Microgreens are traditionally the reserve of top restaurants and extreme gourmands, yet the principles of growing these colourful and textural delights at home are simple.
Good starter crops are radish, greek cress, red cabbage and salad rocket as they grow quickly and their seeds are readily available and cheap to buy. With tiny seed like Rocket, sprinkle on the surface of any moist good quality compost. Seed and cutting compost is good because it’s not too lumpy. With bigger seed you can press them into the surface or cover with a light dusting of compost.
You can use any old food container, just make a few holes in the bottom to avoid waterlogging. Mist with a hand spray and cover your seeds, keeping them in the dark until they sprout. A steady warm environment of between 13° – 24° will give best results.
Once they’ve germinated move your seedlings into the light -preferably not direct sunlight. Keep the compost moist not wet by misting or gentle watering.
Harvest your microgreens at either the cotyledon stage or when the first pair of true leaves appear—its best to test and taste before you cut. Seeds can take between 7 and 21 days to mature depending on what you sow.
And that’s all there is to it, in theory. Microgreens are valued for their high vitamin and mineral content as well as their taste, textural delight and eye appeal.
And how do you make a ham roll? Push it. If you want to know more, contact Mandy on 07791 958334 or buy some from her at the Martock Farmers Market.
September sowings
Daylight is fast disappearing and temperatures falling, so choice is limited. Will we have a mild winter?
For outdoors the best bet is salad leaves. You can sow the tougher and faster growing oriental leaves such as rocket, mizuna and mustards, if it is mild they will give you some welcome leaves over the winter. Also chard, winter purslane, true spinach variety Medania and land cress. You can also transplant established spring cabbage, bulb fennel and winter lettuce varieties, the latter for picking before the first frost.
For indoor growing all oriental leaves as well as Red Grenoble lettuce for cut and come again harvesting throughout the winter, and Little Gem, Winter Gem, Arctic King lettuce. You can also try some chatted early potatoes for Christmas. As always, it is a matter of luck if they get well established before we are hit by the first frost.
