccoli and radish seeds I have, maybe kohlrabi? carrots? winter peas? what about beans (I have pounds of rattlesnake bean seeds)? Oh, I also have a lot of sunflower seeds which I have read are one of the best to grow. But I wonder if the variety of sunflower seed matters?

I kind of like the hydroponic method shown in the growingmicrogreens website. I will have to look into the cost of the growing mats.

Let us know if you find a good source of seeds that are reasonably priced.

**Scorpio Rising** 10/11/2015, 10:18 am

The miracle of photosynthesis!

**trolleydriver** 10/12/2015, 12:19 pm

Today I could not wait any longer and decided to take a small harvest of the radish microgreens. Mrs TD and I had a couple of toasted sandwiches with tomatoes (from the regular garden), radish microgreens and some of the "green tomato and sultanas chutney" that I made. Yummy!

Yolos ... I think you can try any of those seeds that you have. It's a fun experiment. You may want to soak the larger seeds before planting them. I've bought seeds (not inexpensive) from Mumm's Sprouting Seeds in Canada. They also ship to the USA. But I expect you can find sources for bulk seeds in the USA. I've also bought some seeds (e.g., sunflower) from the bulk barn to see if they will grow.

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9261_zpsyt08s0bi

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9261_zpsyt08s0bi

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9258_zpsi77dm00c

**AtlantaMarie** 10/12/2015, 4:09 pm

Amazing....

So, how did they taste, TD?

**trolleydriver** 10/12/2015, 6:30 pm

AM ... the microgreens taste like radishes ... very good.

**Scorpio Rising** 10/12/2015, 6:34 pm

Did they taste mildly radishy?

**Scorpio Rising** 10/12/2015, 6:35 pm

Ha! We crossed in cyberspace!

**trolleydriver** 10/13/2015, 11:20 pm

The seeds arrived today from Mumm's Sprouting Seeds ... sunflower, daikon radish, arugula and alfalfa. Looking forward to my next crop of microgreens.

**trolleydriver** 10/16/2015, 11:03 am

Here is part of the final harvest from the experiment with the radish microgreens. It was a success and the microgreens are delicious. One of our grandchildren really liked cutting them and eating them when she visited a few days ago.

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9286_zpsuywcitkl

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9286_zpsuywcitkl

Yardslave 10/16/2015, 12:14 pm

Nice sprouts you got there. I have tried onion sprouts and they are my favorite new addition to salads and sandwiches, great flavor-kind of like shallots. I like growing sprouts; turns my Square foot garden into a Square inch garden Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 3170584802

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 3170584802

**trolleydriver** 10/16/2015, 12:27 pm

Thanks Yardslave. Just one thing ... sprouts and microgreens are two different things. Microgreens grow for a longer time and are usually harvested after the first set of real leaves come out. Both are good.

Yardslave 10/16/2015, 1:44 pm

I guess I misspoke; true about microgreens....whatever, onions are monocotyledons, so technically I guess that when I go all "Edward Scissorhands" on 'em I am getting the first true leaves. They're my reward for thinning out the onion patch.

**trolleydriver** 10/18/2015, 8:26 pm

Welcome to Microgreens Experiment #2

After the success of the first experiment I have decided to try another approach. I saw this one on YouTube.

I am using a small 4 inch by 6 inch plastic container with lid.
Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9295_zpskcje2zqz

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9295_zpskcje2zqz

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9294_zpsm6el75ei

A folded paper towel is pushed through slots cut in the top of the long sides of the lid. The ends of the paper towel rest in a bath of water in the container. The towel wicks the water up to the top of the lid.
Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9297_zpsptfwmj1q

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9297_zpsptfwmj1q

Another paper towel, cut to the size of the lid, is placed on top.
Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9302_zpsqikgfdlz

Daikon radish seeds are being soaked for a few hours in another container. They will be sown on top of the paper towel.
Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9303_zpsflhuxeyt

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9303_zpsflhuxeyt

**Scorpio Rising** 10/18/2015, 8:38 pm

Fun.........how much light do these babies require?

**trolleydriver** 10/18/2015, 10:52 pm

sanderson ... for the previous experiment I just put them near our living room window which faces South. The plants were a bit leggy so they would probably be sturdier with a grow light just above them. For now I'm just going to go with the natural light from the window.

**trolleydriver** 10/18/2015, 11:12 pm

After being soaked for a few hours the seeds were transferred to the wet paper towel on the top of the container.
Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9304_zpsbievaqhz

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9304_zpsbievaqhz

Another container was sprayed on the inside with water and then placed inverted on top of the seeds to form a mini greenhouse. The whole thing was then transferred to a dark location. I also covered the containers with a cloth to keep out the light during the day.
Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9305_zps59kh62an

Microgreens Gardening - Page 2 DSCN9305_zps59kh62an

Sponsored content


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.