Cultivation of Microgreens in Recycled Soil

Instead of utilizing cotton wool for the cultivation of microgreens, consider reusing the soil from your summer greenhouse crops. This picture shows seeds from cress and red radish. Photo: TagTomat.

Apart from cultivating leafy greens in your greenhouse this autumn, you can repurpose the greenhouse soil from the summer for growing microgreens – whether in your greenhouse or in your kitchen.

If you're not familiar with microgreens, they are fresh, young sprouts of greens. Beyond the classic cress, you can cultivate various types of microgreens, such as lentils, sunflower, peas, radish, broccoli, and fenugreek. They differ in both flavour and appearance.

As long as the temperature remains above 10 °C, you can grow microgreens in your greenhouse. When the temperature drops, prepare sprouting trays in the greenhouse, and subsequently move them onto a windowsill inside your home or your kitchen table. Cultivating in the cold autumn weather will result in slower growth compared to sprouting at room temperature. However, on sunnier days, the autumn sun can stimulate rapid growth in greenhouse too.

Utilising Greenhouse Soil for Cultivating Microgreens.

If, like us, you've been cultivating your summer vegetables in self-watering planter boxes, consider reusing the soil for your autumn or winter cultivation instead of discarding it. This also applies to soil from cultivation in jars, plant bags, or vegetable beds.

Here's what you'll need:

A container for cultivation: Repurpose items like milk cartons, saucers, or plates.
Seeds approved for cultivating microgreens.
Growth medium: Reuse greenhouse soil or opt for hemp fibres.
Optionally, small stones or clay pebbles.
A pair of scissors.

Seeds with a harder shell, such as sunflower, peas, and lentils, should be soaked in water overnight to enhance their sprouting ability, resulting in better and faster germination. For instance, you can use a glass, as depicted in the picture here. Photo: TagTomat.

All seeds in this picture were sown simultaneously. This illustrates the varying sprouting times amongst the different seeds. While the sunflower seeds are just beginning to sprout, the red radish is almost ready for harvest. Photo: TagTomat.

Instructions:

Choose a container suitable for cultivation. This can be anything from a saucer to a cut-open milk carton or a lid.
Ensure the soil looks healthy and fresh. Loosen the soil and remove larger plant roots.
Optionally, place small stones or clay pebbles at the bottom of the container to improve the roots’ oxygen supply.
Spread a 1 cm thick layer of soil in your chosen container. If you've disposed of your greenhouse soil, prepare another growth medium like hemp fibres to fit into the container.
Water the soil or growth medium, ensuring it is damp enough for seed germination but not excessively wet to avoid decay.
Scatter the seeds evenly over the surface of the cultivation container. The seeds may be placed closely but not directly on top of each other. Note: Some seeds like peas, sunflower, and lentils require soaking and rinsing before sowing; refer to the instructions on the packaging.
Place your container in a well-lit spot in the greenhouse, maintaining a minimum temperature of 10 °C for sprouting.
Monitor the sprouts daily, keeping the soil moist but not saturated.
Place your container in a well-lit spot in the greenhouse, maintaining a minimum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius for sprouting.
Monitor the sprouts daily, keeping the soil moist but not soaked.

Use microgreens in various dishes. They can be used to garnish soups, stews, or open sandwiches, or to add flavour and texture to fresh salads. Let your creativity guide you. These fresh sprouts are not only decorative but also delicious and nutritious. Experiment to find your preferred sprouts.

Have a fun cultivating your own microgreens!

Green front

Team TagTomat

Here you see microgreens from red radish, that has gotten its first leaves and is almost ready for harvest. Photo: TagTomat.