Grow your own Microgreens!
Growing Microgreens Indoors
Hello! My name is Madeline and I live in Clintonville with my boyfriend and inquisitive cat. Like many other Ohioans, we are celebrating Earth Day throughout the month of April from the safety of our own home. While the festivities have changed location, they still endure. That is why we are excited to honor the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by sharing an easy gardening activity with our fellow Earth Day Columbus volunteers!
Recommended Supplies:
Seeds (any variety, such as pea shoots or umami blend)
Soil (preferably organic and loose)
Container/Tray
Water / Spray Bottle
Window and/or grow light
Growing microgreens inside is a fun activity for the entire family. To start your own microgreen garden, you can purchase seeds and soil from a local shop such as Strader’s Garden Center or Oakland Nursery. Pea shoots taste sweet and are a good choice for first-time growers. You will also need an empty container of your choosing. Anything can work—a garden pot, shoe box, granola bar tray, or even an Oatly carton (learn how to grow plants from an empty carton by clicking here)!
Once you have collected all necessary supplies, you are ready to begin planting. The first step is to fill each container with loose soil and lightly spray with water. We used an organic seed starting soil mix. Next you should read the sowing guidelines on each seed packet. Different microgreen seeds will have varied planting requirements. In our case, the Umami Asian Blend seeds were scattered randomly on top of the soil, while the pea shoot seeds were planted ½ in. deep and spaced 1 in. apart. After you finish planting, take a handful of new soil and lightly cover the seeds. Then, spray the soil with water until damp.
Unami Asian Blend
Pea Shoots
The seeds will need access to sunlight and sprayed with water daily to grow. We placed our containers in front of a window that receives a small amount of sunlight. We also chose to supplement with a grow light hanging from a clothesline, but this is optional (pictured below).
After approximately 7-10 days, your microgreens will be ready to harvest! Simply take a pair of scissors and cut just above the soil line. This is the final stage for certain microgreen varieties. Others, including pea shoots, can regrow a few times in the same pot of soil. Just add water and sunlight for another week or so and new seedlings will grow!
To get a free packet of wildflowers:
Become a GreenSpot member: GreenSpot.
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