Growing Microgreens and Stress- the Science

Can Growing Microgreens at Home Help Reduce Stress?

From personal experience, I can unequivocally say yes. But that is not a scientific study, so don’t be too hasty to agree without asking the following question:

What does science have to say about it?

Is There Science Behind the Mental Health Benefits of Growing Microgreens?

Studies on gardening and horticultural activities show that working with plants is associated with lower stress and improved mood. In one well-known experiment, participants first completed a stressful task and then spent 30 minutes either gardening or reading. Both groups relaxed somewhat, but the gardening group showed a greater drop in salivary cortisol, a common biological marker of stress, and a better mood recovery.

That matters because it suggests plant care is not only “nice” in a general sense. It may actually help the body and mind recover after stress.

What About Indoor Plants?

Studies suggest that having plants indoors is associated with lower stress, fewer negative emotions, and better overall mental well-being. But…

The key seems to be interaction

Based on the research, the strongest case is for doing something with plants. Planting, watering, tending, and watching growth over time seem more likely to support stress relief than simply placing a decorative plant in a room and leaving it alone.

What this means for microgreens

This is where growing microgreens indoors on a windowsill or counter becomes especially interesting.

Microgreens are a form of indoor gardening that is simple, quick, clean, and hands-on. Not overwhelming, not time-consuming. You sow the seeds, water them, check on them daily, and harvest them in a short window. That kind of repeated interaction is very similar to the kinds of horticultural activities studied in stress research.

To be clear, I did not find strong direct studies proving that microgreens specifically reduce stress. The science is strong for gardening and indoor plant care more broadly. But because growing microgreens includes many of the same behaviors—active care, daily observation, nurturing a living thing, and a visible sense of progress—it is reasonable to think microgreens may offer similar calming benefits.

And microgreens, even beyond the nutrition, may have one extra advantage: they grow fast.

When a person is stressed, overwhelmed, or discouraged, a long-term, involved hobby can feel like too much. Microgreens offer a quick feedback loop. Planting takes less than 5 minutes, and in just a day, you can see change. That visible progress may help create a small sense of accomplishment and routine, both of which can matter when life feels chaotic. That idea fits with the broader plant-care research, even though it still needs more direct study in microgreens themselves.

A careful conclusion

The science supports a connection between plant care and lower stress, especially when people are actively engaged in growing or tending plants. The evidence is strongest for gardening and horticultural activity in general, somewhat promising for indoor plant care, and not yet specific enough to make a firm research claim about microgreens alone.

So the most accurate statement is this:

Growing plants at home may help reduce stress, and growing microgreens indoors may offer similar benefits because it involves the same kinds of calming, hands-on plant care activities studied in the research.

That is a thoughtful, evidence-based claim—and one that leaves room for the science to keep growing.

Sources

• Lu et al. (2023), Horticultural therapy for stress reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
• van den Berg & Custers (2011), Gardening Promotes Neuroendocrine and Affective Restoration from Stress.
• Lee et al. (2015), Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults.
• Han et al. (2022), Effects of Indoor Plants on Human Functions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses.
• Zhao et al. (2023), When green enters a room: A scoping review of epidemiological studies on indoor plants and mental health.
• Xiaoyi et al. (2024), Psychological and physiological benefits of horticultural activities in older adults.
• Hassan et al. (2023), The neurophysiological benefits of watering plants and engaging in mental tasks within designed environments.
• Lee et al. (2018), A pilot study: Horticulture-related activities significantly reduce stress levels and salivary cortisol concentration of maladjusted elementary school children.