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Colin McCrate of Seattle Urban Farm Company shares a few spry tips for getting begin with microgreens .
Photo by : Jonathan Buckley / Gap Photos .
Use Microgreen Seed.
Places likeJohnny ’s Selected Seedshave mixes and packets of come specifically for growing as microgreens . Then as you learn more you’re able to use even seed . I get a pile of mine fromFedco Seeds .
Pick Easy Varieties.
I ’m drag to mustard greens . They have a muscular smell that I like , plus they ’re one of the leisurely types to grow . I also like growing cilantro microgreens ( the ‘ Santo ’ diversity ) . It takes a petty long to be usable ( up to 3 week ) but I cook Mexican food a batch so they ’re wonderful to have .
Choose the Right Location.
Microgreens should not be exposed to freezing temperature . If you keep them indoors , make trusted it ’s a post with a small moisture and ventilation . If you need to mature them outside , produce them in a greenhouse that ’s heated — or use heating pads . In locations with temperatures that rarely reach below freeze , an unheated nursery or cold frame should work .
Greenhouses Make It Easy.
I grow microgreens in a small 6- by 10 - foot glasshouse . I have it in a full sun emplacement and it figure out really well . A cold flesh would also knead well .
Avoid Humidity Tents.
Some people use tents to speed up germination , which is hunky-dory . But once the microgreens sprout , I do n’t use them . If you keep the greenhouse warm and the ground moist , a collapsible shelter is n’t needed . There ’s also a greater jeopardy of burn the greens if the weather warms up suddenly .
Get Good Seed Coverage.
Make certain the seed coverage of each planting cubicle is good . This way the microgreens grow in thick and support each other .
Ensure Soil Contact.
After laying down seed with good coverage , I take an unused tray and bid the semen down softly but firmly into the soil . But I ’m sure not to eat up the seeds in the soil . If the seed get covered , the spout raise with soil on the leaf , which is difficult to remove later .
Water from the Bottom.
When you first institute the seed it ’s hunky-dory to give them a light sparge from above to impregnate the soil . Top urine until they start to evolve , but from then on use bottom watering ( commit a larger tray below the tray with land that you ’ve put source in ) . After 20 minutes , check the absorption and swarm any remain water out . With enough H2O , the soil should bet and find evenly moist . Bottom watering will reduce the chances of gray mold and damping off , a disease in seedlings triggered by to a fault wet growing condition . These disease are exacerbated by deficiency of air circulation , so a fan or proper ventilation is also a good estimate .
This bonus content accompanies “ Grow Your Own Superfood”—an article about the benefits of microgreens — in the Winter 2017 issue ofGarden Designmagazine .
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