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Microgreen Seed Density Charts
8/1/2018
Microgreens are becoming increasingly popular, allowing growers the opportunity to expand further into existing markets or to venture into new markets.
From farmers markets to local restaurants and chefs, microgreens are perfect for enhancing salads or using as a garnish.
By definition, microgreens are tiny plants with only their first leaves developed. Most varieties are harvested at 8-14 days and while they may be smaller and more delicate, they are also more robust and flavorful.
The CropKing microgreen growing system is a cost-effective and efficient way to maximize production while ensuring high quality.
The correct seed density is crucial to the success of growing microgreens. The chart below was put together to assist all microgreen growers in finding the correct information for growing over 20 different varieties.
Click here to download a printable chart.
Soaking Seeds (large seeds)
To soak the microgreen seeds, a plastic kitchen storage container works well
Use cold water (always pH balanced)
Refrigerate in warm weather
Soak for 8-12 hrs typically.
Fill the container with enough water to rise above the seeds ¾” to 1”. The seeds will swell as they absorb water, and you’ll want to be sure they stay below the water line.
Soaking the Burlap Grow Mat
Plan to put the mat in the day before you plant. Once you know how many total channels/trays of microgreens you’ll be planting.
Fold and place burlap mat in a soaking tub.
Fill the tub with water until it completely covers mats.
Cover and soak overnight.
EASIEST TO GROW
Arugula
Seeding Rate: 0.7 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 1-3 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-14 Days
Broccoli
Seeding Rate: 1.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 2-3 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 10-14 Days
Buckwheat
Seeding Rate: 12 oz
Pre-Soak: Yes
Blackout Time: 3-4 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-12 Days
Cabbage
Seeding Rate: 1.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 2-4 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-12 Days
Chia
Seeding Rate: 1.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 2-3 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-12 Days
Kale
Seeding Rate: 1.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 2-4 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-14 Days
Kohlrabi
Seeding Rate: 0.7 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 2-4 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-14 Days
Mustard
Seeding Rate: 0.7 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 2-4 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-12 Days
Sunflower
Seeding Rate: 9.0 oz
Pre-Soak: Yes
Blackout Time: 2-4 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-14 Days
Wheatgrass
Seeding Rate: 16.0 oz
Pre-Soak: Yes
Blackout Time: 2 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-10 Days
AVERAGE DIFFICULTY
Celery Leaf
Seeding Rate: 0.75 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 6-8 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 18-21 Days
*Slow to germinate and emerge
Popcorn
Seeding Rate: 8.0 oz
Pre-Soak: Yes
Blackout Time: 6-10 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 6-10 Days
*Keep in the dark for full 6-10 days to harvest
Fennel
Seeding Rate: 1.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 3-5 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 14+ Days
Leek
Seeding Rate: 2.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 3-5 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 12-14 Days
*Seed heavy
Peas
Seeding Rate: 12.0 oz
Pre-Soak: Yes
Blackout Time: 3-5 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-14 Days
*Use plenty of water when soaking seed, they are extremely absorbent
Sorrel
Seeding Rate: 1.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 3-5 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 12-16 Days
*Keep seeds in freezer to help with germination rates
HARDEST DIFFICULTY
Amaranth
Seeding Rate: 1.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 3-6 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 8-14 Days
*Prefers warmer environment, sensitive to direct light
Basil
Seeding Rate: 1.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 4-7 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 14-18 Days
*Spray through to establish root
Beets
Seeding Rate: 2.0 oz
Pre-Soak: Yes
Blackout Time: 6-8 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 10-14 Days
Chard
Seeding Rate: 2.0 oz
Pre-Soak: Yes
Blackout Time: 4-7 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 10-14 Days
Cilantro (Coriander)
Seeding Rate: 2.0 oz
Pre-Soak: No
Blackout Time: 6-7 Days
Estimated Time to Harvest: 21-28 Days
*Keep medium moist throughout blackout period, prefers cooler temperatures
Download a printable chart below!
File: SeedingCharts.pdf
Teeny Greenie Farming: Local Farmer Producing Nutrient-filled Microgreens
She grows "microgreens". Research shows that the first leaves of a plant have up to 40 times the nutrients of a full grown vegetable.
by Kathryn Daniel
July 21, 2018
ALLENTOWN, Fla. (WEAR) — Virginia Bates raises about a dozen crops. She listed off just a few for us, "Radish, broccoli, kale, bok choy, arugula."
Her dozen or so varieties aren't grown in fields or even a greenhouse, but in a small, insulated "grow" shed.
