🌱 Microgreens

Various — see entry
Full-grown flavor in 10 days — the espresso shot of the vegetable world.
Sun
Bright indirect light or a sunny windowsill; grow lights 12–16 hrs for serious production
Days to harvest
7–21 days from seed, depending on variety
Spacing
Sow densely — seeds nearly touching; this is the one time crowding is the plan
Soil pH
6.0–7.0 (in the growing medium)

How to grow

Microgreens are seedlings harvested at the cotyledon or first-true-leaf stage — bigger than sprouts (grown in water, eaten root and all), smaller than baby greens. The trick is density: sow seeds thickly on a shallow tray of pre-moistened potting mix or a soilless mat, press gently for seed-to-soil contact, cover for 2–3 days to germinate in the dark, then uncover into light.

The seed does almost all the work — it contains enough stored energy to build the entire seedling, which is why microgreens need zero fertilizer. Your job is just water, light, and timing. Bottom-water to avoid knocking seedlings over and to discourage damping-off. Good airflow matters more indoors than you'd think; a small fan on low prevents the still, humid conditions fungi love.

Fastest varieties (radish, mustard, broccoli) are ready in 7–10 days; slower ones (basil, cilantro, beets) take 2–3 weeks. Start a new tray every week and you'll never buy sad plastic clamshells of them again.

Water & feeding

Bottom-water when the tray feels light — keep the medium consistently moist but never soggy. No fertilizer needed, period; the seed's endosperm is the entire meal plan. A pinch of worm castings mixed into the tray medium can help slower varieties, but plain potting mix works fine.

Common problems

  • Damping-off (seedlings keel over at the base): usually overwatering + poor airflow — bottom-water, run a fan, don't sow deeper than a dusting of mix.
  • Leggy, pale seedlings: not enough light — move closer to the window or add a grow light 2–4 inches above.
  • Mold on the medium surface: too wet, too still — ease off water, improve air circulation; a light sprinkle of cinnamon is the folk remedy with actual antifungal merit.
  • Uneven germination: seeds weren't pressed into good contact — use a weight or second tray on top for the first 2–3 days.

Harvest

Cut with clean scissors just above the soil line when cotyledons are fully open and the first true leaves appear. Harvest in the morning, rinse gently, and use within a few days — they don't store long, which is the whole point of growing them yourself.

Nerdy fact: Gram for gram, microgreen cotyledons can contain higher concentrations of vitamins and carotenoids than the mature plant's leaves — the seedling packs its entire starter supply of nutrients into a tiny package. You're eating the plant's lunch money, and it's delicious.

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