Page 41 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2022

a good taste and is useful in salads and for cooking.
Beetroot – Bulls Blood is widely grown as a micro green, it has deep red leaves and tastes similar to beetroot. Soak the seed for 24 hours to improve the germination speed and percentage. Sow thickly and cover
the seed with 5mm of media. It does not need a high temperature and can be grown outdoors in the summer. When harvesting wash off or pick out the seed remains unless you like crunchy microgreens!
Chard – Bright Yellow has yellow stems and light green leaves, grow as beetroot above.
Broccoli – a brassica, sow thickly like mustard and cress, harvest when 50mm high do not let it get to the true leaf stage as it goes tough. It has a taste similar to broccoli florets and is considered to be a bit of a superfood as it is rich in iron, minerals and vitamins A & C.
Cabbage – also high in vitamin C, red cabbage is usually grown as a micro green as this gives a bit of colour to salads and has a milder cabbage flavour; again, harvest when 50mm high.
Clover – not one I have tried or was aware of so I must give it a go. Use the red clover Trifolium pratense and sow thickly to be sure of a good germination. Do not overwater as it is prone to rotting; it is said to have a nutty flavour.
Cress – has been grown and widely available for years and there are several forms most of which can be grown as microgreens. This and mustard are the most commonly seen in shops. Sow thickly but do NOT cover the seed, cover the container with a polythene bag to keep the media moist. A useful crop to encourage children.
Fennel – it is best to soak the seed in water for 12 to 24 hours before sowing, sow thickly, it only takes 10 days before it is ready to harvest. If allowed to produce true leaves they are very fine and feathery and has a aniseed flavour.
Kale – another brassica with green or red leaves and is very useful for winter growing (not outdoors for microgreens), it is very nutritious and quick growing. Sow and grow as broccoli.
Mizuna – one of the oriental brassicas and often grown for salad leaves, it is quick and easy to grow and has a mustard taste.
Mustard – like cress this has been grown for many years as a seedling crop for use in sandwiches and salads. There are several different forms of mustard most of which can be grown as microgreens, some have a stronger flavour than others.
Parsley – a well-known herb, which
is high in iron, two forms are grown as microgreens these being the curly leaved and flat leaved types. Germination can
be slow and erratic, soaking the seeds for 24hours is said to improve it. Harvest when it has formed its first true leaves and you should get more than one harvest from each sowing.
Peas – widely and easily grown as a micro green and the young shoots taste of peas! Grow in bigger containers than the other greens as you should get more than one harvest from each sowing. Harvest when 50 to 75mm high, do not cut too low and they should regrow from the stem. Do not
use treated seed (i.e., with a fungicide) soaking the seed for 24 hours speeds
up germination although it is fairly quick without soaking. Sow thickly and cover with 1cm of growing media then gentle firm. They can be grown as a winter crop indoors.
Radish – Another quick and easy microgreen, pick when the seed leaves
are fully expanded. Radishes are easy for children to sow and pick and helps to encourage their interest and are ready to eat in a few days. They are high in vitamins and a healthy food with anti-cancer properties.
Rocket – not to my taste but liked by many people, it has a sharp peppery taste (more like rocket fuel to me!). It has become very poplar since the 1990’s and will germinate at low temperatures. There are a few different types, and some are stronger than others so try a couple and see if you like it.
Wheat grass – this is the young seedlings of the common wheat that farmers grow,
I have not tried it yet but hope to soon. It is considered a super food by some and has a number of keen followers. It is used differently to the other microgreens as it is used as a juice which is reputed to be very healthy with a large amount of vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll. The seed can
be soaked in warm water for 24 hours
then sow the seed thickly and cover with growing media. Allow to grow to 15 to20cm then harvest with scissors and liquidise in a blender; drink 5 to 10ml a day and wash down with water. The juice can be stored in a fridge for a week or frozen.
Have a go at growing some microgreens they are easy, take up little space and can form part of a healthy diet. You don’t even need a garden / greenhouse as they will grow on your windowsills or in a conservatory. They have zero food miles and nearly zero carbon footprint so are good for you and the environment.
Cress in container
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