Bates laughed, "This is the type of farming that anybody can do. I think that's what appealed to me, you can farm in heels if you want."
Bates plants and harvests every week and loves her work.
"My goal is to get people to think about what they put in their bodies," she explained.
She grows "microgreens". Research shows that the first leaves of a plant have up to 40 times the nutrients of a full grown vegetable.
She elaborated, "A handful of broccoli microgreens is like eating a pound and a half of mature broccoli. That's crazy."
Once a vegetable reaches "adult" status, its nutrients are spread throughout the entire item. Bates said with micro greens, all of that goodness is condensed into the first, tender shoots.
Bates calls her product "Super Teenie Greenies." She harvests between every seven to ten days to get the maximum nutritional punch.
Bates detailed that anytime a crop is grown without soil, it's done so hydroponically. The medium she grows in only looks like dirt.
"It is organic ground coconut husks," she revealed.
Bates supplies several local restaurants and Ever'man Cooperative Grocery weekly. She and her assistant, Jewel Owens, set up shop at the Palafox Market every Saturday.
Jewel's favorite variety is the kale and spicy mustard combo.
The teenager grinned, "I really like the taste. I like how nutritious they are for you. Normally things that are super nutritious don't taste as good, but these are really, really good."
Bates said many parents buy the Super Tennie Greenies and "sneak" them into smoothies, in sauces and on pizza for their children to get a ton of vitamins and minerals.
She sells a "grow kit" and is shipping them all over the country, which makes this fifth generation farmer feel proud of her healthy fare.
She said, "To hear that my product is able to impact their daily life and make them feel better in a real way that's backed by science."
Troubleshooting Microgreens In Germination Stage
Troubleshooting Microgreens In Germination Stage
June 19, 2018
There are extra factors with microgreens that may cause things in the germination stage to fail, so troubleshoot possible problems and their solutions. Double check your temperature to make sure things aren't too cold or hot.
Germination and darkness
Make sure when you germinate microgreens seeds that they are in darkness. If you use humidity domes, make sure the domes have top vents. Make sure you cover properly but don't force the dome on. Even though the seed is covered with a humidity dome, make sure your tray is in darkness. The seeds need to be kept away from light. As soon as the seeds open it is necessary that the tray receive light.
Room temperature water
Never use water directly from the tap. Always let it reach room temperature. Cold water can shock microgreens because it quickly reduces the environment temperature of the medium (microgreens pad). The same goes for seed germination, don't stick seeds in cold water and don't moisten seeds with cold water. Even when you feed your microgreens you should let the water reach room temperature. Another thing is that you need to check your own water supply to determine its quality. In most cases, chlorine in water won't cause issues with your microgreens but if your water isn't very clean or pure then you can't expect your microgreens to use it well either. In each case, you need a way to generate clean water which can do by boiling it and letting cool to room temperature.
Water soaking seeds
Some of the big microgreens seeds may need to undergo soaking before they germinate. In this case, the pea seeds should be placed into a room temperature bowl of water for 24 hours before being removed and place on the germination medium. This is not recommended unless you have trouble germinating seeds. If you keep them for too long in the water they might not get air, which they need or the microgreens seed will sour. New seeds tend to survive this method better than old ones, which tend to uptake too much water.
Air
Air is something your microgreens need all time, even in the germination stages. Stale air results in a change in the ratio of gases that comprise it and the accumulation of new ones. Overwatering can be a huge problem from the day you start to germinate your seeds. It locks out air. There is never a need to turn a microgreens medium into a swamp.
Germination pH
pH imbalances outside of 7 (base) can cause problems. The way to test your pH is to test the medium before you put the seeds on. If you have a pH problem it is best to replace the medium. If you can't then pH up and pH down products can bring the medium to a pH of 7, which is recommended.
Timing
Expert growers have seen microgreens seeds take up to a month to germinate but these are extreme cases. Mostly, growers see germinating in three days or up to a week. After a week without germinating, we are in uncharted territory. If you don't achieve germination by the middle of the second week then you should reconsider the germination technique being used. If you don't see germination by the second week you really should be trying to germinate a new batch again so as not to delay your grow over nonviable microgreens seeds.
Germination spraying
If you have a problem with overwatering or using too much water at this stage then spraying is a viable and safe way. It is far easier to spray a medium to make it moist than to water a medium to make moist. Get a spray bottle. If you still have a problem with over water then you can add perlite to the bottom of your tray next time. This will help absorb excess liquids in almost any growing method.
