How To Grow Microgreens

Even though this title says “How To Grow Microgreens”, this is not a guide. That’s because there are many, many methods of doing it that work great. No one method is more right than others. It all comes down to the grower’s preference. Try a few things, DIY your own, or ask friend’s for ideas. This is what works for me.

If you found this page, you obviously are into indoor or outdoor growing! Please join my Facebook group… AeroGarden, Kratky & Gardening Fanatics. We would love to have you! There’s plenty of chatter about seed starting, Hydroponics, microgreens, and GreenStalks going on.

But, the bottom line is that growing microgreens is super easy and rewarding. You will need a few things…

A container or jar to grow in
A growing medium (sometimes this can be skipped)
Adequate lighting
Seeds
Water

In most cases, you harvest microgreens quickly, so you do not have to worry about adding nutrients. But, a fun thing to try is to take some of your microgreen sprouts, transplant to an AeroGarden, Kratky, or soil, and let them grow to full size. In that case you will need nutrients. Remember, microgreens are just baby plants that we eat before they grow up.

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Sprouting Trays

Sprouting trays allow you to grow a large variety of microgreens. You can opt for a small amount if you are growing them just for yourself, or use a much larger tray if growing them for your family. There are a wide variety of tray types and sizes out there. As you know, I no longer use soil inside the house (unless I am planting up seeds for the outdoor garden), so I choose things that allow me to grow without soil as a medium.

Urban Leaf Microgreens Kit

Try the Urban Leaf Microgreens Kit, for smaller quantities. You can grab it from Amazon, or buy it direct from Urban Leaf → (Save 10% off with code LTG10).

This kit comes with 3 small square containers, the growing medium, and seeds to get you started.

My microgreens grew very well! They were full, and lush, and delicious. If you would like to see my full video review, check out my YouTube video, Fast Healthy Microgreens | Urban Leaf Microgreens Kit.

Larger Sprouting Trays

There are a ton of Seed Sprouter Trays on Amazon under different brands. They are all very similar. But, some come with lids aka humidity domes, some don’t. I like the ones come with the humidity dome. It makes sprouting faster. If using larger seeds, these trays can be used without an additional growing medium. Some kits come with germination paper. This is helpful for tiny seeds that can fall through the grate. But, if using one of the mediums below, your seeds should be fine.

These are just a few of the trays that you can get. There are other great kits available from Park Seed, True Leaf Market, Back to the Roots, and tons to choose from on Amazon.

With the above, getting going it easy. They all work similarly to this video.

If you do not want to purchase trays, you can make your own out of food storage containers, metal buffet trays, or similar. You would need 2 of them to nest, so that the top tray has holes for drainage, and the bottom tray holds water. There are a ton of great easy tutorials on how to do it on YouTube.

In Sprouting Jars

I have not sprouted in jars just yet. But, I plan to since I have a lot of mason jars. The jars work well for alfalfa, mung beans, chickpea, lentils, and many others. I have a nice bag of mung bean seeds that I am going to try. I picked up this sprouting lid kit to work with my existing mason jars. I am excited to give them a try.

AeroGarden MicroGreens Kits

AeroGarden offers microgreens kits for both the Harvest and Bounty. They have 2 sides so you can grow 2 different types of microgreens.

They also offer their own growing mats and microgreen seeds which work great.

Tray Liners aka Growing Medium

If you are growing inside using hydroponics there is absolutely no reason to get soil involved in growing your microgreens. Keep it clean! These growing mediums would work with any of the above if cut to size. However, if you are using seeds larger than the holes in your tray, you can try skipping the growing medium altogether.

Handy Pantry Micro-Mat Hydroponic Grow Pads – These are like really thick paper towels. They worked great for me.

Handy Pantry Jute Grow Mats – Jute is an excellent option for Microgreens

If you kit has it, you can use the sprouting paper that comes with it, one of the mats suggested above, or even paper towels folded over to line them.

Where to Buy Microgreens Seeds

There are literally hundreds of varieties of microgreens seeds to choose from. They are usually sold in large packs because the idea is that you plant them densely to get a nice mat of small sprouts. I have tried seeds from a variety of places.

True Leaf Market has an excellent selection of Microgreens seeds.

High Mowing Seeds has packages ranging from 1/4lbs to 20lbs!

When I first got started I ordered the following seeds from Amazon. They are huge packs that last a long time. I love that they are mixes. Great variety and taste. Superfood Microgreens Seeds and Eastern Sun Asian Microgreens Seeds. Both are huge 1lb packages.

If you are looking to get started with smaller packs of seed to get an idea of what you like, check out the offerings from Park Seed, the smaller packs from True Leaf Market, or many other places where seeds are sold.

MicroGreens Growing Tips

A Few General tips…

Don’t overload the seeds. If you do, you might have a stinky mess and mold may start to develop in your sprouts. Use the recommended amount on the instructions for the kit you are using.
Try to spread the seeds evenly. You want them to develop into a nice carpet of green.
If using a dome, remove it after most seeds sprout
Check the water level every other day. You do not want them to dry out
When you first get started, keep the water level high enough to touch the growing medium and keep the seeds wet
Once your seeds sprout and start growing, when you refill put in only enough water to keep the roots wet
If you see white fuzz near the roots of your sprouts, that is not mold. That is just fuzzy air roots and it’s totally normal.

AeroGarden Microgreens Kit Tips

One complaint about these is the water can flow too fast and actually overflow the top tray. So, to prevent this…

Turn the pump down using the knob on the front of the pump.
Don’t fill the water all the way up when you first start. I stop just short of the fill line… maybe 1/2″ under.
Use only the recommended amount of seeds, not too much more.
Keep the light at the lowest setting

Microgreens can be used in soups, salads on sandwiches, or just as a snack. They add great flavor and nutrition to any meal! Try growing some today. Enjoy!