Growing microgreens on your own for the first time can be a challenge. There are many things you need to take into consideration. Following are some things you should know before you begin.
Many new gardeners start their venture in a large nursery, but this is not the best way to get started. A good place to start is at your local farmer’s market or even at a community garden.
The most important thing is that the plants are clean and dry. You do not want a root system of rotting or rotten fruit! Microgreens grown in these conditions have a high chance of going bad.
You also need to make sure the conditions are as optimal as possible for your microgreens to grow properly. The best option is to grow them in containers where they can get the light they need.
Another important consideration is to consider the methods you are going to use to grow your microgreens. You want to choose a method that allows you to control the light intensity as well as humidity.
You also need to consider the water that you use. With fresh water your microgreens will require just as much watering as regular vegetables. You may need to water more than what you do with a container planted at home.
Because they will be exposed to hot days, microgreens need more sunlight than other vegetable plants. If they are not given the proper amount of sunlight they will not bloom properly.
The more container plants you have in the mix, the more sunlight you will receive. As a result, you will need to water more often.
If you have the appropriate soil to start with you can try to get by without any preparation. However, if you do not, you may need to work with prepared soil. This preparation requires a little bit of work but you will end up with a healthy and beautiful crop.
Some growers believe that they need to sprinkle the soil with lime every few days, but this may actually hinder the growth of your microgreens by breaking down the essential nutrients in the soil. Therefore, you may need to add extra nutrients if you decide to sprinkle the soil with lime.
You can make your own soil by mixing a small amount of perlite and compost. When using an organic medium, it is important to know that you will need to replenish the supply of nutrients as the plant grows. Since the microgreens are high in iron and vitamin C, you will need to include a lot of these in your soil.
Once you have all of this information in mind, you should be able to prepare your soil for microgreens by following the instructions provided by the supplier of the microgreens. If you follow the directions carefully, your microgreens will be ready to harvest in no time.