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Tags: microgreens Germination growingmicrogreensathome microgreensfarm
CO2 Tips In Growing Microgreens
CO2 Tips In Growing Microgreens
June 15, 2018
Vertical Farming and Microgreens are becoming popular, especially in urban areas. What we want to focus on today is having the right CO2 for your microgreens to yield the best product.
CO2 sensors are an essential equipment for tracking and controlling conditions in vertical farming. Sensors may be used to automate control systems. Therefore, continually monitoring and maintaining CO2 levels, offering ideal plant growth conditions without the need for human involvement. Let's face it, we need to sleep some of the times.
The most common solutions for monitoring indoor CO2 levels are non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) CO2 sensors. In an NDIR CO2 sensor, infrared light is conveyed through a tube of air to an infrared detector. The detector recognizes the light that was not absorbed by the CO2 present in the tube, and the concentration of atmospheric CO2 is measured.
The NDIR CO2 sensors are mainly popular as they deliver accurate CO2 measurements which are comparatively inexpensive, easy to operate, and easy for non-experts to set up.
The new GasBoxNG from Edinburgh Sensors is a ready-to-use NDIR CO2 sensor that is perfect for vertical farming applications. It employs a pseudo dual beam NDIR measurement system to provide better stability and reduced long-term drift, with least optical complexity. Therefore, the GasBoxNG provides fast and reliable CO2 measurements. The useful CO2 data provided by the GasBoxNG can be transferred to atmospheric control systems using an optional RS232 communication interface.
We hope this provided some information to help you on your road to success.
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Customers can meet experts to discuss their specific application requirements.
Tags: microgreens CO2 growing microgreens microgreens grower
Solving Common Problems When Growing Microgreens
Solving Common Problems When Growing Microgreens
May 25, 2018
Over the past several years, the Nick Greens Grow Team has learned a lot, as a result of more than a thousand hours put into growing microgreens for commercial sale. It hasn't been smooth sailing the entire time. During this time, we’ve learned several hard-earned lessons. We're here to share some of our knowledge with growers for easier growing. Here are our top six most common challenges/problems with growing microgreens.
Uneven germination
Uneven germination is caused by either human error or lack of moisture. We can’t solve the human part, but here are a few tricks we learned along the way: Build or buy a tent to house your black 10X20 trays for the first few days of growth. Make sure to spray trays at least once a day and reclose the tent. Depending on the variety, remove trays after two to three days You are seeking 90% humidity and might need to experiment with the location of your tent several times. Alternatively, you can use a humidity dome with a black 10X20 over the dome for your higher end varieties such as Shiso or Borage.
Mold and mildew
Mold and mildew start during the germination process (because of the high humidity) but does not reveal itself until four or five days into the grow cycle. Reducing this problem starts with air-flow, Add small mini fans or an inline blower with a carbon filter and intake booster fan for fresh air. Spray your plants with Terereplenish during the germination process which naturally decreases mold due to the presence of beneficial, free-living microbes.
Harvesting difficulties
Even if you buy an expensive harvesting machine it might not be worth it. The only successful way to harvest microgreens in our experience is by hand. Use a decent pair of shears (we use the Fiskars titanium shears with the black and gray handles) and make sure you have a high stainless steel table to cut on. Ideally one that rolls and has a shelf underneath. (Anything smaller will cause ergonomic issues for you or your growers.) Line your food grade containers with paper towels (to absorb moisture) and refrigerate within 30 minutes of harvesting.
Too many varieties to choose from
Trying to grow anything more than six or seven varieties at a time will be a nightmare for your crop planning and lead to disappointed customers. It's, not easy choosing which varieties of microgreens to grow. We have had great success growing the following: Pea Shoots, Red Rambo Radish, Hong Vit Radish, Kale, and Broccoli. Each is easy to germinate, and turns in less than 10 days. Also by mixing everything listed above, you can create a great tasting rainbow mix.
Costly fiber-based media mats
Fiber-based media mats, like hemp, can be very costly growing media, and can significantly reduce or wipe out your profits. Any media that costs more than 10% of your revenue per tray is too expensive and your goal should be to achieve a 5% ratio. We found the most efficient and profitable mats are these pads. You can buy good quality, safe microgreens pads from our website or you can partner with a local roaster and reuse coffee bags which are more sustainable and generally free. In either case, you need to cut mats in advance, and then soak with 3 ppm of H202 for half an hour before seeding. Burlap doesn’t produce as much yield as soil, but it grows faster and is less expensive. If you are contemplating large production, you will want to grow on burlap or some other fibrous mat. The downside of burlap is that it dries up quickly and requires equipment with a timer and automatic feeding system. The best systems are supplied by Crop-king NFT, or you can build your own home-made racks with botanicaire flood trays.
