Microgreens are quietly becoming widely popular due to both their health benefits and their amazing taste.
But how to get started?
As I am very new to this myself, part of my learning process is creating this page to force me to stay engaged and focused. At the very least you should begin a journal. Growing microgreens is not rocket science, but there is a fairly steep learning curve.
Step 1: Watch a Ton of YouTube
There are a lot of resources that you can find on YouTube. Before you even consider growing your own microgreens, you need to make sure it is something you would enjoy. They are not hard to grow, but they do require a lot of time. You need to get a better understanding of what is actually involved.
Here are a couple of channels that I have watched a lot, and each has a ton of incredibly useful information. Both channels are great at communicating the years of knowledge that have between them, and you will benefit greatly from watching a few hours of their videos.
Here is a great video from Donny Greens on how to get started that I found very useful:
Watch a lot of videos online, it will really open your eyes to what lies ahead of you should you decide to embark on the microgreens journey.
Step 2: Gather Supplies
Starting a microgreens farm is by no means expensive, but there is obviously a cost. The good news is that once you hit the point of harvesting enough for your family, it pays for itself almost immediately versus purchasing these super foods in your local markets.
So, what do you need to get started? Here are the basics:
- A good growing rack – Your trays are going to be 20″ long, so you want to look for a rack that is 20″ deep. You can find these at places like BJ’s, or online on Amazon.
- Lights – A good set of lights is well worth the small investment. These harvests wind up under the lights for only a few days each harvest, so you want to get them the best possible.
- Trays
- Seeds
- Fans – You will want a good clip on fan for your grow rack to aid with ventilation, and fighting mold.
Step 3: Build a Realistic Plan
For example, if you are about to grow a harvest of sunflower microgreens, you should already know to expect 9 or 10 days. You can simply list out what to expect each of those days and keep track.
Stay on top of your plan, and always remember that at this point, the process needs to be very fluid. We have to keep notes, and get an understanding of what is, and more importantly what is not, going on.
Step 4: Learn From Your Mistakes
Your goal is to make each harvest a little better than the one before. That is the goal. Start small with 4 trays, and work to perfect growing those 4 and maximizing your yields. You will make mistakes. Learn from them.
