Microgreens

 Microgreens

Hello Friends,

 I am sharing the article I wrote for the January issue of the Cameron Chronicle "The Little Paper With Personality." 

This photo is not of Microgreens.. but of green.

Microgreens

By Carla TePaske of Cameron WI ~ The Little Garden That Could

Happy New Year!!

It is January and we are in full blown winter in Wisconsin. Are you getting ready to get your hands in the dirt. A fun way to garden and eat tasty greens is to grow microgreens.

Microgreens are a variety of edible immature greens. They are harvested with scissors less than a month after germination. Usually the plants are up to 2 inches tall.

Salad seed, radish seed, sunflower seed and cabbage seed are tasty mircrogreens. You can also find microgreen seed mixes for sale.

Start with a warm, sunny windowsill. Direct sunlight from a south-facing window works well. A small container for planting is best. Plastic take-out dishes are perfect. Clear fruit or salad boxes or even a disposable pie plate.

It is time to get planting!

1. Read the seed packet to see if there are any special instructions.

2. Cover the bottom of the container with an inch or two of moistened potting soil or mix.

3. Scatter seeds evenly on top of the soil.

4. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. Dampen the surface with a mister. If you prefer, you can skip this step and instead cover the container with a clear lid or plastic wrap until the seeds are sprouted.

5. While waiting for sprouts to appear, usually within three to seven days, use the mister once or twice daily to keep the soil moist but not wet.

6. Once seeds have sprouted, remove the cover (if you've used one) and continue to mist once or twice a day.

It is time to eat microgreens!

Depending upon the type of seeds you planted your microgreens will be ready to harvest in about two to three weeks. Look for the first set of "true leaves" as a sign of readiness. Then grab your scissors and snip the greens just above the soil line.

To serve, wash the microgreens with water and dry with paper towels. Serve them immediately for the freshest flavor. Microgreens work well added in soups, salads, sandwiches or main dishes. Store remaining cut microgreens in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.

A fun activity to do with children and microgreens!

Save and wash out some eggshells. These eggshells will become planters. Decorate your eggshell planter with a smile face or other fun ideas. Place the eggshell planters in the carton. Add a tablespoon of soil or a little less inside the eggshell planter. Sprinkle some seeds on the soil. Sprinkle some soil on the seeds. Use a mister to water the eggshell planter. In a few weeks time your eggshell planter will have grown hair/microgreens.

Have fun eating and playing with microgreens. Until next time happy gardening!