Growing Microgreens In Soil

There is a stark difference between the size of the microgreens grown in soil as compared to the ones grown on hemp mats. This illustrates the difference in nutritive value as well as the flavor profile.

Even though growing microgreens on a hemp mat is the easiest method for beginner gardener and requires very little maintenance, it is not the optimal way to attain the full nutritional potential of the microgreens. To elevate the level of flavor and nutrients, growing microgreens with soil is the right choice.

Easy method would be to plant the seeds directly in the soil. In my opinion, I did not prefer this option as the stems are covered in soil when the microgreens are harvested. This requires thorough washing before consumption, which might be a discouraging step in food prepration. To eliminate this step of washing, yet to get the benefits of growing the microgreens in soil, following method is recommended.

Please refer to the steps and list of materials from the this post for basic method of growing the microgreens. This is a variation to the basic method to enhance the flavor and nutritive content.

Additional material required for this method:

Pebbles/rock

Potting soil

The quantity of the above two materials will depend on the size of the container. One layer of rocks and 1” thick layer of the soil is recommended.

Steps:

1. Add a thin layer of washed, medium sized rocks at the bottom of the glass container. This layer prevents the water retention in the soil.

2. Put a 1” layer of soil over the rocks.

3. Mist these layers generously.

4. Place a soaked hemp mat over the soil for separation between the plants and soil. This layer prevents the soil from sticking to the stem, hence eliminating the need for rinsing the microgreens when harvested.

5. Sprinkle the seeds over the hemp mat and follow the steps from the “How to grow microgreens” blog post.

The picture below demonstrates the difference in size of the microgreens.

This image is comparing the same type of microgreens that were given the same treatment, but one of them was in soil. The microgreen grown in soil was much bigger and more flavorful than the one grown in just a hemp mat. Both of them were harvested after 5 days.

A few points to keep in mind while using this method are as follows —

• The top of the hemp mat gets dry more often as the water tends to drain to the bottom. It helps to use a transparent container for this process as water accumulation at the bottom will be visible. Having a layer of rocks at the bottom is very helpful to drain extra water.

• Misting the container is a better option than watering it.

• The porous fluffy soil is more suitable than packed soil.

• The pebbles can be washed and reused for the next batch, but the soil and biodegradable hemp mat need to be discarded. The mat can be torn in small pieces and can be mixed with the soil and the yard waste.

• If using soil is not an option, plant food mixed in water may help provide nutrition. DO not mist with water mixed with plant food on the leaves, instead, target just the root portion.