Microgreens are one of the fastest, easiest, and most nutritious crops you can grow at home. These tiny seedlings — harvested just 7 to 14 days after planting when they have developed their first set of true leaves — pack up to 40 times more vitamins and antioxidants than their mature counterparts. You do not need a garden, special equipment, or even much sunlight. A shallow tray on a kitchen counter or windowsill is all it takes to produce a continuous supply of fresh, restaurant-quality microgreens year-round.
What Are Microgreens?
Microgreens are young vegetable and herb seedlings harvested at the cotyledon or first true leaf stage, typically 1 to 3 inches tall. They are not the same as sprouts (which are germinated seeds eaten root and all in the dark) or baby greens (which are more mature plants). Microgreens are grown in soil or a growing medium, exposed to light, and only the stem and leaves are harvested — giving them a concentrated burst of flavor and nutrition.
Best Microgreen Varieties for Beginners
Almost any vegetable or herb seed can be grown as a microgreen, but some varieties are significantly easier and more flavorful than others. The best beginner microgreens are sunflower (large seeds, easy to grow, nutty and crunchy), pea shoots (sweet and tender, the most popular variety), radish (spicy and fast-growing — ready in 5 to 7 days), broccoli (mild flavor, packed with sulforaphane), and wheatgrass (the classic juicing green).
Intermediate varieties include basil (aromatic but slow to germinate), cilantro (distinctive flavor, takes 14 to 21 days), beet (beautiful red stems, earthy flavor), and amaranth (stunning magenta color). For a stunning mixed tray, combine radish, broccoli, and sunflower seeds for a variety of flavors and textures ready at roughly the same time.
Supplies You Need
Growing microgreens requires minimal investment. You need shallow trays (10×20-inch nursery flats are standard, but any shallow container 1 to 2 inches deep works), a growing medium (fine potting mix, coconut coir, or hemp grow mats), untreated seeds in bulk (microgreen seeds are the same as regular seeds — just buy in larger quantities for better value), a spray bottle for watering, and a light source (a sunny windowsill or a basic LED shop light).
Step-by-Step Growing Process
Day 1 — Sow: Fill your tray with about 1 inch of moistened growing medium. Spread seeds densely across the surface — microgreens are planted much more thickly than garden crops, roughly 10 to 12 seeds per square inch for small seeds like broccoli and radish. For larger seeds like sunflower and peas, soak them in water for 8 to 12 hours before planting and space them about half an inch apart. Press seeds gently into the surface and mist with water. Cover the tray with another tray (inverted) or a piece of cardboard to create darkness — this blackout period encourages strong stem elongation.
Days 2 to 4 — Blackout: Keep the tray covered in a warm location (65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit). Check daily and mist lightly if the surface feels dry. You will see pale yellow shoots pushing up against the cover. This reaching behavior is what creates the long, elegant stems that distinguish microgreens from sprouts.
Days 4 to 5 — Uncover: When the seedlings are 1 to 2 inches tall and pushing firmly against the cover, remove it and expose them to light. The pale yellow shoots will turn green within 24 to 48 hours through photosynthesis. Place the tray under a grow light (12 to 16 hours per day) or on a bright windowsill. Switch from misting to bottom watering — set the growing tray inside a slightly larger tray and add water to the bottom tray. The growing medium wicks water up to the roots, keeping the foliage dry and preventing mold.
Days 7 to 14 — Harvest: Most microgreens are ready to harvest when they have developed their cotyledons (seed leaves) and ideally their first set of true leaves. Use sharp scissors or a clean knife to cut the stems just above the soil line. Harvest the entire tray at once or cut what you need and let the rest continue growing for a day or two. Unlike mature plants, microgreens generally do not regrow after cutting (with the exception of pea shoots, which may produce a second cut).
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
Mold is the most common microgreen problem, appearing as white fuzzy patches on the soil surface or at the base of stems. Prevent it by ensuring good air circulation (a small fan helps), using bottom watering instead of misting after the blackout phase, and not planting seeds too densely. Do not confuse root hairs — fine white filaments around the base of young seedlings — with mold. Root hairs are completely normal and healthy.
Leggy, floppy stems usually mean insufficient light after the blackout period. Move the tray closer to a window or lower your grow light to 4 to 6 inches above the canopy. Uneven germination typically results from uneven seed distribution or inconsistent moisture — take extra care to spread seeds evenly and mist the entire surface uniformly.
Nutrition and Health Benefits
Research from the University of Maryland has shown that microgreens contain dramatically higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants compared to mature plants. Red cabbage microgreens contain 40 times more vitamin E and 6 times more vitamin C than mature red cabbage. Cilantro microgreens have 3 times more beta-carotene than mature cilantro leaves. This nutritional density makes microgreens one of the most efficient ways to add vitamins to your diet, particularly during winter months when fresh local produce is scarce.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do microgreens cost to grow at home?
A single 10×20 tray of microgreens costs about $1 to $3 in seeds and growing medium and produces the equivalent of $15 to $30 worth of microgreens at grocery store prices. The startup cost for basic supplies (trays, soil, seeds) is under $30.
Do microgreens need sunlight?
Microgreens need light after the blackout phase but not necessarily direct sunlight. A bright windowsill works, but the most consistent results come from using an inexpensive LED shop light or grow light. This lets you grow microgreens in any room of your house regardless of window access.