MicroGreen Planter FAQ's
Our Handcrafted Microgreens Grow Kitallows you to personalize it to your lifestyle and also allows for a variety in the type of greens you grow, all in the same tray.
The problem with a lot of personal microgreen grow kits is that they are modeled after commercial grow operations. All of the plants are in a single tray or larger planter system and often come to maturity at the same time, which means that you are inundated with microgreens, and can't possibly eat them all fast enough. Storing microgreens in your refrigerator while you wait for the next crop to mature (7 - 10 days) is not a good option for most people, not only due to the space required, but also due to the fact the vegetables can lose up to 50% of their nutritional value after only 1 day of being stored.
So rather than going large scale, you have flexibility in staggering your crops as you’ll want to eat them regularly but not every day….and not with every meal. Each basket that is harvested can be immediately re-seeded and placed back in the tray. You can also substitute different varieties of microgreens in each basket.
Yes, usually you can just wet it and forget it! Once you have moistened each basket (see Planting Procedure) you only have to check on your crop periodically. The temperature and humidity levels in your house will determine how often you will need to do this. To test whether the seeds need more water during the sprouting stage, lightly touch the black moisture pad with your finger, if your finger shows dampness, the seeds probably don't need watering. If the pad is dry (or your not sure) just slowly pour enough water - about 2 or 3 Tablespoons - onto each pad. The water will soak through the pad and onto the seeds. Just be careful not to overflow the water tray under the basket.
After 3 - 5 days you may remove the Black Out Felt Pads and let the sprouts take in natural light for a few days, up to 2 weeks, before harvesting. At this time, check periodically to ensure the water in Base Tray is maintained up to the level of the raised bumps. When checking lift the Drip Basket with the handles, do not lift the Seed Tray as the roots will detach from the Aeration Pad.
Microgreens grow best in indirect light. Direct sunlight can actually harm these fragile baby plants and because they don't take very long to grow they don't need full, or natural, light. Generally a window ledge or overhead light in the room is all that it will take to grow your microgreens until ready to harvest.
After 3 - 5 days: you will have ‘sprouts’ that are ready to harvest. These are great to throw in smoothies or juices. If you prefer a more visually appealing microgreen for sandwiches or garnishes, let them grow for another week or so. Our specially designed Grow Pads are packed with nutrients for the plant so you can leave them up to 2 weeks and they will remain healthy. Just be sure to maintain the minimum water levels in the grow tray.
Aeration Pads are not reusable and are compostable.
The felt Blackout Pads may be reused PROVIDED they are properly sanitized after each use to prevent growth of mold and mildew. To sanitize felt, soak for at least 30 minutes in a solution of 50% hot water and dishsoap and 50% white vinegar. Rinse and allow to dry before reuse.
We have conveniently included additional felt Blackout Pads with every refill order. If you would prefer to completely and safely sanitize the original pads as described above, please let us know and we will discount your refill order accordingly.
If you're comfortable drinking your tap water, then it will be just fine for sprouting. However if you want to promote faster growth, most plants prefer a water PH level of about 5.6 - 6.2 rather than the 7.2 - 7.8 of most municipal water systems. You can test the PH of your water witha simple Litmus Test, the kind used to test swimming pools & hot tubs.
Our tap water has a PH of about 7.6, and to lower it, we simply add about a teaspoon of white vinegar to a 1 gallon jug that we use for watering. This reduces the PH to 6.5
A simple trick to improve city tap water is to fill a big open container of cold water at night, and in the morning you'll have dechlorinated tap water, since most of the chlorine evaporates overnight. If you have a water filter, it's even better!
Broccoli is our favorite microgreen but it naturally has a stronger smell than other microgreens. The sulfur smell is created by the glucorophanin (which combine with myrosinase to become sulforaphane when you consume it) that makes broccoli microgreens extremely beneficial. Read more here.
The term "sprouts" is generally considered to refer to the first stage of a plants development, "microgreens" the second. The sprout stage usually lasts about 5 days.
Microgreens are grown in a medium (hemp, soil, hydroponic or otherwise). They are harvested after they have established roots and opened their cotyledons. This occurs between 6 days to 10 days.
Orders are shipped either from United States or Canada. We use USPS, Canada Post and occasionally FedEx or UPS. Regular items have tracking. Refill Pads & Seeds are sent regular post, free of charge.
We try to ship orders within two business days, but occasionally we will be backlogged. Parcels usually take 5-7 business days after being shipped to reach most locations. Due to unforseen issues, packages may take longer especially with the Covid-19 pandemic.