Growing Microgreens at Home With Niki Jabbour

Hi, I'm Niki Jabbour and today I want to show you how to grow microgreens. Microgreens are specific types of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers that are typically harvested when very young, usually at around the first true leaf stage.

They're super fast growing, nutrient dense, very flavorful, and can be used in a wide variety of dishes. Plus, you can grow them practically anywhere year-round. Let's take a closer look at some of the different types of microgreens you can grow and get step-by-step growing instructions.

Here I have a Deluxe Microgreens Seed Starter Kit which is a great way to get growing if you don't already have microgreen supplies and equipment.

This kit includes (5) 5x5 insert flats, 5 leak proof trays, a mini greenhouse kit with grow light, germination mix, a Chapin 48 oz Hand Sprayer, and 4 types of delicious microgreen seeds to grow. A quarter pound of each 'Confetti Mix' radish seed, 'Mild Micro Mix', 'Kalefetti Mix' seed, and Purple Stem Radish seed. Let's get planting.

The first step is to place one of the insert flats into one of the trays and then fill each cell with about a cup of germination mix so that there is about an inch of soil in each one.

Next it's time to plant the seeds. You want to spread the seeds evenly over the mix, planting them close together, but not so densely that the microgreens will struggle to grow. Generally it's about one teaspoon of seeds for the radishes and a half a teaspoon for the 'Mild Micro Mix' and the 'Kalefetti Mix'. Or spread the seeds about a quarter inch to a half inch apart on the growing mix.

The next step is to cover the seeds lightly with more growing mix, then water to encourage good germination. For this I use the Chapin 48 oz. Hand Sprayer to thoroughly mist the growing mix.

Cover the tray with a seven inch high NanoDome and close the vents to keep humidity high.

Keep the tray in a warm site like a sunny south facing window.

Mist the growing mix daily to make sure it's not drying out and keep an eye out for sprouting. It's only going to take a couple of days for the seeds to germinate.

Place the Sun Blaster Grow Light on top of the nano dome and turn it on to provide light to the growing microgreens. I leave mine on for 24 hours a day.

As they sprout, stop misting and instead begin to bottom water to evenly saturate the growing mix. Lift up an insert and pour water into the tray to cover the bottom to a depth of around a quarter inch. You'll need about three cups of water per tray.

Also open the vents on the nano dome to encourage good airflow.

Continue to water when necessary to maintain a lightly damp growing mix. It's a balance. You don't want it to be constantly wet nor should it be overly dry.

The final step is to harvest and this begins around 10 to 15 days from planting depending on the microgreen type. You know it's time to harvest when the first two leaves appear above the cotyledons. Using clean scissors or shears, cut the stems close to the growing mix.

I love eating microgreens in sandwiches and wraps and in salads as well as a topping for scrambled eggs, stir fries, pastas and soups. And for a nonstop supply of these delicious nutritious microgreens, sow a fresh tray of seeds every 10 to 14 days.

It's fun and delicious to experiment with different types of microgreens. Here I have 'Confetti Mix', a mildly spicy blend of radishes with purple and green leaves and red, purple and pink stems.

'Kalefetti Mix' has a mild kale flavor and offers a variety of leaf colors and textures including bright green, deep green and purple with green, pink and purple stems.

The 'Mild Micro Mix' is a blend of Brassicas like cabbage, kale, kohlrabi and mizuna. The leaves are mostly green with a touch of purple. And the last type I'm growing is Purple Stem Radish which as the name implies has pretty purple stems topped with bright green leaves.

They're extremely fast growing and have a delicious spicy flavor. Happy growing!

Learn more in our Microgreens Production Guide

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