Regular garden seeds are often treated with fungicides and chemicals to protect them and help them grow. If you use treated seeds for microgreens you will inevitably consume those chemicals. Seeds labeled “microgreens” are never treated with chemicals. They are also specially selected to give them much higher germination rates.
Peas, broccoli, radish, buckwheat, and alfalfa are easy microgreens to grow, taste great, and have excellent nutrition. We suggest that you start with these because they are the most 'foolproof'. Sunflower, corn, and many other varieties are also wonderful but often take a little extra care and experience. learn with the easiest microgreens, and expand from there to vary the nutrients in your micro garden.
Microgreens have significantly higher concentrations of nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants than their adult counterparts. They are more nutrient-dense, so they pack more nutritional punch than regular veggies.
Only the peas grow back after harvest. When you harvest all other microgreens, you are eating the whole plant. Put the soil and roots in the compost, in a flower garden, or under a tree or bush- the 'leftovers' have plenty of nutrients to share with other plants!
All of our seeds are non-GMO. Some are organic (peas, broccoli). We source seeds from growers that understand the needs of microgreen growers. We are working on a fully-organic line of microgreen seeds.
Sprouts have a greater risk of harboring dangerous bacteria like E. coli. This is because the conditions required for sprouts to grow, a warm moist environment, is an ideal environment for bacterial growth. The microgreen growing environment is much safer than sprouts. Good ventilation and airflow give much less chance for bacteria to take hold. Microgreens are grown in the open with plenty of airflow and watered from below so that they never have water on the leaves. They are a much safer choice than sprouts.
Sprouts and microgreens are grown using different techniques and are harvested at different stages of a plant’s life. Sprouts start as seeds and grow with nothing but water, usually in a warm, moist jar. The seeds germinate and are allowed to grow for just 4 to 6 days. Both the seed and the sprout are consumed.
Microgreens are usually grown in soil. Seeds are spread in a tray where they germinate and then grow with light. They are grown with plenty of airflow and are harvested between 7-14 days after they have used photosynthesis to increase nutrition. Microgreens are cut above the soil level, and only the stem and cotyledons, and/or leaves are consumed.
Yes!! We have converted many plant killers to successful microgreen growers- because our system is pretty much foolproof. You got this!!
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Want to know more about the research behind Microgreens? Check out a compendium of research articles that we have compiled here.
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