The Do’s And Don’t Of Cultured Microgreens
If you are wondering what is the difference between eating microgreens and growing microgreens, then read on! As their name implies, microgreens are tiny versions of outdoor green vegetables. Microgreens are not baby green plants; though they’re neither sprouts nor miniature green vegetables. In technical terms, microgreens are the immature leaves that grow from the underground germinating seeds.
After harvesting a plant, it’s necessary to take it to the garden, where it’s planted in a growing medium. This growing medium contains carbon dioxide, oxygen and water. The microgreens trays are used to contain the microgreen seeds, which are enclosed in a hard, dry media. This dry media also gives the plants a chance to create their own food and recycle waste material. Harvesting, plucking, washing, drying and cutting are also needed for growing microgreens.
After harvesting, the microgreens can be placed in a tray lined with wax paper or newspaper to protect them from any damage. A food grade wick can be used to provide a source of fuel for burning during the drying process. The first set of seeds will be the true leaves.
Harvesting the true leaves of the microgreen seeds should be done a month or so before the sprouting of the second set of seeds. Place the sprouted seeds in a glass pot with a thin layer of gravel at the bottom. Place the spurt of seeds inside the glass pot, covering the gravel with more gravel. This will help keep the sprouting seeds from spreading out too quickly on the bare soil. Water should keep the gravel moist while the seeds sprout.
Harvesting the second set of seeds should occur one to two weeks after the first set is harvested. If there are fewer weeds around, the plants should be ready to harvest by the time the true leaves appear. The microgreens can then be removed and stored in air tight containers. They will have a higher yield than normal if they have a higher amount of flavor.
After the harvest, the microgreens can be cured for about a week. Place the sprouted leaves on a baking sheet and pop them into the oven at about 100 degrees until they pop open. Once the tiny green shoots have opened, they will be ready to enjoy. There are many things like cheese, meats, and cheeses that can go great with the flavor of microgreens.
As far as growing regrowing plants goes, it is not difficult to have microgreens sprout in your own garden. The only requirement is that you have a good quality earth bed to grow in and that you have some pots ready when you start them. Your microgreen plants can go in any pot and as long as the soil is rich in nutrients they will thrive. Your job is just to make sure that the soil is well-drained and that it is planted in the right manner.
Microgreens do not take up a lot of space. You can have several plants growing on one small pot. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. You can also plant them without any trays or pots at all and just give the plant a light water hose from time to time. They will thrive and provide you with a delicious source of food for a long time to come.
To grow microgreens successfully requires that you give them adequate amounts of nutrients. You will need to provide them with lots of vitamins, nitrogen and potassium. There are a number of foods that are rich in these elements and you should try and grow them on a regular basis to ensure that you have enough supply to ensure that your plants are healthy. Try and provide your plants with plenty of sunlight and a good solid soil structure. Giving them good drainage is also important and that means leaving some space between your planters and the soil.
It is not necessary to purchase a planter for your microgreens. If you are growing them from seeds then you will be fine. You just need to provide them with a shallow dish of water that is filled with liquid fertilizer. Make sure that the seeds you are using are dry and that they are not burnt in the heat of the sun. Your seeds will survive and thrive in this container and they are also very easy to take care of.
If you wish to grow them indoors then you should place your tiny plants on a tray that contains loosely packed paper. Providing them with direct sunlight is not necessary as they don’t like direct light. Some people prefer to place them in terracotta pots and this also works well. To make the tray smell wonderful you can place some scented plant food around the tray. In winter months, when you provide your plants with a source of heat, you should try and move your microgreen plants to a warm place where they will receive more sunlight.