High lighting costs
While lighting and electricity costs for indoor crops are relatively high, microgreens typically need less than 4 DLI a day -- equivalent to 8 hours a day at 125 PAR. We found using a combination of LED and fluorescent is the best.
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Urban Growth: Meet The City Farmers Looking To Use Vacant Land And Abandoned Buildings To Transform Scotland's Food Landscape
Urban Growth: Meet The City Farmers Looking To Use Vacant Land And Abandoned Buildings To Transform Scotland's Food Landscape
May 26, 2018 Karin Goodwin
A GROUP of local food producers is aiming to transform Scotland's cities, and overhaul the country's food landscape, by creating urban farms on vacant land and in empty buildings.
Their vision for the city includes market gardens selling unusual and high-end vegetables, based in vacant plots in deprived areas, and vertical growing projects in which salad and veg can be produced commercially, or fish farmed, in stacked “towers” in abandoned warehouses.
Last week, campaigning growers' collective Propagate launched a new report – Roots to Market – calling on local authorities to help urban farm projects by making suitable vacant land more readily available under the Community Empowerment Act.
Report authors Abi Mordin and Kristina Nitsolova claim there is potential for more small-scale urban farmers to supply local businesses such as shops, cafes, and restaurants, bringing environmental, social and economic benefits.
Projects in development or already underway in Glasgow include market gardens, vertical growing of micro-greens (nutrient-rich shoots used as side salad in some restaurants) and indoor aquaponics in which fish are farmed alongside vegetables growing in water without soil. The plants are fed by the waste products from the fish and in turn, purify the water while the fish grow to an edible size. Other would-be market gardeners are looking to supply eggs, honey, and fruit on a commercial scale, or create herbal teas, jams or pickles from market garden ingredients.
Glasgow city council is broadly supportive of plans. Work in Dundee, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen, where several projects are in progress, is also being supported locally.
Abi Mordin, Propagate director, said: “We need to fix our food culture in Scotland. The Roots to Market report is a big step towards creating a sustainable local food economy in Glasgow. We've talked to lots of people in every part of the chain and we've laid out some clear steps for all of us to take. We have a lot of vacant land in cities like Glasgow and we are aiming to identify where there might be potential for growing.”
Propagate's report called for the council to undertake contamination studies and create a searchable database to be used by potential market gardeners. The organization is also supporting the establishment of the Glasgow Growers Association, which will take on leases from the council on behalf of small businesses.
Dr. Roy Neilson, a scientist at Dundee's James Hutton Institute, said there was “real potential” for urban growers to supply city cafes and other businesses. “Scale could be achieved through the adoption of vertical growing facilities, an innovative solution to growing food with a minimal footprint,” he added. "Local growing also provides provenance and reduces food miles and so has environmental benefits. Urban growers have the potential to complement, though not directly replace, existing food supply chains for mainstream consumers.”
Pete Ritchie, director of Nourish, an NGO campaigning on food justice in Scotland, said creating short supply chains – such as local growers selling to small businesses – had many benefits. Money stays in the local economy, food is fresher and both city growers and their customers felt more connected to the land.
“Sustainable food is vital to our city’s health, environment, and the local economy, as well as improving our resilience,” he said. “The issue is that there is still a skills gap – someone who knows what they are doing can get 10 times more out of the land than someone who doesn't.”
He said a grassroots approach was needed to teach everyone how to grow food, but he would also like to see a college of urban agriculture. “It would look to the best projects in the world for inspiration,” he added. “It should have a hi-tech vertical growing unit – ideally that would be powered off renewable energy. Maybe we could have a turbine in the Clyde? It's about thinking creatively.”
Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform – who earlier this week visited Locavore, a Glasgow-based social enterprise growing veg on its city-based market garden plots and selling local produce in its new ethical “supermarket”– said: “Our programme for government sets out a firm commitment to promote and develop demand for locally sourced and produced food and drink.
"Under the Community Empowerment Act, local authorities are also required to prepare food growing strategies which include the identification of land suitable for allotment sites and community growing, and how they intend to increase provision where required.”
A hidden market garden
ON the bustling Tollcross Road in Glasgow's east end it would be easy to miss the alleyway that leads to Max Johston and Andy McGovern's new market garden. It's on the site of Parkhead Housing Association's community garden, which is recent years has become overgrown and rundown.
