How to Grow Microgreens and Sprout Seeds Indoors for Fresh Nutrition Year-Round

These inexpensive beginner projects take less than a week until harvest

All you need to grow microgreens is a shallow container, growing medium, and a cover for the early stages. (Nataliia Zhekova/Shutterstock)

Growing nutritious, fresh produce isn’t nearly as easy as Instagram and Pinterest photos might have you believe. Every tomato and pound of zucchini requires outdoor space, a suitable climate and weather, gardening know-how, and sometimes a deep pocketbook.

If your gardening skills aren’t exactly top-notch, but you still want the advantage of growing a supply of nutritious, fresh produce, try growing microgreens and sprouting seeds.

A Beginner-Friendly Staple

Microgreens, sometimes called baby greens, are small sprouts grown from seeds. These tiny seedlings have just started to emerge from their protective shell and are ready to eat when their first leaves appear. Sprouted seeds are ready to eat even sooner, just as soon as the initial sprout emerges from a seed.

Growing microgreens and sprouting seeds require no previous experience, and if you’re an impatient gardener, your harvest can be ready in as soon as five or six days. These budget-friendly projects are inexpensive, and supplies can be used repeatedly, with seeds being the only recurring expense.

Even better, you can grow microgreens and sprout seeds throughout the year, regardless of the season, and they can be grown anywhere. There’s no need for acreage, a backyard, or even a patio. Your microgreens and sprouted seeds will thrive just about anywhere inside your home.

Find your favorite varieties of seeds to grow at home. (IMG Stock Studio/Shutterstock)

Pleasing Pantry Additions

For the emergency food storage pantry, these miniature versions of fresh produce will add variety to your meals and another layer of all-important nutrients. Even if you’ve planned a well-rounded supply of food for emergencies with plenty of protein and other highly nutritious foods, baby greens and sprouted seeds give you another way to enrich your food supply in a crisis. It’s also a practical way to ensure that your family always has a supply of fresh produce in a time of food shortages.

Another possible use of microgreens is to turn them into a DIY green powder. All you have to do is dehydrate them and then grind them in a food processor or blender. This is a great way to utilize greens that might otherwise go to waste.

Preparing the Microgreens Project

Microgreens provide a massive boost of concentrated nutrients and antioxidants and require only a few supplies. Start with one or two varieties of the easiest seeds to grow, such as sunflowers, peas, arugula, wheat, or “salad mix.” Each of these has its own distinct flavor, and you’ll quickly discover your favorites. Be sure to buy seeds that are “food grade” to avoid pesticides or other contaminants. This applies to seeds used for sprouting, as well.

For this project, you’ll need a shallow container about 1 to 2 inches deep, a growing medium, and a cover for the container. The container can be as simple as a baking sheet. However, the ones specifically designed for growing microgreens have molded ridges on the bottom to allow for even water flow.

The growing medium can be potting soil, coco coir, grow mats, or another sterilized medium. Avoid outdoor soil, as it might be contaminated. There are also specially designed soil-free hydroponic kits.

Using a cover as a weight to force the seeds deeper into the medium is a unique aspect of growing microgreens. This encourages quick, even germination and root growth, and maintains humidity inside the container. This weighted cover could be a second tray or any other nonporous lid that fits over the growing medium’s surface. Some growers add additional weight in the form of a heavy book or a paver. You could try this to see if it improves and accelerates germination.

Get Your Hands Dirty

The growing process is quite straightforward. Begin by soaking your choice of seeds in water to prepare them for germination. Follow specific instructions for soaking if included in the seed packaging, since not every variety requires pre-soaking. Spread your choice of growing medium on the bottom of the container. Then, pour 1/2 cup of water evenly over the surface. Allow the water to soak into the medium for a few minutes until the entire surface is evenly damp.

Distribute the soaked seeds across the medium and place the lid on top. Put the container in a dark cupboard or something similar and allow the seeds to do what comes naturally—sprout! There shouldn’t be a need to add any extra water at this point. On the third day, it’s time to remove the container from its dark location and remove the lid. Your microgreens can continue to grow in any light, from indirect sunlight to indoor lighting. Check the moisture level each day and add enough water to maintain dampness without flooding the new sprouts.

Harvest Time

In most cases, microgreens are ready to harvest when they reach 2 to 3 inches in height. However, keep an eye on the leaf growth, as this is the best indicator of when to harvest. The first leaves you’ll see are the cotyledons, followed by a set of true leaves; your microgreens will be at their tastiest at either point. Then, with a clean pair of scissors, cut the greens about an inch from the soil.

These microgreens are ready to eat and are enriched with zinc, potassium, iron, magnesium, and copper—they’re miniature powerhouses of nutrition. Add them to sandwiches, salads, and on top of hot entrées. They add flavor and crunch to any food.

Sprouts Are Simple

Seed sprouting is an even simpler process with a much faster time to harvest. You’ll be able to eat your sprouted seeds as soon as you notice that the seed casings, or hulls, begin to fall away with rinsing. This can happen in as little as four days and is the perfect way to introduce the miracle of seeds to children.

Some of the simplest seed varieties to try are alfalfa, beet, whole lentils, peas, spelt, wheat, and radish. You’ll be surprised by their differences in appearance and taste. Sprouting seeds is so quickly rewarding that you’ll want to discover even more varieties to try. Sprout People is one of the best sources of seeds and reliable information.

The only equipment you need for sprouting seeds is a quart-sized jar with a screen lid, which you can purchase or make yourself with cheesecloth.
(FotoHelin/Shutterstock)

Start Sprouting!

The only supplies required are seeds and a quart-sized (or larger) jar with a screen lid. This is something you can purchase or make yourself with a canning jar rim and a circular screen made from plastic mesh or layers of cheesecloth. You’ll be rinsing and draining the seeds twice a day, so it’s important to have a lid that allows for very easy and complete drainage.

Begin with an initial soaking of the seeds for 8 to 12 hours or according to the seed package instructions. Smaller seeds need less soaking time. A good rule of thumb is to use at least twice as much water as you have seeds. Once the soaking time is over, drain the jar and then refill with fresh water for thorough rinsing. Swirl the seeds around in the water, and then drain again. You’ll repeat this process of rinsing and draining twice a day.

There’s no need for any particular type of lighting, and the handiest location for your seed sprouting jar is right next to the kitchen sink.

Your sprouted seeds should never be slimy or have an “off” smell. If that happens, it indicates the possible presence of bacteria, and the sprouts should be thrown out.

You might also notice that your jar is so full of sprouts that it’s difficult to rinse and drain thoroughly. In that case, you added too many seeds to the jar—an easy mistake for a beginner! A simple solution is to remove a portion of the sprouts and put them in a second sprouting jar to allow all sprouts enough room for air circulation.

Sprouts are packed with enzymes, fiber, vitamins C and E, and other nutrients. Eat them on their own, in salads, on sandwiches, on a bagel with cream cheese, or as a topping on soup. Sprouts can be kept in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.

Do’s and Don’ts for Beginners

Whether your choice is growing microgreens or sprouting seeds, here are a few do’s and don’ts.

Do follow the package instructions for your particular seeds. These instructions will provide specific information regarding pre-soaking, nutrients, and when to harvest.

Do use “food-grade” seeds to ensure no contaminants are present.

Do buy seeds in the smallest containers to see which ones you prefer.

Don’t use more seeds for microgreens or sprouting than the package instructions recommend. As they sprout and grow, too many seeds in one container will impede growth.

Do store unused seeds in airtight containers in the freezer to maintain the highest levels of freshness and germination rates.