How to Grow Microgreens at Home
A fast indoor crop you can grow on a windowsill in one to three weeks, with a variety reference for 15 of the best.
Microgreens are young seedlings of vegetables and herbs, harvested at the first-true-leaf stage just one to three weeks after sowing. You grow them in a shallow tray on a windowsill or under a light, then snip the tender stems and leaves for salads, sandwiches and garnishes. They pack an intense flavor and a high concentration of nutrients into a tiny, fast crop.
They are one of the most rewarding things a beginner can grow. They are fast, they grow indoors all year regardless of the weather outside, they need no garden or even a balcony, and a single tray can be ready to eat in a week or two. If you have ever wanted homegrown food but felt you had nowhere to grow it, microgreens are where to start.
Microgreens are not sprouts
People often confuse the two, but they are different and the difference matters for safety.
- Sprouts are germinated seeds eaten whole, including the seed and root. They are grown in water in a jar, in the dark, without any medium, and harvested in just a few days. Because they sit warm, wet and humid the whole time, sprouts carry a higher food safety risk and have been linked to bacterial outbreaks.
- Microgreens are grown in light, in a medium such as seed-starting mix or coir, for one to three weeks. You cut them above the medium and eat only the stem and leaves, not the seed or root. Grown in light with airflow, and with the root left behind, they carry a lower food safety risk than sprouts.
What you need
The kit is simple and most of it you may already have.
- Shallow trays. Anything 1 to 2 inches deep works. Salad clamshells, takeout containers, or purpose-made microgreen trays are all fine. A second tray with no holes underneath is handy for bottom-watering.
- A medium. Seed-starting mix or coir (coconut fiber) is the most reliable. A hydroponic growing mat is a clean, soil-free alternative for trays you bottom-water.
- Seeds. Use untreated seed sold for sprouting or microgreens. These are sold in bulk and are cheaper than packet seed, and untreated means free of fungicide seed coatings you do not want to eat.
- Light. A sunny windowsill or a small LED grow light. Microgreens need light once they emerge to green up and grow sturdy.
- A spray bottle. For gently misting the surface during the early days before you switch to bottom-watering.
Step by step
- Fill and level. Fill your tray with about 1 inch of moist medium and gently level it. Do not pack it down hard.
- Sow densely. Scatter the seed evenly and thickly across the surface, much closer than you would for a normal crop. You want a near-solid carpet of seed, but not seeds piled on top of each other. Press lightly so they make contact with the medium. Most small seeds are not covered, while large seeds like sunflower and pea can be lightly covered.
- Blackout for germination. Cover the tray with an upturned tray or a lid to hold humidity and create darkness for the first 2 to 4 days. A light weight on top encourages strong, even rooting. Mist if the surface looks dry.
- Move to light. Once most seeds have sprouted and lifted the cover, uncover the tray and move it to a bright windowsill or under a grow light. The pale shoots will green up within a day.
- Keep moist, water from below. Once leaves are up, water from the bottom by pouring a little water into the tray underneath rather than misting the leaves. Wet leaves in still air invite mold and damping off. Keep the medium moist but never waterlogged.
- Harvest at first true leaves. When the seedlings show their first true leaves, usually one to three weeks in, gather a handful and cut just above the medium with clean scissors.
- Rinse and store. Rinse gently only if needed, dry well, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Variety reference
Different microgreens grow at different speeds and ask for slightly different handling. Use the reference below to pick what to sow. Filter to the fast crops if you want greens within ten days, or to the beginner-friendly ones for a sure thing. One key rule is in the soak column: large seeds like peas and sunflower benefit from an overnight soak before sowing, while mucilaginous seeds that turn slimy when wet, such as basil, arugula, amaranth and cilantro, should never be soaked.
| Microgreen | Flavor | Days to harvest | Soak seed first | Notes |
|---|
Common problems
Mold or just root hairs?
