How to Grow Sprouts, Microgreens, Shoots, Baby Greens, and Veg
You don't need a BloomInLight for regular sprouts - they are usually germinated in a jar or sprouter and any light you do need to green them up can come from a sunny windowsill. The BloomInLight, however, does offer the perfect environment for microgreens, shoots, 'baby' lettuce and other plants, herbs, and dwarf versions of other veg. You can easily adjust the distance from the plant to the light; you can turn on two, four, or all bulbs as your needs change; the lights that come with the BloomInLight are balanced for both vegetative growth and flowers; and the BloomInLight's waterproof tray and drain makes it easy to keep things neat.
Seed companies don't breed special 'micro' versions of seeds. So what is the difference between a sprout, a soil sprout, a microgreen, a shoot, and a baby plant? The main difference is how long the plant is allowed to develop before harvest. This tells us indoor gardeners what kind of containers to use, how deep a layer of 'growing medium' is needed, how thickly the seeds are sown, how much light is needed for what period of time, How much fertilizer is needed (if any), and how they are thinned and harvested.
There is a good dose of common sense in play here: The longer the plant is allowed to mature before being eaten the more soil its roots are going to need, the more space the plants are going to need, the more light the leaves are going to need, and the more soil nutrients are going to be used.
Regular sprouts can be started in the dark without soil using a large glass jar or a special sprouting vessel. For soil sprouts, a shallow layer of planting mix is used to anchor the seeds and they are exposed to light soon after they emerge. While regular sprouts are eaten roots and all, soil sprouts are usually snipped at soil level.
Since sprouts and soil sprouts are usually eaten before any true leaves emerge they don't really use soil nutrients. The plant that made the seed that was destined to be eaten as a sprout packaged a mini version of the plant, the roots, and the seed leaves into the seed. When sprouted, it is the seed leaves that either have stored or have access to the food stored in the seed that the plant needs to keep it growing until the true leaves emerge. Which is why we eat the seed leaves when we eat sprouts - most of the food energy is there. This is also why we don't handle our transplants by their seed leaves - if we damage them, the plant doesn't have the energy it needs to get started.
Microgreens are grown in a shallow container of growing medium. They are usually sown very thickly, touching or almost touch each other, and grown under lights after they sprout until they have at least one set of true leaves. Microgreens are harvested by cutting above soil level with a pair of scissors when they reach the desired height.
Shoots are edible plants such as peas, popcorn, mung beans, and buckwheat that are allowed to form several sets of true leaves before being harvested. They are also grown under lights after they germinate. They need a little more room to grow so the seeds are not sown as thickly and the container is usually deeper to make room for more growing medium. Shoots do use some soil nutrients depending on how long you let them grow before harvesting, so the growing medium should have more nutrients than for sprouts or microgreens.
Baby lettuce and other plants allowed to grow to the 'baby' stage, such as spinach, Swiss chard, beets, and kale are grown under lights in a yet deeper container with even more growing medium. They are not sown very thickly because the larger or outer leaves are allowed to mature until inner or smaller leaves form. The outer leaves are carefully harvested taking care not to damage the new growth, which in turn eventually mature to a harvestable size. Baby plants can use a lot of soil nutrients as you allow them to regrow repeatedly and could need to be fertilized depending on how much fertilizer was already in your potting mix.
Larger size greens, vegetables, and herbs can be grown in your BloomInLight as well. How they are treated and how far they are allowed to develop before harvest depends on the needs and habits of the species and variety chosen. In general these are grown in standard potting mix in larger and deeper containers or regular flowerpots. Look for easily pruned and dwarf varieties compatible with indoor gardening, and have reasonable expectations. After all, your indoor 'farm' is only .00000974 acres!
We chose our example products for the section below from Johnny's Selected Seeds, just because they carry not only a wide variety of microgreen seeds, but also one-stop shopping for everything else needed to get started. Many seed companies also carry microgreen seeds and supplies.
Choose the Right Container
The common sense thing to remember here is that this is people food, so make sure you choose food-safe containers to grow in. For soil sprouts and microgreens, the standard 20 row seed flat pictured here is the right depth as in this shallow germination tray. For succession planting, you can cut the 20 row flat into strips of 5 rows each and plant a new crop every week or so. Careful, it will be floppier to handle. Both of these containers include drainage holes, so add a standard waterproof tray for bottom watering and a clear dome to help with humidity. if the plants you are growing need to be in the dark to germinate, then use a second inverted tray held in place by spring clips from the office store or a tape hinge. Another option is to cover them with several layers of moistened bleach-free paper towels and the clear dome until they begin to germinate. You'll see the plants start to push up on the paper towels. For shoots and baby plants, the standard perforated seedling tray pictured here is the right depth. Don't forget to add a waterproof tray for bottom watering and a clear dome.
Another good choice is disposable foil containers from the supermarket or home store. They are food-grade and come in a variety of sizes and depths and they often come with a clear plastic dome lid. Use the one-inch deep version for soil sprouts or microgreens and the 3 inch version for shoots and baby plants. Poke ample drainage holes in the one you plan to use as the seedling tray and get the next size larger to use as a bottom watering tray. Use an inverted one fastened with office spring clips or tape for a cover. If light is needed for germination, use clear food storage wrap as a cover.The only downside here is that the foil needs bottom support if you are going to move it around. You can double up the foil pan for added strength or look for a small jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet to slide under a tray you want to move.
