Discussed Topics on this Article

1. Pre soak or not
2. Preferred Growing medium for microgreens
3. How do you sow your seeds
4. Lighting conditions during and after germination
5. How and when do I water my microgreen
6. Ideal air and soil temperature
7. Germination- to Harvesting window

Things to keep in mind before starting to plant microgreens

1. Microgreens can be grown using different mediums, the most common used are soil, Coconut choirs and nowadays using different kind of hydroponic* mats. (Hydroponics: Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture which involves growing plants, usually crops, without soil, by using water-based mineral nutrient solutions in aqueous solvents)

2. Buying your seeds: Even if it rings simple, it’s not a simple task. Go for untreated or organic microgreen seeds when you are buying. And keep in mind all plants cannot be consumed as a microgreen, for instance you cannot consume nightshade family plants such as Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers as a microgreen, since they are poisonous and affect your digestive and nervous system.

3. While sowing your seeds you must make sure that the seeds are sown evenly and the seeds are not overlapping, since it may result in pest development.

4.  Blackout period: Microgreen seeds need to be placed in darkness to germinate. This is referred to as the blackout period. If you simply prepare the growth but don’t put them in a dark space, and/or cover them with soil (depending on the type of seed) you’ll find that they may not germinate, or not as quick and not with the same quality. You can just cover the seeds using a plastic bag with holes in it unless you want your seeds to suffocate or as an alternative you can also place a plastic tray over it.

5. Moisture content of the soil is the next factor that you should keep in mind and how to measure them. There are a variety of moisture testing sensors available in the market, maybe you can go for this or else you can test it manually, for instance stick your finger 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) into the soil. If the soil feels dry or if it falls off of your finger when you remove it, the soil may be dry. If the soil feels moist or if the soil sticks to your finger, the soil may be moist. Having an account of the moisture content in the soil will prevent you from overwatering.

6. Using artificial lights such as Fluorescent lights, here you might want to keep in mind that you should have a distance of 6-12 inches (recommended) from the surface of the growing greens to your light source. This may also vary depending upon the heat produced by your light source.

7. Certain microgreen seeds need to be pre-soaked before you sow them because of their hard shell around them, which delays them from sprouting.  By soaking it in water will soften the hard-shell around them.