September 18, 2013

Gardening is about experimentation. And so I decided to try micro greens. Here’s how I did it.

The Botanical Interest Mild Mix contains equal parts of Bull’s Blood beet, Red Acre cabbage, kohlrabi, pak choi and Lucullus Swiss chard. The terra cotta tray is only about one inch deep and I used my favorite seed-starting mix.

A sunny kitchen window and five days later things look promising. Germination of the different seeds continued over the next week or two. Though they could be grown indoors in a sunny location, I moved them outside to a bright spot with only brief morning sun.

Three weeks after planting and the micro greens are ready to harvest. 

I waited another week–part procrastination, part to let them develop a second set of leaves.

Lunch: Sourdough bread, red pepper hummus and micro greens.

You can find internet articles such as this one in WebMD promoting the nutritional punch of micro greens. Checking the USDA data base for various sprouts tells me I’d have to eat a cup or so for significant nutritional benefit. (Remember, I’m a dietitian). I’d rather eat fresh, steamed broccoli or a colorful coleslaw.

But let’s think of the microgreens as a unique garnish or salad addition. BTW, lunch was delicious.

Check this Sunset article for other ideas on how to use micro greens. Botanical Interests has suggestions for Growing Micro Greens for Winter Meals. Choose from their Spicy, Savory and Mild mixes.

And have fun. Remember, gardening is about experimentation.