MicroGreens

Micro work for macro nutrients

Dominion Post; Wellington, New Zealand, Jul 17, 2010 | by Hannah ZWARTZ

Microgreens can give a little bit of green to a cold winter and add flavour to a variety of dishes.
WHEN the weather turns foul, indoor gardening holds more and more appeal. This year I’ve found the perfect crop in microgreens, growing in any old container on a bright windowsill.
Sounding modern and vaguely computerised, microgreens are in fact an updated form of that 70s hippie staple, sprouts, something I’ve never had much luck with.
You’re supposed to rinse them several times a day, which is above and beyond my level of commitment. After several attempts ending in slime, I gave up. Microgreens however are different, hugely easier to grow; I’ve been able to forget watering for a couple of days at times without dire results.
Microgreens could be described as a cross between sprouts and seedlings. They’re a few days further along in the growing process than sprouts, as they’re usually harvested after the first true leaves (as opposed to the cotyledons or seedling leaves) appear. But they’re younger than the stage at which seedlings are potted on, so it doesn’t really matter how spindly or close together they are.
Because they’re still babies, microgreens, like sprouts, hold concentrated amounts of nutrients. You wouldn’t produce a whole salad-bowl full, they’re more for sprinkling on salads, adding to sandwiches, or as a delicious raw garnish.
Some people apparently sow microgreens in glamorous terracotta pots that can be brought to the table and snipped straight on to the plate. Mine however are in old takeaway containers, or plastic clamshell fruit boxes, a perfect size, and with a readymade lid/ drainer tray. Any container obviously needs holes in the bottom and a drip tray. A plastic lid is a bonus, not essential, but it does create a hot-house atmosphere. I used an old cracked takeaway lid with the cracks adding ventilation.
I also used ordinary potting mix, but seed-raising mix would probably be superior.
I’ve also heard of people just sowing seed straight on to damp paper towels on a tray. I’ve never tried that myself but experimental souls may like to.
Which seeds to use? Potentially, anything edible, it depends on your tastes. Lettuce, bok choy and spinach are good. For more flavour, use spicy types like radish, cress or mustard. For colour, use beetroot or red orach. For maximum nutrition, I’m told broccoli and peas are very good.
I haven’t actually gone out and bought any, as I luckily had a whole lot of seed collected from autumn, sitting around in paper bags, including some which I saved from my best broccoli plant.
Not realising the extent to which brassicas interbreed (there were kale flowering nearby) means seed saved in this way won’t grow true. So it’s perfect for sprouting. The good news is that if you let a lettuce or kale or two go to seed you’ll end up with plenty to sprout.
If you don’t have seeds to hand, Kings’ catalogue has an excellent microgreen range, see their online catalogue at kingsseeds.co.nz. You can, of course, mix different seeds together in your favourite combination.
Keep the potting mix moist but not soggy, to avoid rot. When just planted, watering with a mister is good as it doesn’t disturb the soil surface. Older seedlings can be top-watered but make sure you empty the drip tray after about half an hour so they’re not sitting in soggy conditions.
Microgreens can be eaten as soon as they’re a few centimetres high. Cut them with scissors just above the soil once they get their first pair of true leaves. How long this takes depends on the amount of warmth and sunlight they are getting. Expect anything between one and two weeks. Let a few get bigger and you have “baby leaves” for salad. Cut plants won’t resprout, but the potting mix can be reused as long as there’s no sign of mould. Re-sow every week or so for a constant supply.
Microgreens are so easy they even came on a road trip with us. I know how daft that sounds, but I’d planted them forgetting we were going away on holiday, so rather than abort the growing mission, we popped them on to the dashboard for the drive upcountry.
They did just fine, reminding me of the gardener who, lacking a greenhouse, successfully sprouted all her seeds one year in the boot of her Toyota hatchback. But that’s another story.
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