The deal is that Johnson and McGovern get to use half of the plot for their new venture in return for help in restoring the rest for the community and running sessions for volunteers. It's clear there's plenty of potential for it to be transformed. Though covered with weeds, herb-like mint pokes through along with flowering strawberry plants and oodles of rhubarb.
The left-hand side of the space, used by for commercial growing, is much more orderly, though it's still early days. Johnson shows me the neat rows of salad, with which he has contracts to provide for two Glasgow cafes – there's oak leaf lettuce and lollo rosso, rocket and peppery red mustard. They are also growing herbs, which could be dried to make teas, as well as beetroot, carrots and spinach. It's a carefully thought through offering, which he feels confident will allow them to make a basic living.
There is also an important belief system at play here. “As a commercial grower the major thing is to produce food in an environmentally sound way that isn't stripping the soils and polluting the water,” he says. “We want to do that locally so it's super-fresh and packed with nutrition. It's also about culturing shifting people's perceptions of food so they become used to local, healthy food being an easily available, a staple thing in their diet.”
Longer-term the pair, who grew-up in the east end, are hoping to lease a bigger space that will allow them to scale- up and are delighted to working as part of the newly formed Glasgow Growers Association – they claim working with others ensures efficiency. They believe there's real potential to transform neglected parts of Glasgow. “People see vacant land around here as waste land that no-one wants,” he says. “What better way to turn it around than to create great big beautiful gardens producing food?”
Nurturing plants – and people – in Springburn
ARRIVING at the tired brick building on the edge of the Tesco car park in Springburn, you don't expect to see anything growing. But pull back the bolt on the plywood gate and you enter another world. Here there is chard, spinach, kale, courgettes, French and broad beans in some of the 65 large beds tended by volunteers at Saheliya, a specialist mental health and support organization for black, minority ethnic, refugee and migrant women and girls.
Once this land was abandoned, overgrown. Now there are herbs – sage, rosemary, chives – as well as onions and garlic. There are fruit trees – Fiesta and Katie apple varieties – blackberry bushes and strawberry plants flowering. The produce in this urban haven is international too – there are sweet potatoes and Amaranth green leaves, an iron and magnesium-rich vegetable commonly used in many African countries.
Gently bedding up tiny kale plants is 67-year-old Henriette Koubakouenda, who has been volunteering here since it was established three years ago. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo where she headed up the country's fisheries programme, she has lived in Glasgow with her two grown-up sons for 16 years, working with the community and running African women's organization Karibu.
A lot has been achieved here already. This all-women growing team are supplying to a local African shop and selling other vegs to staff and service users here. There are plans also to expand their reach supplying more shops or running a veg stall. Money raised can go back into the service – a kilo of sweet potatoes will pay for daily bus fares for two more volunteers. The aspiration is to sell 300 kilos of veg a fortnight this summer.
But it's more than a garden – it's providing therapy as well as food. “Women using the service come here with all sorts of problems,” says Koubakouenda. "In the garden, we can share experiences as we work, but we also talk about vegetables ... we try to talk about good things. It's like medicine. If someone needs to cry, we let them but then we comfort them. We are here to nurture the plants and to nurture the women."
Staff and volunteers are also serious about the potential to make it economically viable and are investigating ground source heat pump technology for their polytunnels to expand the growing season. Koubakouenda is also applying for funding to set up an aquaponics system, allowing them to grow indoors all year round. Plants will be grown in water, stacked in towers, and fed by the waste produced from fish kept in tanks. The system is cheap, efficient and does away with time-consuming washing and harvesting.
"When I started reading about it I thought, yes, we can do it. We can transform Scotland," she beams. "I wanted to inspire other women. If I can do this so can they."
Box out: city projects across Scotland
Edinburgh: Edinburgh City Council has been working on the Edible Edinburgh project for several years and aims to create “a thriving food economy with greater diversity in local food production and distribution” and make better use of available land suitable for food growing.
Dundee: An increasing number of innovative food growing projects are now happening in Dundee with the backing of the James Hutton Institute. In one, the institute teamed up with Lochee Community Gardeners to take over unused council space and produce fruit for local jam-making on a commercial scale.
Aberdeen: Last September, Aberdeen City Council launched its plans to become a Sustainable Food City along with a new food growing initiative which included £145,000 of funding for a food-growing programme targeting the areas in need of regeneration.
Swedish Supermarket Grows Microgreens in Basement
Swedish Supermarket Grows Microgreens in Basement
Supermarket ICA Kvantum Liljeholmen introduced, with assistance from Urban Oasis, a subterranean nursery that doesn’t require any soil.
