When it comes to ​harvesting microgreens​, the process is fairly simple. Most plants take around 7 to 14 days to grow, but this depends on the specific microgreen plant you’re growing since the germination and harvesting times differ from species to species. This article is going to provide you with 4 tips on how to successfully harvest microgreens from growing containers.

Tip 1: You Don’t Have to Wash Your Microgreen Harvest

If you’re using a small microgreen growing container, you can expect a simple, yet efficient harvest. Once it’s time to harvest your microgreens, hold your container over a bowl to collect them, and tilt the container to snip the stems. You do not have to wash your microgreen harvest if the crop has been ​watered from the bottom​ because it should be free from any soil. However, if you do notice soil on the stems, then you can rinse them with water to get rid of any leftover soil.

Tip 2: You Can Refrigerate Your Harvest to Extend Its Shelf Life

If you happen to grow microgreens in repurposed growing containers, you can refrigerate your microgreens before it's time to harvest. When it comes time to snip your microgreens, you can extend their shelf life by placing your microgreen growing container in your refrigerator. However, the cold air can dry out your microgreens, so make sure to place the container in a plastic bag. By doing this, your microgreens can be in the fridge for an extra week as long as you make sure to bottom water the plants anytime the soil starts to feel dry if you leave the plastic bag open. Once you’re ready to eat the microgreens, place the container on a windowsill or anywhere to allow it to reach room temperature–then it’s safe to eat!

Tip 3: Harvest Your Microgreens One Portion at a Time (Or In Patches)

If you’re not ready to eat your entire grow, then you can snip your desired patches by rows or patches. You’ll want to make sure to leave space for your leftover growing microgreens to lean as they grow. This is a more commonly used method for tray gardening where you’ll have larger pulls.

Tip 4: Do Not Pull Microgreens Directly From the Soil

It’s very important to not pull your plants straight from the soil in the microgreen growing container. Doing so can disturb the plant's roots and affect your harvest. This is why it’s best to use scissors to cut the stems to your liking.

We at the Nick Greens Grow Team strive to utilize our expertise and vast knowledge to inform our readers about the process of growing microgreens. If you would like to learn more about harvesting microgreens from growing containers or anything microgreen-related then sign up for our new microgreens class that’s happening every Friday! Can’t attend? Then make sure to subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel for the latest microgreen-growing updates.