Grow your own: Microgreens

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Kitchen gardening

Cut green chives in a white porcelain cup on a grey plate.

Sprouting microgreens is a delicious and fun cold-weather indoor gardening project for both adults and kids. Here’s how to make sure you have an endless supply of microgreens throughout the seasons.

You’ll need

  • Raw seeds, grains or legumes of your choice (for example: radish, peas, buckwheat, broccoli, mustard, coriander, chia, fenugreek, alfalfa, beetroot)
  • Potting soil
  • Various shallow bowls, containers or foil trays 5–8 cm deep
  • Cling film

How to do it

  • Soak larger seeds like peas a day in advance.
  • Mix the potting soil with water so that the soil becomes moist but not soggy.
  • Spread a thick layer of soil on the bottom of the containers.
  • Scatter the seeds evenly on the soil so that they cover the surface.
  • Add another thin layer of soil.
  • Cover with cling film or the lid of the container to lock in humidity. Store out of direct sunlight in a bright area.
  • When the seeds begin to sprout (within 1–3 days), remove lids or cling film and move to sunnier spots. Start watering every 2–3 days.
  • Depending on what you’ve decided to sprout, you should be ready to harvest in up to 21 days. Cut only what you need, above the soil, and use in stir-fries, salads and sandwiches. Compost the leftover roots and seeds.

Tips

  • Ideal temperature for sprouting is 15–21°C.
  • You can also grow sprouts without using soil from sprout bags or simply in jars.
  • Seeds need humidity before they germinate and water and light after sprouting.
  • Start a small batch of sprouts every few days for a continuous supply year-round.