Best Growing Medium For Microgreens
If you are a new gardener and you are wondering which is the best growing medium for microgreens, there are a few things you should keep in mind. This type of plant grows very well in many different growing conditions, but it will do best in nutrient enriched soil with lots of light. It prefers full sunlight throughout the day and will thrive in partial shade during some of the cooler months of the year.
The best growing medium for microgreens would be dry straw or peat moss. If you already have a compost collection, you could use that as your growing media. If you already have dry straw, that’s another good option too! Both kinds of material can be used successfully in growing microgreens.
To germinate seeds, you need to provide them with plenty of light, and you also need to make sure they get plenty of water. Microgreens generally do best in nutrient-enriched soils, and you should check the nutrition of your soil by looking at the leaves. A nutrient rich fertilizer is critical to growing microgreens correctly. If you are growing seeds indoors, you might want to use a hydroponic starter kit to help get your microgreen plants started off correctly.
You should check your plants for signs of disease or mold when you are ready to plant seeds. If the leaves look like they have yellowed to yellow, or if the stems appear moldy after you carefully remove the leaves, you should consider planting seeds in a sterile location until you have gotten rid of the mold issue. Mold and disease will quickly spread if you don’t get the moisture on the plant’s roots. The best growing medium for microgreens growing inside is a plastic pot, but it will still require some humidity until the plant starts to mature.
Some gardeners have tried using soil from their garbage in order to germinate seeds. This approach doesn’t work very well, because the microgreens that result are often too small to take off of the leaves. The best growing medium for growing microgreens outdoors is burlap. Burlap has excellent drainage properties, and it is firm enough to support plant growth without sagging or wrinkling. The moisture from the rain and dew can evaporate into the soil, but the burlap keeps it stuck to the plant while it matures.
The best growing medium for micro green seeds indoors is vermiculite. This is moist, yet cool for seedlings. It is firm enough to support plant growth, and it will not wrinkle when they start to mature. Vermiculite should be planted directly into a hole two feet deep and four to six inches wide, depending on the plant being grown. Make sure there is plenty of light coming through and moisture, but do not over-water, as this can drown the seedlings.
Another way to germinate seeds is by planting radishes, turnips, and chives. All of these are fairly young plants, with radishes and turnips being in their flower phase. Planting these seedlings into a hole two feet wide and four to six inches deep should be a good option. Radishes should be planted in the same depth they will be growing; however, you can vary this depth by scattering them across the area. Keep in mind that radishes are somewhat bitter, so it may be necessary to add some sugar to the soil in order to bring out the best flavor.
Chives are another herb commonly grown for growing microgreens. There are several different growing techniques for chives, and each requires slightly different amounts of space and nutrients. Some people prefer to lay several cuttings of chives down, while others like to use a planting bone. Planting a bone down will create a deeper root system that will allow chives to grow at a greater rate. A third growing technique for chives is to allow them to grow on an indoor trellis or pot.