In a basement space below the supermarket, large amounts of fruit and vegetables are cultivated. And that in an underground cultivation space, without soil. However, that does not affect the taste. The products are just as tasty, fresh and healthy as crops that are simply grown in Mother Nature. In addition, underground cultivation has great environmental benefits.
With the underground cultivation, a significant step is taken into the future. It does away with over-fertilization, climate-unfriendly transportation or unnecessary import. At the moment, 70 percent of all vegetables in Sweden come from abroad. That figure can soon be lowered considerably. In Liljeholmen, the production of the 50 m2 goes straight to the supermarket salad bar, a distance of 500 meters.
"We can use this technique to cultivate anything we want. We have the motto ‘Break the seasons’. We are just a small step away from sun-ripened tomatoes and ripe strawberries for Christmas," says sales manager Joakim Haraldsson of ICA Kvantum Liljeholm.
The efficient urban cultivation method of Urban Oasis is the result of a pilot project of an inventive foursome: two students from the Technical University, an architect and a financial expert, who set a goal to establish a company for sustainable food production.
"With a so-called hydroponic system, you can grow crops in water, without soil. So locally we can cultivate nutritious products in a special environment where horticulture and technology meet. And also in Sweden, we can produce fresh, local vegetables all year round," says Albert Pajaro, general manager and one of the initiators of Urban Oasis.
Ica Kvantum Liljeholmen had already made great strides in the search for environmentally friendly cultivation methods earlier. Now that the underground cultivation company of Urban Oasis will soon be working even more efficiently, the intention is that more than five tons of vegetables will be produced daily. That must be sufficient to satisfy the hunger of thousands of salad enthusiasts among ICA customers every day.
"ICA is an innovative company. So it is great to work together with other special companies and help them to conquer the market," Joakim Haraldson of ICA concludes.
Entrepreneur prize
ICA has established an Entrepreneur Prize that will be awarded to persons who have distinguished themselves in one of these two categories: Local Hero of the Year and Startup of the Year. A cash prize of 10,000 euros is available for both categories. In addition, from 2020 ICA aims to provide 200 new small local entrepreneurs with the opportunity to deliver their products directly to ICA branches.
Source: www.di.se/
Publication date: 5/10/2018
Microgreens With Mega Nutrients
Microgreens With Mega Nutrients
May 22, 2018
Next time you're in the grocery aisle, you might want to think about what microgreens you'll want to take home with you. Or you're going to begin growing your own microgreens and want to know which direction to take. Either way, we promise not to leave you hanging. Here are 6 microgreens that have a bunch of nutrients in them.
Arugula
This microgreen contains glucosinolates (GSLs), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and phenols that are believed to help fend off toxins and stave off environmental stress, says Monique Richard, RD, an adjunct professor of nutrition at East Tennessee State University. “Adding the peppery spice of arugula to sandwiches, salads, smoothies or as a colorful and edible garnish can be tasty and beneficial to your health,” she says.
Basil
The shoots of this tasty herb, that’s perfect in pasta or salads, have plenty of
health benefits. “Basil is rich in polyphenols that drive gut health and general good health by reducing oxidation and inflammation,” says Barry Sears, Ph.D., a leading research scientist in the field of inflammation.
Kale
Considered the new superfood, kale is known to be a vitamin C powerhouse. “If massaged with some tahini, lemon juice, dried fruit, apple cider vinegar and apples, it can be a satisfying lunch and the bitterness will subside,” Richard says.
Sunflower shoots
Known for providing essential amino acids, crunchy sprouted sunflower greens contain high levels of folate, B complex vitamins and vitamins C, E and selenium. When using them in a salad, pair them with a creamy vinaigrette.
Radish
With their signature peppery taste, radish microgreens contain beneficial amounts of folate and B6 and make a delightful finisher to a salad composed of watermelon and avocado.
Chia
These shoots offer endless health benefits. “Chia is an ideal addition to your diet thanks to their healthy unsaturated fats, fiber and satiety from the protein,” Richard says.
These microgreens are worth the time. We promise not to let you astray!
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Heavenly Good From The Underworld
Heavenly Good From The Underworld
April 17, 2018, 16:25
Forget about organic farming. Now it is about urban urban cultivation. ICA Kvantum Liljeholmen peered in the crystal ball and was helped by Urban Oasis to introduce the country's first underground crops - completely without the help of soil.
In a mountain room under ICA Kvantum Liljeholmen, fruit grows, greens and green so it's cracking. No wonder, if you do not think that Urban Oasis's cultivation area is not only underground but because the frog beds also lack soil. However, the taste can not be mistaken; The products are just as tasty, crisp and healthy as they were grown with native Mother Nature. But in the long run, the difference can be huge for our planet.
