Microgreens offer palate of fresh tastes

By Pam Baytos

OSU Ext. Master Gardener Volunteer

If you’re like me, winter makes you miss greens freshly picked and taken straight to your table.

Well, all you need is a sunny windowsill, some small containers and a package of seeds!

The seeds of dozens of vegetables, salad greens and herbs produce delicious young stems and leaves that are ready for harvesting by snipping the stems after 2-3 weeks of growing.

Microgreens offer a wide palate of fresh tastes from mild beets to spicy arugula in hues of green, red or purple.

Their tiny yet textural leaves vary from heart-shaped Brassicas (cabbage, kale and mustards) to frilly carrots, grassy onions and paddle-like chard.

You can start with just one crop or sow a mix of seeds and harvest a combination of colors, textures and flavors at once.

A single packet of seeds typically produces one to two crops in a 3-inch pot. Store leftover seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Grow microgreens in a 3- to 4-inch deep container filled with a pre-moistened, soilless seed-starting mix. Set the container on a watertight drip tray or saucer.

Sprinkle seeds evenly over the surface, following the packet directions for planting depth. Sow them thickly, leaving only 1/4” space between seeds.

I suggest covering seeds with vermiculite. This mineral-based material absorbs water and releases it slowly, keeping seeds damp, but not too wet. Water with a gentle shower without washing away seeds. Until the seeds germinate and green shoots sprout, water lightly to keep moist. If mix is too wet, seeds can rot and fail to grow.

Cover containers with a lightweight sheet of plastic or domed lid to maintain humidity for germination.

Set the drip tray on a heat mat designed for seed starting or on a heating pad. When seeds germinate, remove the lid and heat source.

Set containers on a sunny south facing windowsill. Keep the planting medium damp and promote healthy growth by watering from the bottom. Pour water into the tray and allow it to be absorbed.

Where natural light is scarce and plant stems appear weak and pale, move to a spot where you can provide supplemental light using a grow light or a shop light with two fluorescent bulbs: one cool and one warm. Situate the bulbs no more than 2-3” above seedlings. A small desk fan improves air circulation to reduce disease.

Microgreens will be ready to harvest at different stages, from the appearance of cotyledons (the earliest wing like seed leaves) to the first sets of true leaves – about 1- to 3- inches tall. Cut stems just above the soil.

Harvest early in the morning or evening. Harvesting plants that have been basking in the sun may result in wilted greens and disappointment. Store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.

A few excellent plants to grow as microgreens are Harvest arugula, kohlrabi, radish, cress, pak choi (also bok choi or Chinese cabbage), and kale, seven to 15 days; Swiss chard, sweet basil, onion, red beet, sorrel and mesclun, 16 to 25 days.