A relatively new trend in our life is micro-green. This is a wonderful product that charges the body with useful substances, especially scarce during the winter short cloudy days and March vitamin deficiency. Surely you have noticed that in advanced supermarkets and shopping centers there are shelves of lush stalls with delicate greens. However, prices are biting… The good news is that improving yourself and your family is not difficult at all. Consider the ways of self-cultivation of microgreens without moving far from the kitchen table.
In the soil or other substrate
This is the most popular method of cultivation, as most home gardeners are perceived as the most logical. A wide capacity is required. There is no need to make drainage holes in it. We soak the seeds, the term depends on the culture. For example, for watercress, 15-20 minutes is enough. Peas, mash are soaked for 12-18 hours. Chard, sunflower, beet — for 8-12 hours. Pour a little wet garden soil or soil for seedlings (the one that is sold for home floriculture, it is better not to take), a layer of 3-4 cm thick is enough. We lay out the seeds thickly, moisten them abundantly from the spray gun, sprinkle a little with earth and cover the container with the crops with a transparent cover — this can be glass, plastic cover, food film, bag, jar.
We put the containers on the light windowsill. After the emergence of sprouts, the shelter can be removed. Care consists in spraying the greens 2-3 times a day. Next, we act accordingly to the cultivated crop: we give only cotyledonous leaves to grow and cut them off-or we wait for the appearance of 1-2 real leaves and eat them. Ready-made micro-greens can be stored in the refrigerator for 6-7 days. It should be noted that other similar material — vermiculite, perlite, coconut substrate, etc. – can act as a soil for sowing seeds.
On paper
The growing period of micro-greenery is short, all the nutrients the miniature plant receives from the seed reserves. Therefore, the basis can be soft hygroscopic paper (for example, toilet paper) or paper kitchen towels. There are options.
Option 1
We take a shallow tray, put paper on its bottom, moisten it abundantly. We lay out the prepared seeds, make a transparent shelter and put it on the windowsill. Do not pour too much water: the seeds should not float in it. After the emergence of seedlings, we remove the shelter and keep the paper always moist, do not let it dry out. To do this, 2-3 times a day, you need to spray the seedlings.
Option 2
We take toilet paper, in addition to it we cut strips of polyethylene of the same width. We put polyethylene, on top-a strip of toilet paper. We thoroughly wet it from a hand sprayer, or better-from a syringe or syringe. Along the edge, slightly retreating, we lay out the seeds. Then carefully roll the paper base together with the film, put it in a jar or glass and pour a little water. We put a bag on the container or cover it with a transparent plastic cup. In such rolls, micro-green grows perfectly, and even watering-spraying is not needed. The main thing is to make sure that there is always water in the container.
This is the method used by my friend for sowing watercress ‘Temp’ (not as a micro-green) and vegetable crops, followed by transplanting seedlings into separate containers. By the way, she later regretted that this time she did not sow a micro-seed in the same way.
On cotton wool or cotton pads
As a basis for sowing seeds, you can take cotton wool. The material is clean, conveniently laid out in a layer of the required thickness, perfectly absorbs water. It must be placed in a suitable container, thoroughly moistened and placed pre-soaked seeds. Then-to arrange a mini-greenhouse from the film before the emergence of seedlings. In the future, everything is as usual — grow the seedlings to the required size, regularly spraying them and not letting the cotton base dry.
For sowing micro-greenery, you can take not the cotton itself, but more comfortable cotton pads, which are sure to be found in every woman. We lay them out on the bottom of the container in one layer, moisten them with water and scatter the seeds. We spray them on top and cover them with a transparent cover. After 1-2 days, sprouts appear, and then the covering material can be removed.
Gauze, non-woven napkins, etc.
Such materials are perfect for our task. The gauze should be folded in several layers, moistened and sown with seeds. Next, the usual care is to maintain optimal humidity. After sufficient regrowth of greenery, it is sometimes possible to remove it along with the roots, which also have a great nutritional value.
In the pharmacy, you can buy synthetic medical disposable wipes — very convenient for getting a completely clean product. A similar cloth can be found in supermarkets in the form of kitchen napkins in a roll — it is also suitable. The overgrown greens are cut close to the base.
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