🌱🌱Launching the Indoor Microgreens Adventure
Eat your greens, y’all!
Blue Curled Kale microgreens...rising from the soil to the light!
I’ve recently embarked on a couple of urban farming adventures. One is the creation of my little microgreens indoor growing operation, and the other is an urban composter/digester which basically utilizes the Indore method of composting in smaller batches and using 5-gallon buckets (more on the compost bucket once I get it finished up and ready to post the build process).
Right now I’m growing kale, leaf lettuce, and I just put some peas out today (hopefully I’ll have pea shoots soon!), so I’m really excited about this new project.
I’ve never had much of a green thumb, but I’m trying to change that, especially since my long-term goals include growing MOST of my food, so I figured this short-cycle microgreen experiment would be a good foray into growing even more food! Plus, microgreens are SO good and so good for you, because they contain tons of concentrated nutrition.
I’m utilizing a super simple and cost-effective way in going about this microgreen project. Recycling take-out and otherwise “often-disposed” containers for my greens, and instead of higher-powered and more expensive “grow lights,” I’m just utilizing a fluorescent light bar on a shelf unit in my laundry room. The Scientist and I will probably be converting that same cheap shelving unit into our grow station. I’ll have more to share on my whole process once I nail it down. Especially the soil-to-water ratios (which I’m learning can be tricky), as well as watering schedules and methods, container use practice, and full-terms for the microgreen growth cycle.
It’s a super fun experiment, one that is also teaching me patience (HARD), and I love eating food that I helped grow...so being able to snack on these micros knowing I grew them all by myself and that’s such a satisfying feeling.
Leaf lettuce microgreens...I’m trying out a couple of germination methods with these. As you can see, these seeds are essentially sitting on top of the soil...I’ve had a few grow for me, as you can see, but not as many as I’d have hoped. I put some out yesterday utilizing a different method, and am excited about the results.
Recycled take-out containers, milk jug bottoms, and tubs that once held sour cream and cream cheese make great little planters for microgreens!
I am looking forward to sharing the process with Steemit!
🌱🌱 🌱🌱If YOU have any tips, experience, or hacks to share in regard to growing microgreens, please do! I’m receptive to any knowledge and expertise in this area! I want to grow KICKASS micros that I can not only enjoy at home, but also that I can share with friends and family! 🌱🌱🌱🌱
COMMUNITY IS THE NEW MONEY
Nice! Looks like you have a great micro garden going on! We've thought about doing a pallet and gutter type herb garden for our house since Bev uses so many for cooking! ;) Good luck with your growing!
Growing one’s own kitchen herbs is so fulfilling. I’m still using the homemade pesto I froze from last summer’s basil that The Scientist grew in our outdoor garden. So good. So much better than store-bought, and so much more generally fulfilling to eat.
I think we are going to also start growing some herbs inside as well. I’m all about this indoor growing stuff. I love growing food!! I’m not so much into growing flowers—I love to look at them, but I really want to get good at growing food!!
If y’all decide to go with the pallet & gutter, please post about it!!
Will do!
I just got a book about sprouts from another Steemian but I have yet to give microgreens a try! It is definitely on my to do list! It's cool that you use recycled containers like takeout plastics to grow them in!
Depending on how one goes about growing them, microgreens have a much lower chance of developing salmonella than sprouts do, so that’s why I initially decided to go the microgreen route as opposed to sprouts. I love sprouts, too...but I get so scared about salmonella!
Food-safe containers are great to repurpose for microgreen growing!
Thanks for checking out the post and for your input!! Have you posted about your sprouts or are you that far into the process yet?? I’m super interested in tips and tricks there, as well!
Haven't tried either yet cuz space and finances are tight at the moment! I'll post about it when I do!
Nice garden to have in a small place. I love being able to grab some fresh herbs for cooking instead of the same ole bottle of stuff in the cupboard...Love your blog...Resteemed
Super Awesome! Normally I keep the trays covered until the first ones sprout, but looks like yours are doing just fine the way you have it. :-)
What do you use to cover your trays? I’ve been covering them (up until these snap peas I just put out) for two days before uncovering and putting under the light. I don’t want to cover too tightly and end up with mold, but I think my lettuce didn’t germinate the way I wanted it to because of that first couple of days. Just wondering what you cover with, and how far above the soil your cover sits. I’ve seen everything from using towels to actually pushing another tray or something on top of it that actually provides a little weight on top of the seeds. Any help is greatly appreciated!! I want these to be really awesome!
That kale looks amazing! We have good intentions when it comes to “cold weather greens” in our little outdoor garden but always seem to miss the window of opportunity. Maybe indoors is the way to go! Looking good! :)
If you want succeed with your garden you need to plant the right type of plants, at the right time. You can check both at the United States Department of Agriculture’s plant hardiness zone map. When you’ve confirmed that your plants will grow in your zone, make sure you plant them at the right time of year! Be sure to also check the seed’s information, it will likely be spring or summer.
Copy/paste comment, I've seen this on multiple #homesteading and #gardening articles. Please stop spamming the comment section of articles @sultanmr.
yea it was copy and paste, but i do a bit research on google too.
copying some information and try to share with others is not always span.
thanks for your observation and comments
I agree, sharing information you find is not spam. However I've seen you called out by many different users for using this same/similar comment on many articles even when it does not apply - like this:
I just wanted to let you know so that you don't get downvoted in the future or ruin your reputation
thanks for your help. may be i did not read that post properly before commenting.
i will make sure in future.
thanks again for your help and guideline and i hope you will not downvoted me.
What a fast reply! I’m growing indoors with seeds that are known for making great microgreens inside, so I can do this year-round, so this doesn’t exactly apply to this article, but I’m really hoping your comment wasn’t a bot comment since it was posted only 10 seconds after I published the article! I know I wrote more than that!! Lol. Have a great day!