Microgreens

kimmee

Hi everyone,

Ive been lurking around this site for years but this is my first post so hope it's not stupid!

I had my first bash at growing veg this year, some sucess and want to do it much more next year and one thing I really want to grow is microgreens and wonder if anyone can help me with the following:

Can u grown microgreens from ordinary seed? I mean I have seed for spinach - will that be ok to grow as a microgreen. I have looked on the thompson-morgan website and although they have a number of seeds suitable I don't want to order from them everytime as I will have to pay for postage costs - would rather just pick up veg seeds from my local supermarket or garden centre.

Also, could I grow them in winter?

Any advice would be very much appreciated

Kimmee

Primrose

kimmie - There's no reason why you can't use ordinary seeds for growing microgreens in summer. Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beetroot, kale etc can all be used. Just pick them when the leaves are very small. The problem with trying to grow them in winter is that outdoors the temperature will be too low for them to germinate and if they do they could be killed by frost. Even if you have an unheated greenhouse, the low winter light level and cold temperatures will not provide an environment where they will thrive. Endive (that frizzy looking lettuce leaf salad plant) is pretty hardy and I'm often successful at sowing that in the autumn outdoors and it survives the winter, especially if covered by a cloche. But for winter microgreens outdoors you really have to sow by late September/early October and keep them well covered with cloches. I find that Spinach and Swiss Chard which is similar to spinach are fairly winter hardy too so it's worth experimenting with them. Once you've picked the majority of leaves in winter though, you probably won't get much new growth.

kimmee

Hi Primrose

Thanks very much - I'll stock up on seeds for the summer then. I can't wait!

Kimmee

oldsam

I am correct about your microgreens which grown for salad - the seeds are sown into trays and harvest at more than 3" high - this a cut and come again cropping - Tried mini tomatoes this year the plant was no more 6" high - no need for staking - cropped until late Oct. produced lots of cherry type fruits .

neilsp_2

try coriander as well - lovely!

kimmee

Hi oldsam & neilsp

Both of your suggestions sound great and I really can't wait to try them - yum yum

kimmee

Filey

kimmee wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I
Can u grown microgreens from ordinary seed? I mean I have seed for spinach - will that be ok to grow as a microgreen. I have looked on the thompson-morgan website and although they have a number of seeds suitable I don't want to order from them everytime as I will have to pay for postage costs - would rather just pick up veg seeds from my local supermarket or garden centre.

---

Hello there

Not especially about micro greens, but if anyone wants to buy just one or two or any quantity packets of seed from any of the major suppliers there is a site called https://www.seedsbypost.co.uk which sells them at list price free of post charges.

cjb02

here are some more seed companies you might be interested in trying

Real seeds - ethically grown
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/index.html
Alan Romans - cheap
http://www.alanromans.com/c-540-vegetables.aspx
Moles Seeds - cheap and in bulk which could be good for micro growing
http://www.molesseeds.co.uk/index.html
browns
http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/
Dobies
http://www.dobies.co.uk/
Nickies Nurseries
http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/
Fothergills
http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/
Pennards
http://www.pennardplants.com/index.html
Tuckers
http://www.tuckers-seeds.co.uk/index.php

There are loads more out there.

I use Realseeds, Moles and Alan Romans and Wilkinsons when they have sales on

CJB