Grow an Indoor Microgreens Garden – Here’s How!

One of the most popular ways to remain calm and reduce stress, especially with the pandemic, has been engaging in gardening activities. Indoor gardening has been the current social media trend. More and more people have engaged themselves with indoor gardening for enhancing the aesthetic value of their homes. Moreover, the use of indoor gardening for interior room decoration is one of the most popular home décor ideas. 

However, indoor gardening can be about so much more in addition to enhancing the look of your house. How would you like the idea of a bountiful indoor garden consisting of microgreens like vegetables and herbs? An indoor microgreens garden is not only beautiful but also productive. The idea of growing your vegetables and cooking them is remarkable. Therefore, go through this article to know more about how to have your perfect microgreens garden with garden decorative arches.

What are microgreens?

Microgreens are the soft and tender shoot of a vegetable plant. A seed that has sprouted and gone into some more days of growth is called a microgreen. However, it is essential to remember that a microgreen has not yet matured. This gives the provision of growing them indoors as they can be grown in very small spaces. The grower does not have to worry about the plants growing up, as they are harvested much before that. Moreover, the microgreens grow swiftly and can be harvested once a week. Moreover, it is crucial to understand that microgreens are packed with nutrients and are 40 times more nutritious in comparison to their mature counterparts.

Steps to Start with Indoor Microgreens Garden

To begin with, in the process of setting up an indoor microgreens garden, it is important to follow the below-given steps.

1. Planning

Planning is the foundation of any process that plays a major role in determining the success or failure of the project. When you are beginning with indoor gardening with microgreens, you must plan. This means that the type of vegetables or herbs that you want to grow, the level of expertise in gardening you possess, and the amount of time that you can commit to the project are the cornerstones for successful microgreens indoor garden. Once you are clear with all these essentialities, you can go on to the next step of gardening. 

2. Identification of Location

This is a crucial step for beginning with indoor gardening. Choosing the right indoor location involves consideration of some of the essential factors as follows.

• Choose an appropriate location for the microgreens, which is airy and spacious. 
• It is recommended to keep the microgreens adjacent to a south-facing window. Moreover, one can also consider purchasing full spectrum grow lights so that the greens receive enough light on a cloudy day. 
• The seeds at the time of germination require a warm and humid environment. 
• However, once they sprout they would require to be placed in a well-ventilated room.

3. Planting of the Seeds

The planting of seeds also follows certain basic steps as mentioned below. 

• It is recommended to test the seeds before beginning with them. 
• Spread different seeds randomly on a damp paper towel. 
• If the speeds show signs of sprouting within a few days, then the rest of the pack can be used reliably. 
• Next, choose a container, which is not made up of any material that can absorb moisture like terracotta. 
• Microgreens grow well in any kind of food-safe container.
• The soil for the seedlings should be as shallow as possible. This is because if the microgreens get enough space, they might develop root balls.
• Drainage is not as important as in the case of other plants. However, waterlogging can lead to the microgreens getting rotten.
• You can use any indoor soilless mix for planting microgreens.
• To be precise, take a shallow container like a pan, add a layer of pebbles, mix the seeds in the loose topsoil, dampen them with water, and place it by a window.

4. Harvesting

One of the unique features of microgreens is that they do not require high key maintenance. One has to keep an eye on the sprouts and ensure that they do not look dry. This means that if at any part of the day they look dry, you should mist them with water in a hairspray. Ensure that you do not overwater the microgreens as this could lead to mold formation. Microgreens are ready to be harvested within a week of their plantation process. Take a pair of clean scissors and cut through the upper few inches of the vegetation.

Microgreens can be grown and harvested at any time of the year and for as many times as like. The seeds will continue to sprout from the portions of the stems that have been clipped more than once. Therefore, you can cut off the microgreens in proportions that you need easily. It is also recommended to eat the microgreens as soon as they are harvested as they can lose their flavor and nutrients quickly. Nonetheless, during harvesting, if you find any seed that has not sprouted yet, do not worry, as they will sprout in the next cycle to come.

5. Storage

Once the microgreens are properly harvested, they should be kept in a container made up of glass with a lid. You should ensure that the microgreens are not kept inside a plastic container as this will draw the moisture from them and reduce their flavor. On the other hand, the glass will keep the sprouts fresh for around two weeks. It is also important to remember that you should not wash the microgreens. The process of growing microgreens indoors involves no pesticides or chemicals. Therefore, they can be directly consumed. 

Why are microgreens preferred to eat?

More and more health-conscious individuals prefer microgreens in their food. Moreover, food enthusiasts, chefs, and other culinary experts prefer microgreens in their food in place of vegetables. Let us look at the reasons why people microgreens more.

• Microgreens consist of a high percentage of minerals and vitamins in comparison to their mature counterparts.
• They also have low-calorie content, as they have not developed the seeds, which give the matured plants the intended density in terms of calories.
• When the microgreens grow, they use light to produce chlorophyll. This process continues throughout the vegetative stage of the plant.
• Microgreens do not store any kind of starch inside them. This means that when consuming them, you will only get the necessary nutrition without the excess starch or any other calories. 
• Such a phenomenon makes microgreens a favorite. However, on the downside, microgreens have a much shorter shelf life.  
• The microgreens can start losing their chlorophyll instantaneously. Therefore, it is recommended to consume the microgreens as soon as you prune them off or harvest them. 

Effective Tips about Indoor Gardening with Microgreens

Now, that we know about the essentials of gardening with microgreens, let us look at some of the effective tips that can be used to increase the effectiveness of the process.

• Some plants are not safe to be cultivated in the form of microgreens because their stems contain toxins that might be harmful. All nightshade plants like tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and pepper can be included in the list
• Microgreens require 4 to 6 hours of indirect sunlight. 
• If in case that cannot be arranged due to cloudy weather, it is recommended to have a LED grow light.
• Microgreens can also be grown outdoors in a secured place away from the wind and rain. 
• Most of the microgreens take around 7 to 10 days to grow and get ready for being harvested. Some microgreens might take around 12 days. 
• Eat the microgreens as soon as you harvest them or store them in a glass lid container. 

Conclusion

Growing microgreens in your personalized indoor garden are simple and can be carried out without the help of any kind of special equipment or expertise. You can enjoy your precious salad recipe with the microgreens in it. You can even use them on wraps and sandwiches or use them in other dishes and recipes. Microgreens taste great and are healthy too. Moreover, there is a variety of microgreens to choose from like kale, arugula, radishes, and other essential vegetables. Therefore, start your indoor garden today with microgreens and garden benches.

FAQs

1. What are some of the most popular microgreens that can be cultivated?

Some of the popular microgreens that can be cultivated are lettuce, kale, arugula, radish, wheatgrass, collards, peas, cucumber, carrots, beets, cabbage, and celery. All of these microgreens can be cultivated easily.

2. Are microgreens difficult to grow?

No, microgreens are not difficult to grow. However, one major area of concern is determining the number of seeds to be planted as they result in small quantities of harvest. Once you get the quantity correct, microgreens will be easy to grow.

3. How much time will the first batch of microgreens grow?

The microgreens grow swiftly depending on the water and light that they receive. On average, microgreens might take 7 to 10 days to grow.