Microgreens and Sprouts

What's the Difference Between Microgreens and Sprouts?

Microgreens are planted in a shallow layer of soil and cut off at soil level. The roots are not eaten.

Sprouts are not grown in soil. They are eaten in their entirety, tiny roots and seeds and all. This means that some larger seeds are often better grown as microgreens, so the hard seed can easily be avoided.

Types of Microgreens

Nutrients found in various microgreens can include: protein, lysine thiamine, niacin, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, zinc, and copper, along with vitamin A, B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E and folate.

How to Eat Microgreens

Wash the greens under cold water and drain well. You can use them on sandwiches as you would sprouts to add color and crunch, add them to smoothies for extra nutrition, or sprinkle them on stir fries or soup, just before serving.

The flavor and texture of microgreens varies. Radish microgreens can be a bit spicy; larger microgreens like sunflowers or pea shoots work well in salads and stir fry dishes. Smaller microgreens like kale, amaranth, chard, and pac choi, work better as an addition to sandwiches or wraps, as you would use sprouts. Use them as a garnish. Sprinkle them on hummus or spinach dip. There are so many ways to use them.

Growing Microgreens

Fast growing microgreens are harvested as soon as the first two or four true leaves appear.

Growing microgreens allows you to produce a lot of fresh greens for salad, stir fries, and soup in a short time. Many varieties of seeds are available, from spicy mustard and radish, to juicy sunflowers or sweet pea shoots. And in the dead of winter, there's nothing like having a windowsill full of fresh greens.

Your windowsill salad can be ready in as little as 2-3 weeks! Most microgreens are harvested only once, by cutting the plant off at the soil's surface. The roots remain in the pot. You can seed another crop in the same soil several times to make the most of your supplies.

Growing Microgreens Indoors

Fill a shallow tray or upcycled container with about 2 inches (5cm) of potting soil. Make certain that the container has drainage holes to allow excess water to escape. Scatter seeds densely over the soil. In this case, don't worry about overcrowding the seeds – the wee sprouts don't mind being crowded. You want the seeds to be in a pretty solid single layer on top of the soil.

Cover seeds with a thin layer of potting soil. Water thoroughly and close the plastic lid, if your container has one. This helps to retain moisture until the seeds sprout.

Microgreens Growing Trays

These tiny plants don't require much in the way of soil. You'll need shallow trays in which to grow them. These can be trays specifically made for growing microgreens, but if you're working to reduce your use of plastic, you can upcycle a variety of containers for this purpose.

  • Salad containers
  • Mushroom containers
  • Milk cartons and jugs
  • Takeout meal containers

Even if you don't generate a lot of these types of containers, I bet you know someone who does. If you're upcycling containers, be sure to add drainage holes if necessary.

Lights and Water

Use a full spectrum grow light, if necessary, to allow for fast growing microgreens and adequate growth. The light should be placed four inches (10cm) above the top of the leaves. You may not need one if you have a bright, sunny window where the sprouts can be situated.

  • Keep the soil moist. Microgreens are shallowly rooted and require more frequent watering than plants like lettuce, which roots more deeply. If the soil surface is dry you'll need to water.
  • Mist the soil surface and the emerging plants if you live in an area with low humidity. Microgreens grow quickly, and need higher humidity than seedlings.

When to Harvest Microgreens

When the fast growing microgreen seeds germinate and the plant emerges from the soil, the seed leaves (cotyledon) unfurl first. A few days to a week later, the first true leaves emerge.

Once the first set of two or four true leaves are fully open the microgreens are ready to harvest. Harvest when they're about 1½ to 2 inches (3-5cm) tall. Sunflower microgreens or pea microgreens may be little taller at 3-4″ (7-10cm) high at harvest time.

How to Harvest Microgreens

To harvest microgreens, cut them off at the soil surface with scissors. You'll only get one harvest out of each tray of most of these greens. When you've clipped they entire tray, you can replant seeds in the same tray. You can use the same soil 3-4 times; after that transfer the roots and soil to your compost pile.