Microgreens are extremely young plants that are harvested shortly after poking through the soil. I am not someone who jumps onto bandwagons easily, however these are just too great not to climb on board! If done correctly, microgreens are cheap, easy, and delicious. They are a great potential fresh vegetable source for areas with a short growing season. We’ll get right to it, here is the way Future Harvest recommends you grow microgreens. 

The Future Harvest Microgreen Method: In 10 easy steps!

Necessary tools: 

• Two 1020 trays (one with holes and one without)
• Biodegradable paper towels 
• Peat or Coco based growing medium (it should have some perlite and vermiculite in the mix)
• Future Harvest Holland Secret 3-Part Fertilizer

Steps:

1. Start out with the two 1020 trays (these are the trays bedding plants typically come in). Set the one without holes aside, as you'll only be working with the one with holes for now.
2. Take your paper towels and cut a piece to fit onto the bottom of the tray. Place it into the tray and dampen with water.
3. Dampen your growing medium 
4. Fill the tray about 2.5 to 3cm (about an inch) deep with growing medium
5. Sprinkle seeds onto the medium. They should be applied very generously with most almost touching one another depending on the size of the seeds. Getting a feel for the ideal rate will take some practice so don’t worry if it’s not perfect the first time. 
6. Sprinkle a second layer of growing medium over the seeds, just covering them (about ½ cm or 1/10 inch)
7. Put the finished tray into the second tray (the one without holes)
8. Mix up your Holland Secret 3-Part Fertilizer. Use at a rate of 1.5 mL of each the Grow, Micro, and Bloom in 4 liters of water. Ideally the pH should be adjusted to 5.8 - 6.2
9. Add 2 cups of nutrient solution to the bottom tray and let the moisture soak into the growing medium. (For best results put the trays under a humidity dome and the finished tray under compact fluorescent lights). 
10. Monitor moisture levels and add more nutrient solution as needed

That’s it! Your plants should be ready to harvest in 7-10 days after seeding. It’s best to compost your used growing medium as it will be completely full of roots and difficult to use for another round of microgreens.

Good luck! And remember you can always reach out to @futureharvestdevelopments on instagram if you have any questions or need advice.