How to Grow: Microgreens

Learn how to grow microgreens indoors in winter to get a taste of greens on your salads.

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Charles Warner once said, “Lettuce is like conversation: it must be fresh and crisp, and so sparkling that you scarcely notice the bitter in it.” After our recent cold snaps, finding crisp, fresh and sparkling lettuce in your garden may be impossible. Unless you have a greenhouse or a hoop house system, you’re probably relegated to buying your greens.

But you can grow your own greens indoors without an elaborate set up. Grow microgreens. These nutrient dense gourmet favorites are easy to grow. Plus, researchers have found microgreens contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.

To set up your microgreen indoor garden, start with a specially blended microgreen mix, mesclun mix or a single crop such as sunflowers. You can purchase a microgreen growing system or use a left over clear, plastic salad container with drainage holes. Line the bottom of the container with a 2-inch deep layer of moistened seed starting mix. Sow your microgreens on top of the soil layer, gently pressing the seeds into the soil. Cover the seeds with a thin soil layer and mist. Cover with a clear plastic top and place in a sunny window with 4 hours of direct sun a day. Mist the soil daily. The seeds should germinate within a week. Remove the top once they germinate and keep the soil moist. Once the true leaves form (in about a week), harvest the microgreens snipping them at the soil line with a scissors. Consider staggering a few plantings of these containers so you always have some microgreens to eat.

From the Vermont Garden Journal on Vermont Public Radio