This is the question every new grower asks. Root hairs are a fine, white, even fuzz that appears only around the roots and the base of the stems, usually right after the blackout period. They are completely normal and disappear when you mist the tray lightly. True mold is fuzzy, often gray or colored, spreads across the medium and seeds rather than hugging the roots, and has a musty smell that does not go away with a misting. If it is real mold, increase airflow and ease off the water for the next tray.
Damping off
Seedlings collapse at the base and flop over. This is a fungal problem driven by too much moisture, poor airflow and overcrowding. Prevent it by bottom-watering rather than misting the leaves, not overwatering, giving the tray some airflow with a small fan or an open window, and not sowing so thickly that the canopy can never dry.
Leggy, pale growth
Tall, weak, stretched stems mean not enough light. Move the tray to a brighter windowsill, turn it daily so it does not lean toward the window, or add a grow light close above the tray.
Uneven germination
Patchy trays usually come from uneven sowing, dry spots, or seed that did not make good contact with the medium. Sow as evenly as you can, level the medium first, press the seed down gently, and keep the whole surface evenly moist through the blackout period.
Harvest, storage and a continuous supply
Harvest by gathering a section of the canopy in one hand and cutting just above the medium with clean scissors. Cut what you need fresh, as they are at their best straight from the tray.
To store, rinse only if needed, then dry thoroughly, because surface moisture is what makes microgreens spoil. Keep them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel in the fridge, where most last five to seven days.
For a steady supply, sow a new tray every one to two weeks rather than one big batch. A small rotation of two or three trays at different stages means you always have something ready to cut. Most microgreens do not regrow after cutting, so compost the spent tray and medium and start fresh.
Track your indoor sowings in the app
Log each microgreen tray in the Planting Season app, keep your succession sowings on schedule, and never lose track of what is ready to cut.
Open the App →Common questions
Are microgreens the same as sprouts?
No. Sprouts are germinated seeds eaten whole, including the seed and root, grown in water in a jar without light or soil and harvested in a few days. Microgreens are grown in light in a medium for one to three weeks and cut above the medium, so you eat only the stem and leaves, not the root or seed. Because microgreens are grown in light with airflow and you do not eat the root, they carry a lower food safety risk than sprouts, which are grown warm and humid in conditions that can favor bacteria.
Do microgreens regrow after cutting?
Mostly no. Most microgreens are dicots, such as radish, broccoli and sunflower, and they do not regrow once cut because the growing point is removed with the harvest. A few grass-type microgreens like pea shoots and wheatgrass can give a smaller second cut, but the regrowth is weaker and most growers simply compost the spent tray and sow fresh seed.
What are the best microgreens for beginners?
Radish, broccoli, sunflower and pea shoots are the easiest to start with. Radish and broccoli germinate fast and grow strongly with little fuss, while sunflower and pea shoots are large, forgiving and very rewarding. Avoid slow or mucilaginous seeds like basil and cilantro until you have the basics down.
Do I need a grow light for microgreens?
Not necessarily. A bright windowsill that gets several hours of light a day will grow most microgreens, though they may lean toward the light, so turn the tray daily. In a dark home or through a dim winter, an inexpensive LED grow light gives faster, sturdier, more even growth and prevents the pale, leggy stems you get in low light.
Why is my microgreen tray moldy?
True mold looks fuzzy and gray or colored and spreads across the medium with a musty smell. It is usually caused by sowing too densely, too much moisture, poor airflow or stagnant warm conditions. Fix it by sowing a little less thickly, watering from the bottom rather than misting the leaves, improving airflow with a small fan, and not letting the tray sit waterlogged. Do not confuse mold with root hairs, which are fine white fuzz only around the roots and stems that disappears when misted and are completely normal.
How long do microgreens take to grow?
Most microgreens are ready to harvest one to three weeks after sowing, depending on the crop. Fast types like radish, mustard and arugula can be cut in seven to ten days, while sunflower, beet, basil and cilantro take longer, often two to three weeks.
How do I store cut microgreens?
Harvest with clean scissors, give them a gentle rinse only if needed, and dry them well, as surface moisture is what makes them spoil. Store dry greens in an airtight container lined with a paper towel in the fridge, where most keep for five to seven days.
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