For homegrown greens in winter, think micro
Last year, I introduced you to Greg King, who gardens in Peaceful Valley. He shared his knowledge on extending the garden season into the colder months through the use of hoop-covered raised beds.
There’s just one problem. Much as he would like to grow salad greens throughout the winter months, his garden doesn’t get enough sunlight. First, there’s the not-so-small matter of the Maple Street bridge towering over his neighborhood, and second, the slope behind his garden blocks much of the winter sun’s rays.
His solution? Microgreens.
Microgreens are vegetable seedlings that are grown indoors, then harvested and eaten once they have a pair of true leaves. They are similar to sprouts, except they are grown in soil rather than water.
“Sprouts are simpler to do,” King explained. “Anyone with a quart jar and cold water can do it. But the types of seeds you can sprout are limited, plus you only get the root and minimal greens.”
What’s more, research studies have shown microgreens contain four to six times more nutrients than their mature leaves.
“Growing microgreens is very easy to do and there are many different crops to choose from,” King said. “Sunflowers are scrumptious, basil is wonderful, and so are kale and broccoli.”
He has grow lights in his basement that work well but it’s also possible to use a sunny windowsill. The only drawbacks to the latter are that seedlings will grow more slowly and be leggy from reaching for the light.
King uses standard seedling flats found at garden centers. He fills a flat that has drainage holes with a mix of his own compost and coconut coir. Using organic potting soil is another option. Whichever medium one uses, it should be lightly moist.
He sprinkles the seeds thickly onto the soil surface and presses them into the soil to make good contact. King then places the flat under the lights.
Most seeds germinate very quickly and are ready for harvesting in seven to 10 days. Two exceptions are sunflower and basil seedlings.
“Sunflowers become hairy and bitter once they have their true leaves, so you want to harvest them earlier, before those leaves emerge,” King advised. “Basil takes about three weeks because it’s slow to germinate.
To harvest, he uses scissors to snip off the seedlings right above the soil surface. The soil can either be replaced or reused, with the roots being left in place to decompose and feed the next batch of seedlings.
When choosing which seeds to grow, he suggests planting a flat with crops that germinate at the same time so they will all be at the same stage.
King grows an impressive eight flats of microgreens at a time throughout the winter.
“Almost everything we eat is placed on a bed of microgreens,” he said. “You could say what we eat becomes the salad dressing for them.”
You can find additional information on growing microgreens on my blog, susansinthegarden.blogspot.com.