10:45 am update: As was the case last night, the cabbage and kale remain well ahead of the sunflower trays, but this is exactly what I was expecting due to the hard shell on the sunflower seeds.
Last night I was a little worried that we may have a fungus developing, as things were looking a little fuzzy/hairy in the cabbage and kale trays. I’m not very concerned at this point. Things are looking good now, and it’s just a learning curve as I wasn’t sure what I should be seeing this first time through the process.
The sunflowers are definitely moving in the right direction, and we have a pretty good “pop rate” as you can see here:
There was still a little water left standing in the trays so I dried that out first before re-watering and returning the trays to their shelves.
~ I discovered something ~
I can’t remember exactly why I ordered the red Russian kale microgreens. I have been sitting on these seeds for a few months, but I discovered this while doing some research:
Russian kale is the hardest to find. It has flat, fringed leaves ranging in color from green to red to purple. Its flavor is more sweet and peppery.
Sweet and peppery? My interest is piqued!
When I watered the kale seeds this time, I watered a little less than I have been, because when I give them their second watering today, I’m planning to use water from one of my established aquarium tanks.
I learned a few months ago how good aquarium water is for houseplants, and after seeing those results I’m going to try using that water as a hydration source for these microgreens as well. Not for every watering, but once now and once again in two or three days.
For now, everything looks good. I’m going to keep my eye on the cabbage and kale, and I may hit them with a prophylactic spray after tonight’s watering.
If you have a fish tank at home, be sure to read Using Aquarium Water to Feed Your Plants. It explains some of the many reasons you should be re-using that water instead of sending it down the drain.
~ 11:30 pm update
I decided to push back on adding aquarium water another day. I want to give them just a little more time to grow first.
Things are looking really good at this point. All four trays have germinated nicely, but I would have expected a little more from the sunflowers by this point, but one more day as is, and then we will advance to the next stage of the process.
Here are some pictures of where things currently stand:
~ Mike
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