Underground crops are, in short, a giant cliff straight into the future. For here, there is no talk of either eutrophication, climate impact or unnecessary imports. Today, 70 percent of all vegetables in Sweden are purchased from abroad. Soon that number can be a memory only. In Liljeholmen it moves on 50 square meters of small production of freshly harvested only 500 meters, straight into ICA Kvantum's fresh salad bar.
"We can grow almost anything here. With the technology in place, it is only the imagination that sets limits. "Break the seasons" we are talking about. Maybe we're just a small step from sun-dried tomatoes and crispy strawberries at Christmas, says ICA Kvantum Liljeholm's sales manager Joakim Haraldsson.
Urban Oasis's resource-efficient urban cultivation is the result of a quartet pilot project - consisting of two KTH students, an architect and a finance man - with the goal of forming a foodtech company for sustainable food production.
- By so-called hydroponic cultivation, cultivating in water without soil, we can produce nutritious and nutritious food in an exciting environment where agriculture and technology meet. We will be able to offer fresh, roasted vegetables all year round even in Sweden, "said Albert Payaro, CEO and one of the initiators behind Urban Oasis.
Ica Kvantum Liljeholmen has already taken great steps in pursuit of environmentally friendly farming practices. When the Urban Oasis underground plant will soon be utilized even more efficiently, the ambition is to produce nearly 5 tonnes of vegetables - a day.
It is enough to calm the hunger of thousands of salmon-hot ICA customers in Liljeholmen every day.
"ICA is basically an entrepreneurial company and it is therefore fun that we can support and collaborate with other exciting entrepreneurial companies and help them to market," concludes Joakim Haraldsson at ICA.
• Growing in water without soil gives great harvest on a small surface - year round. Nutrition reaches the roots via an aqueous solution under the boxes. As an air gap is left between the plant and water, oxygen is added all the time, which causes the crops to grow rapidly above the surface.
• What can I grow? Almost whatever for green. Spices like basil, coriander and parsley, lettuce and other leafy vegetables, of course, but also tomatoes, chili, eggplant.
• If you do not have daylight, the crops can get energy using small LED lights.
• Farming without soil is nothing new. It already did the ancient Egyptians 600 BC. in one of the world's seven wonders: Babylon's famous hanging gardens.
ICA's Entrepreneur Prize is awarded for the first time in 2018 and goes to people outside the ICA organization. The prize goes to two categories: the local hero of the year and the new star of the year, and a scholarship of 100,000 kronor each. The winner is appointed by a jumbo jury and an online poll that weighs as heavily as one of the jury's voices.
In addition to ICA's Entrepreneurial Award, Ica aims to provide 200 new, small local suppliers with the opportunity to sell their products directly to ICA stores by 2020.
published: April 17, 2018
All The Elements Microgreens Requires
All The Elements Microgreens Requires
May 4, 2018
None of these elements are in reality more important than the others. Nutrient elements are like everything else in nature's design; they all work together. Try and avoid the whole perception that there is some kind of "magic trick" within special nutrients only, because they are all important. Another important aspect of indoor growing is never forgetting about the living soil microbes. They require all these same elements themselves, especially oxygen, nitrogen, and calcium.
Carbon and oxygen are absorbed from the air, while other nutrients including water are obtained from soil. Microgreens must obtain the following mineral nutrients from the growing media:
Primary Macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K)
Secondary Macronutrients: calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg)
The Macronutrients: Silicon (Si)
Micronutrients: boron (B), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se), and sodium (Na)
Carbon
Carbon forms the backbone of many microgreens bio-molecules, including starches and cellulose. Carbon is fixed through photosynthesis from the carbon dioxide in the air and is a part of the carbohydrates that store energy in the microgreens.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen also is necessary for building sugars and building the microgreens. It is obtained almost entirely from water. Hydrogen ions are imperative for a proton gradient to help drive the electron transport chain in photosynthesis and for respiration.
Oxygen
Oxygen is necessary for cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is the process of generating energy-rich adenosine triphosphate (ATP) via the consumption of sugars made in photosynthesis. Microgreens produce oxygen gas during photosynthesis to produce glucose, but then require oxygen to break down this glucose.
