The Art of Growing Microgreens

[MI Farmer]

Just a quick update... The peas and sunflowers are doing great. They look like everyone's pictures. The sunflower are lagging a bit behind the pea shoots - is that normal?
(One of these days I'll figure out how to post pics here.)

[oakley]

Peas are fast. Difference is in the seed shell coat. Peas find the soil/moisture faster and evenly.
Sunflower seed is elongated/thick and once germination starts they go every way sideways up
down...the shell is thick so a bit slower to germinate.
once they find their way UP to sun and light, they do catch up. Just by a few days.

like any seed, they all have their quirks. like tomato vs pepper seed. Pepper is a yawn to watch
germinating. Tomatoes are satisfying, but peas are zippy!

[akgardengirl]

I just reread this whole thread which started 2 years ago. I also saw Oakley's sprouted rye bread photo and it renewed my interest in the recipe. Would you please post that delicious bread recipe? All your photos are great! I will post some as soon as I get a good batch of micro greens going. The ones growing right now look quite puny.
Sue

[oakley]

Ah, the BarnYard Rye. Made that over the holidays. My only hard copy of that is
kitchen scratched and full of notes. Dad has the other copy.https://breadtopia.com/sourdough-rye-bread/
Basically it is as if these two recipes had a baby...
https://savorysaltysweet.com/2011/03...-hearth-bread/

[oakley]

I knew that would post funny. ^

I've had to adapt my recipe for friends and my parents. They don't stock multiple grains
like I do for soaking/sprouting. So I have them use Bob's red mill 7-10 grain.
Both of those recipes above are really good. Someday I'll get my version back on a computer.

I realized around the holidays I've come to where I've wanted to be for some time...
an easy, no blink rotation that suits us. 3-5 9x6inch trays always ready to harvest,
3-5 trays at 5-7 days and a stack of trays germinating. Always a few new ones like fenugreek and
the triton radish I just started last weekend. I'm organized and quick to sow. A quick check
every morning and a quick check pm in the door often before my coat comes off.
Ready-to-harvest trays come upstairs into the kitchen right above my prep counter on a shelf.
(that makes room for my germinating stacked trays to see some light)

That rotation keeps it manageable to just one of my four 4ft germination shelves.

Holidays and friends over I can easily sow an extra stack 12 days in advance.

I even got ahead of myself a couple times and had to bag it/fridge it.

What an operation; so impressive.

[oakley]

One nice thing to share is troubleshooting - saves and fails.

Top left is a save. I'm always quickly checking trays for their water weight. Different days
as they grow, have different water needs. Day 5-6 some get very thirsty. Some look fine and
healthy but the tray is light and dry. Without any drooping....just a few hours they start to
show signs. Those two bounced back after watering in just a few hours. That is also the
appearance of water-logged/wet feet and rarely recover.

Top right, toast, haha. Happens. No biggie. I had moved them to the work bench behind.
Meant to take up to the kitchen for harvest. A couple days or three without water=dead.

Pic of misc seed collection. Easier to grab and sow. Bulk bags are in airtight totes. The 5-6
fast growers and the bulk of my growing are in larger containers. Pints instead 1/2 pints.
Also easier to grab visually out of the stack. (pea blend, radish blend, etc)

Middle is just a bunch of smaller tray trials over the holidays and lots of herbs.

Bottom right? I think that is MammothRedRock cabbage. Or ChinaRose radish. Forgot to label
that pic. Glad I bought a pound of both as they are both winners. And gorgeous.

[oakley]

Another save just a couple days ago. Radish mix. Perked back up by the next morning.

Just like any other seed germination/grow, too much water/wet feet they will perish.
Letting dry out a bit and watering just before signs of suffering/droop = success.