The Art of Growing Microgreens

[oakley]

Micro green up-date.
The helmet heads need a couple days to easily flick off. Top pic is Sunday.

Middle pic is this morning. Left tray is ready as most helmet heads are easily removed.
(wow i have a house full of micro sunflowers. They are everywhere. Fun project)
Four small trays still experimenting with salad mixes.

Third pic is corn, cilantro, celery. They are ready. Might blender with some lime juice the
cilantro/celery and ice cube tray for the freezer. Then zip-lock for soups. A cube at the
end of cooking for Pho and NoodleBowl.
Organic pop-corn sprouts are fun and tasty but not really needed in my kitchen.
Left side of pic is another 10-10 tray of salad.
Finally getting an easy system down for a good rotation.

[BigVanVader]

What variety are the micro sunflowers?

[oakley]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

What variety are the micro sunflowers?

The 6-8" are SunnySmile F1 hybrid. Johnny's.

The smaller micros are DwarfSunspot from Holmes seed. I like these. Must be OP.
They are 3-5".
And one has four more blooms on the stem.

The other smaller variety is TeddyBear aka Dwarf SunGold (i think?) Not blooming yet.
All are 3-4" now.

Sunspot pics...

[BigVanVader]

Cool I have Teddy Bear and Big Smile, which I believe is a improved Sunny Smile but not sure. How long from seed to flowers would you estimate?

[Ricky Shaw]

It's all so cool. I'm diving into this stuff after tomato season and have the perfect area for it in the basement.

[oakley]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

Cool I have Teddy Bear and Big Smile, which I believe is a improved Sunny Smile but not sure. How long from seed to flowers would you estimate?

I started seeing bloom at 13 weeks (?)...ish. I'm sure the cold steady 62 down there
slowed that down. And that mouse got 1/2 of the Teddy at about 3 weeks old and were
re-planted.
Remember i used those horrid pods to help keep them extra micro...only one out
of 3 dozen shot up to 12"...culled it.

[MuddyToes]

Originally Posted by oakley

Micro green up-date.
The helmet heads need a couple days to easily flick off. Top pic is Sunday.

Middle pic is this morning. Left tray is ready as most helmet heads are easily removed.
(wow i have a house full of micro sunflowers. They are everywhere. Fun project)
Four small trays still experimenting with salad mixes.

Third pic is corn, cilantro, celery. They are ready. Might blender with some lime juice the
cilantro/celery and ice cube tray for the freezer. Then zip-lock for soups. A cube at the
end of cooking for Pho and NoodleBowl.
Organic pop-corn sprouts are fun and tasty but not really needed in my kitchen.
Left side of pic is another 10-10 tray of salad.
Finally getting an easy system down for a good rotation.

Do you eat the popcorn sprouts like salad greens or do you juice them like wheat grass?

Are the dwarf sunflowers for looks or for food?

Nice pix! I always learn so much from your posts.

[BigVanVader]

Originally Posted by oakley

I started seeing bloom at 13 weeks (?)...ish. I'm sure the cold steady 62 down there
slowed that down. And that mouse got 1/2 of the Teddy at about 3 weeks old and were
re-planted.
Remember i used those horrid pods to help keep them extra micro...only one out
of 3 dozen shot up to 12"...culled it.

Thanks! I had read that container size affects the size of these. I think I'll start mine this weekend.

[oakley]

Originally Posted by MuddyToes

Do you eat the popcorn sprouts like salad greens or do you juice them like wheat grass?

Are the dwarf sunflowers for looks or for food?

Nice pix! I always learn so much from your posts.

I had some old corn seed packets so just to see and taste. I have some chef friends and
thought it would be funny as a joke to 'top' something mocking the tweezer chefs. They are tasty so having a 'garnish' is fun/funny.
Gave up growing corn years ago as we have a local farm that picks every morning and
four varieties. Very cheap.

I've grown sunflowers for years in the garden but never so up-close. I have them growing in different containers now, some 5 per clay pot, 5 in a 1/2 gal grow bag. Testing
for next year as i intended to give some as gifts but though a testing and timing would be best. Same with the micro toms. Started a dozen RedRobins, 2 are textbook perfect.

I also do some charity events throughout the year and try and offer something different.
(think high end bake sale). I don't bake so i do other things. A couple times i made a
bbq spice blend.

[oakley]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

Thanks! I had read that container size affects the size of these. I think I'll start mine this weekend.

I'm starting another tray as well.
Not so fast on my identification. It seems possible the taller ones are Teddy. That beautiful lime green center is transforming. (when that mouse started snacking i had
no hope really, so thought with just three varieties it would be obvious)

Such a good market item as another poster is doing. Such a long bloom time indoors.

The three together are in a felt grow bag, top folded down a couple inches.
The one with the perfect canopy is a favorite...i have that one by the kitchen sink.

Having grown Teddy in the garden for years along with so many others...way to busy to
really study their growing habits.

[oakley]

Another observation i should mention is my LED Costco shop light.
Nov and Dec were extremely gray skies. No sun at all. Maybe an hour here and there.
Every start and micro green love that light. They stretch towards it. Actually all my starts are doing well.
I'll pick up another or two now that some Spring seeds are started.

[akgardengirl]

I think it's that time of the season to fire up the micro greens thread again. I didn't grow them last year but I have now collected the planting trays and have an order in at Sprout People. This was my favorite subject to read this past season. Right now I have Italian Garden sprouts growing. I have had sprouting trays for years and use them every winter. My favorite looks like a screened cheesecake pan which has good drainage plus our water is good here.
Sue

[oakley]

I never stopped. I had one dry week where my timing was off
early August. But I had my garden salad bed of cut-n-come again
mixes, Arugula, and Johnny's Salanova. I cut my garden salad bed
down by half that gave room for other things since I had the
micro trays growing.
I just grew on the deck outside the kitchen. For a party I just let
guests cut their own. (that wasn't really planned) but I'm starting
trays tomorrow that should be the perfect size for Thanksgiving.
Six 10x10 should do it. Timing is perfect as 4 trays are about
done I'll clip tonight. Started three last weekend that are about
1 inch tall.
...I should take some more pics.
This is some of the summer grow...

[oakley]

Must add this video, Curtis Stone, on a great preventative for
fungus. The three trays I just uncovered are getting this treatment
this morning before going under the light bank.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEvqngpDJqo

[oakley]

My calendar is way off...(the one in my head).
I'll start the odd-ball, longer to sprout seeds, tomorrow. Like the
herbs, cilantro, basil, celery, and whatever else if find in the box.
5x5 inch trays. I don't grow those in the summer months as I
have plenty in the garden.

Peas, radish, salad mix, sunflower, buckwheat, I'll start next
weekend, the 4th or 5th, closer to the holiday.