Microgreens

IN Genre of Greens

A big hello to all my friends. Yes, I am back after a long gap! Blogging had taken a side stand as I was starting my new ambition ‘styled plants’ and, I had to shift my home. Yeah, AGAIN! This is my second shift in the past 6 months and, I have to shift again this year but, I am really looking forward for the next shift as it will be to our new house. The home that I am staying in right now is kind of a transit house. lol.  About my new ambition, I’ll tell you some other time.

Any word related to ‘natural’ and ‘green’ draws me in to know more.  So, I started to learn more about Microgreens, which is very much in genre now!

• I learnt Microgreens are nothing but young greens of vegetables, herbs or grains which are harvested just after their first two leaves have grown
• It is the next stage of sprouts. It takes 1 – 2 weeks to grow
• It is packed with more nutrients and flavour than the mature greens or vegetables. It is a super food
•  It can be easily grown at home
• It can be used in salads, sandwiches and as a garnish

We can grow microgreens with vegetable, herbs, grains and green leafy vegetable seeds. For example with beetroot, cabbage, carrot, radish, basil, coriander, fenugreek, fennel, lettuce, mustard, peas seeds.

My first try was with mustard and fenugreek seeds. And the result was quite appretiative.

These are the steps I followed:

1. Soak a desired amount of seeds overnight in water.

   

   overnight soaked seeds

2. The next day, strain the water from the seeds using a seive
3. Take any small container with drain holes which is 1-2 inch high and fill it with organic soil
4. Make the soil moist by spraying water
   

   Strain

   

   Organic soil
5. Spread the seeds over the soil                                                                                                                                
6. Sprinkle very little soil and water over it
7. Keep it on the window sill or balcony where you get little morning sun or bright light.
8. Spray water whenever there is loss in moisture. Also don’t over water as the seeds may rot
9. Watch it grow for the next few days

Microgreens are ready to use once the first leaves of the seedling is grown or once its 1-2 inches tall. I started harvesting mustard seedling from day 6. Fenugreek seedlings were ready after 10 days. Snip the microgreens from the bottom of the seedling, wash it gently and use it fresh.

Day 1 – Fenugreek and Mustard seeds

Day 1 Fenugreek seeds

Day 1 – mustard seeds

Day 3

Day 6

Keep turning your container if it’s near the window so that the plant grow straight unlike mine 🙂

Once all the micro greens are harvested put the used soil into your compost(because the old roots and any dried seedling might rot the fresh seeds) or other plants and start with fresh soil in the same container.

Again excuse me for not so good pics ;D

Try growing MICROGREENS at home and stay healthy…

Tschüss,

Reshma