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I don’t get micro greens, can you point to actual non-hype details? Excusing the oversimplification, but is this just growing sprouts and clover to add to salads? When people talk about micro greens , they do NOT include spices, right? Nor anything we normally classify as salad?
I see one description including arugula but that’s “lettuce” found in any grocery. Is it just to harvest ypur own baby arugula, or is there no distinction?
You can grow cabbage, broccoli radish and a bunch of other stuff as microgreens. You're just harvesting really early. Longer grow than sprouts, but still just getting like one set of true leaves before cutting.
Taste, I find them to be stronger than the mature plant. I like them on bagels or toast with eggs avocado etc.
Thanks, that seems like a clearer description than anything I read online
They are highly nutritious and chefs and health food people pay a lot for them. They are primarily used as a garnish or addition to main dishes. Compared to full grown vegetables they are more nutrient dense, and they're typically eaten raw so you don't miss nutrients lost from cooking.
Great work! Looks like you've really got it dialed in. Those thin LED panels are really cool, very clean look.
Thank you, it's been an awesome learning experience/hobby over the last month. I've been enjoying some very tasty salads and adding the greens to other dishes. My mom has also been enjoying the ones I've been giving her.
I solved three issues with the previous setup. One was not enough space for two trays on each shelf slightly overlapped on the previous shelf, solved by having a slightly wider shelf. Two was a single light in the center causing bending during growth, solved by putting two on each shelf. Three was light bleed beneath the trays which was confusing the sprouts at early germination stage, many were going down towards the light bleeding from underneath, solved with mylar.
Downsides is I only have 4 shelves now instead of 5 previously for a total of 8 trays at a time which I think is perfectly fine because I'm not yet at the point of scaling. Also, the shelf takes up slightly more horizontal space because it's larger. The shelving unit has a fixed position for each shelf because of holes in the poles where each piece fits to hold each shelf. So ideally I could fit another shelf in it and lower the amout of space.
This shelf was only $33 so I'm willing to trade that off. The entire upgrade I estimate to be about $75. The trays I'm using now are slightly bigger as well so it was necessary, they didn't fit on the previous shelf at all so it's nearly worthless for this purpose, but I will use the old shelf for storage.
@jaykrown
Can you tell me about the lights from your post yesterday? I currently have T-5 fixtures and red and blue LED fixtures. I've always had luck and healthy plants but I'm curious because I like their smaller size. Thanks
What do you want to know specifically, here's what they are.
I love this. What are your energy costs?
My electricity bill is negligible compared to my overall rent and other expenses. I think I pay roughly $65 a month average, higher in summer because air conditioner about $100 at hottest month, lower in winter because heating is radiator and free at $55. Basically my air conditioner consumes over $30 a month just to keep myself from roasting.
I meant energy costs for the microgreens setup specifically, but it sounds like they are very low, and so you don't measure them. Electricity is stupidly expensive where I live, which is why I was asking. Thanks!
I suspect this is due to the lights that OP is using.
I start seeds every spring and keep them under 3x "big" grow lights for around 14 hours a day. I drive a Volt (plug-in hybrid with a 16ish kwh battery) around 200-250 miles/week on mostly battery. I do most of my charging at home. This month the Volt has consumed around 170 kwh. The lights have consumed 141 kwh in the same time period. The next thing on the list is our refrigerator with 36.5 kwh.
At this rate, the lights will use 255 kwh for the month.
On the plus side, our seedlings are not leggy. On the downside, that's around $50/month for the two months a year the lights are on.
Thank you!
255 kWh would cost me around $80
Here are the lights I'm using, should help do the calculation for you. I have to run them for about 8-10 hours a day, 8 of them. But yea, for me these lights are nothing compared to other things like my refrigerator and air conditioner in summer.
looks awesome. may i ask what you're growing there?
Speckled peas, one of the most ideal plants for microgreens because they are strong growers and cheap. Even at that height/age, some people don't like them because they're a bit tough, but still very edible if you chop only the top half.
I grew pea microgreens once, and can confirm. They were a bit too stringy/tough for my liking. However, when they were still much shorter they were crisp and watery like bean sprouts and I much preferred them like that. If you haven't, cut a few early and see if you like.
Yum! How do you decide how much seed to use?
I have started measuring it out in quarter cups before soaking, still figuring out how much to use exactly. Depends on seed as well.
This is a really cool and I love it. I have considered going similar directions. One thing that always nags at me is the idea of having full spectrum lights on indoors day after day month after month. Won’t that UV light eventually burn those shadows into your hardwood floor perceptibly?
You should start selling some on the side once you get your process dialed in. Restaurants pay a lot for micros.
Or don't. I don't care. It's cool though.
Thanks, yea I'm going to consider it. I'm already selling to a family member, they're helping prove the model. The idea being that I'm going for minimal waste, near zero packaging waste, selling the tray with the live young greens, and the customer returns their old harvested tray and I bring them a new one for reduced cost, milk man style for microgreens.
Oh damn! I love that idea. I know some fancy chefs that would too. Good luck if you decide to give it a shot.