Larger containers will be needed if you plan to grow herbs or veg with a long taproot or more extensive root system. If a plant is tall you have to ask yourself what kind of roots will be needed to hold it up, and plan accordingly. A standard flowerpot can do nicely, or deeper rectangular or oblong planters that fit the BloomInLight are readily available at garden centers.
Choose the Right Planting Medium
This is important because soil sprouts and microgreens do fine with a shallow layer (an inch or less) of finer textured and looser mix, and they don't need much in the way of nutrients, while shoots and baby plants need deeper mix (2-3 inches) and more nutrients. Just make sure what you choose is considered safe for growing food.
Remember that the shallower the soil the faster it will dry out, so keep your own schedule in mind - If you can't check the moisture level as often as you'd like, you might opt to make it deeper than absolutely necessary.
You can buy growing medium tailored specifically for micro greens or just use regular seed starting mix. Another strategy is to add some horticultural vermiculite to a standard potting mix. If you want to tinker with it you can add one cup of vermiculite to every quart of potting mix. It will both loosen the mix and reduce the ratio of nutrients. Large edibles can have a base of ordinary potting mix with the top inch or so a layer of finer seed starting mix to help with germination. We recommend soil-less mix for indoor food growing. Don't use garden soil or anything that might introduce unwanted odors or wildlife into your living area. This product from Johnny's will do fine for microgreens as it is looser and has less nutrients, and this one has more fertilizer and will do fine for sprouts, shoots, and baby greens.
Choose The Right Seeds
Just because you can sprout it doesn't mean you can eat it! Who knew that pea shoots are edible but sweet pea shoots are toxic? The same goes for anything in the nightshade family including tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants - don't grow these as microgreens. We recommend buying from an established seed company and sticking with seeds they tell you can be used for food. Johnny's has 90+ choices in their microgreen department and a dozen-dozen choices for lettuce. Their lettuce varieties chart is very useful for recommending which lettuces are useful for baby lettuce. They also offer a nice variety of other baby leaf, herb, and shoot choices.
Plant The Right Number of Seeds
Sow heavily for soil sprouts and microgreens. The seeds can be touching each other but not overlapping. For shoots and baby plants, you have to think about the plant and how much room it will need before you start to harvest it. The planting directions will give you some guidance, but if you plant too much you can always eat your thinnings.
Feed Only if Needed
For soil sprouts, microgreens, and shoots you won't have add any more nutrients that what was already in you planting medium. For baby plants and other veg you can feed with a water soluble organic fertilizer mixed into the water as you bottom water. this is one available at Johnny's but there are many choices.
Water, But Not Too Much
You want your planting medium to stay evenly moist but not soggy. A seed that starts to sprout and is then allowed to dry out will not recover, so keep a close eye on the moisture level because shallow potting can dry out quickly. If the surface feels dry to the touch, bottom water until it feels moist again and then drain away the rest of the water. A seed that is waterlogged might rot before it sprouts, and too much water can lead to mold and other microbes forming on the surface of the potting mix.
Watch the Temperature and Airflow
Many of the seeds we choose for microgreens are 'cool season' plants. They like it warm to germinate, but do best when grown with the temperature in the 60 to 70 range. That said, they are also pretty tolerant of warmer weather and do well at comfortable=for-us room temperatures. When the indoor temps climb above 85-90, however, they can start to object. If we harvest at the microgreen stage it is not usually a problem, and leaf or butterhead lettuce as well as some kinds of spinach can be heat-tolerant. Just be aware that if the room is not air-conditioned, you might want to research what to grow in the heat of summer. Gentle air circulation can help carry away heat as well.
Plan for Succession Planting
You can have a steady supply of veg if you don't plant everything at once. Depending on the growth pattern of what you are growing and at what stage you expect to harvest, you might plant a new tray every week or ten days. Usually the microgreen planting instructions will help you decide how often to replant. If you are using the twenty row flats, they can be cut up into smaller groups. For foil containers you can use smaller ones and add and remove a tray as needed.
Getting Started Step-by-Step
- Start by pre-moistening your planting medium before putting it into you containers. Add a cup of water for every quart of mix and stir. Add a little more if you squeeze a clump and a you don't get a few drops of water. Spread the mix evenly into the bottom of your container to the right depth, level it and firm it gently. You want it loose at this point.
- Sprinkle your seed, more heavily for soil sprouts and microgreens, less heavy for sprouts, and more carefully controlled for baby lettuce and other plants.
- Press the seed firmly into the planting mix (but not trying to compress it) using the back of another container.
- If you are using the bleach-free paper towels, moisten several layers and cover your plants.
- Cover with the clear dome or inverted container fastened with spring clips or tape hinges.
- Position the BloomInLight light hood at least 15 inches above the top of the trays. Adjust as needed to keep the lights about 15 inches above the growing plants.
- Monitor the moisture level of the planting mix with the goal of keeping it evenly moist but not soggy. Fill the bottom tray with water when needed and let it absorb enough water to moisten the planting mix.
- When you see the first signs of sprouting, remove all covers.
- For soil sprouts, use clean scissors to cut at soil level when they are at your desired height but before true leaves are fully formed. For microgreens, allow one set of true leaves to form before harvesting. For shoots, harvest when they are the desired height after one or two sets of leaves have formed. For baby lettuce and other baby plants, carefully snip the older outer leaves but allow the newer inner leaves to continue to develop. For herbs and other vegetables, harvest at your desired stage of growth.
Some Resources for Seeds and Supplies