How to Grow Microgreens at Home in 7 Days

Microgreens are the easiest edible thing you can grow at home. Seven days from seed to your plate. No garden, no balcony, no green thumb. A kitchen window will do.

We get asked about microgreens more than any other category on WhatsApp. Here is the simplest version of what works, written for an Indian kitchen.

What Microgreens Actually Are

Microgreens are baby vegetable plants harvested when they have their first true leaves, usually 7 to 14 days after sowing. They are not sprouts (which are eaten with the seed attached, after 2 to 3 days). They are not baby greens (which are grown for 3 to 4 weeks).

The reason people grow them: they pack 40 to 100 times the nutrient density of the adult plant. Broccoli microgreens have 40 times the sulforaphane of mature broccoli. Sunflower microgreens beat baby spinach on protein per gram.

What You Need

• A shallow tray, around 2 to 3 cm deep with drainage. Our Microgreens Kit uses two stacked trays, one with holes and one solid, which is the cleanest setup. A regular plate or shallow takeaway box with holes poked through also works.
• Growing medium. One hydrated Coco Peat Disc fills one tray. Do not use regular potting soil for microgreens, it carries fungal spores that wipe out batches.
• Seeds. Radish, mustard, methi (fenugreek), broccoli, sunflower, peas, basil, alfalfa. Bigger seeds soak overnight, small seeds do not need pre-soaking.
• A spray bottle. Misting is gentler than pouring.

The Seven-Day Timeline

1. Day 0, evening. Soak larger seeds (sunflower, pea, sometimes radish) in water for 6 to 8 hours. Small seeds like mustard, broccoli or methi skip this step.
2. Day 1, morning. Hydrate one coco peat disc in 500 ml water. Fluff with a spoon. Spread an even 1 cm layer across the drainage tray. Place that tray inside the solid one to catch runoff.
3. Day 1. Drain the soaked seeds. Spread them densely across the peat, much closer than you would for a regular plant. Microgreens like company. Mist lightly.
4. Day 1 to 3. Cover with the solid tray flipped upside down on top to block all light. This is the blackout phase. Roots reach down, white shoots push up. Mist twice a day.
5. Day 3 or 4. Uncover when you see white shoots 1 to 2 cm tall. Move to a bright spot with indirect light. The pale shoots green up within hours.
6. Day 4 to 7. Mist daily. Watch them grow. The first round leaves are cotyledons. The next set with serrated edges are the first true leaves.
7. Harvest day, between day 7 and 14 depending on variety. Snip with kitchen scissors, just above the peat. Rinse, dry, eat.

The Five Mistakes That Kill First Batches

1. Using regular potting soil. Fungal spores destroy seedlings before they germinate. Use coco peat.
2. Skipping the blackout phase. Microgreens that grow in light from day one are short, leggy and pale.
3. Watering by pouring. Pouring water disturbs seeds. Always mist.
4. Too much heat. Anywhere above 32 degrees and germination drops. A Delhi May kitchen is fine, a closed terrace in June is too hot.
5. Trying to regrow from cut stems. Microgreens do not regrow. Each batch is single-use. Start fresh.

How to Use Your Harvest

Toss into salads. Sprinkle on dal or curd rice for crunch. Garnish a sandwich. Blend into a chutney. Most microgreens have a stronger flavour than the adult plant. Radish microgreens are peppery, broccoli is nutty, sunflower is sweet and crunchy.

What to Try Next

Once you have done one batch you will want to compare varieties. Read the eight microgreens you should grow in an Indian kitchen for what to sow and what to expect.

Choosing which coco peat to buy? Compare disc vs block vs loose. For kid-friendly varieties, microgreens for kids.