According to the Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University
Data Analysis
Elemental analysis data and microbial counts for microgreens from the three growing treatments (HFG, HW, and C) were examined by the Shapiro Test for normality and the Fligner–Kileen Test for homoscedasticity using R software [version 3.2.2, R (25)]. Based on the results of these tests, a non-parametric Welch’s ANOVA (α = 0.05) followed by a Bonferroni Correction for multiple comparisons was utilized to determine if there were significant differences among the means for each of the three growing treatments with respect to microbial counts, protein concentrations, and elemental concentrations. The elemental concentration of microgreens was compared with that of mature, raw broccoli (vegetable) produced on industrial farms based on nutrient data in the USDA SR21 database.
Results
The harvested fresh mass in grams (gfw) differed significantly among the three growing treatments (F2.000, 6.447 = 17.8056, P-value = 0.002368). The average (n = 5) fresh mass of microgreens harvested from the HFG treatment (24.64 ± 0.32 gfw) was statistically greater than the average fresh mass harvested from the C treatment (20.00 ± 0.73 gfw, P-value = 0.0066) or the HW treatment (21.01 ± 1.23 gfw; P-value = 0.0310). The dry mass fraction for the three growing treatments ranged from 7.2 to 9.3%, falling within the same range noted for 25 different microgreens studied by Xiao et al. (18). The average dry masses (gdw) harvested from experimental replicates (n = 5) did not differ significantly among treatments (F2.000, 5.671 = 2.5156, P-value = 0.1652) and ranged from 1.53 to 1.96 gdw. The average water fraction (n = 5) for each of the growing treatments was as follows: C (0.913 ± 0.002), HFG (92.5 ± 0.1), and HW (91.0 ± 0.2).
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Are Micro Leaves The Next Super Vegetable?
Are Micro Leaves The Next Super Vegetable?
Israeli company 2BFresh believes that the combination of a positive nutrient profile, functionality, and increased availability mean microgreens are set to be the new superfood on the block. Microgreens (or micro leaves) are young sprouts of seeds grown from a variety of edible plants harvested 7-20 days after the seedling emerges.
According to Avner Shohet, CEO and Co-Owner of 2BFresh, part of Teshuva Agricultural Projects, at this point in the plants life-cycle micro greens have the highest proportion of vitamins and minerals to weight. As plants age this ratio decreases, Shohet told FoodNavigator during a visit to one of the company's greenhouse facilities in Israel, which cover 1.6 hectares.
Small but strong 2BFresh cited 2015 research finding micro lettuce to be "significantly richer in minerals including iron, manganese, zinc, selenium, and molybdenum. Further studies confirmed similar results in the mineral content of micro broccoli and spinach.”
"These products are so healthy, they really should be more accessible," said Shohet. "Microgreens are a premium product and more importantly they are healthy.”
2BFresh is working to expand the availability of microgreens and build awareness of the properties of young plants.
Publication date: 4/17/2018
Are Micro Leaves The Next Super Vegetable?
Are Micro Leaves The Next Super Vegetable?
Israeli company 2BFresh believes that the combination of a positive nutrient profile, functionality, and increased availability mean microgreens are set to be the new superfood on the block. Microgreens (or micro leaves) are young sprouts of seeds grown from a variety of edible plants harvested 7-20 days after the seedling emerges.
According to Avner Shohet, CEO and Co-Owner of 2BFresh, part of Teshuva Agricultural Projects, at this point in the plants life-cycle micro greens have the highest proportion of vitamins and minerals to weight. As plants age this ratio decreases, Shohet told FoodNavigator during a visit to one of the company's greenhouse facilities in Israel, which cover 1.6 hectares.
Small but strong 2BFresh cited 2015 research finding micro lettuce to be "significantly richer in minerals including iron, manganese, zinc, selenium, and molybdenum. Further studies confirmed similar results in the mineral content of micro broccoli and spinach.”
"These products are so healthy, they really should be more accessible," said Shohet. "Microgreens are a premium product and more importantly they are healthy.”
2BFresh is working to expand the availability of microgreens and build awareness of the properties of young plants.
Publication date: 4/17/2018
Growing Microgreens At Home
Growing Microgreens At Home
May 1, 2018
Are you interested in growing microgreens at home? I hadn't a garden in ages and I've gotten better at growing since. When I first started I had a fruitful experience learning. I attempted and failed but eventually, it all worked out. A lot of people we're asking me if they could grow indoors without a hydroponic system or vertical farm? The answer is yes.
Microgreens are most commonly harvested from leafy greens such as kale, arugula, beet greens, onions, radish greens, watercress, chard and pak choi and herbs such as cilantro, basil, chervil, parsley, and chives. The taste of microgreens depends on the original vegetable. Microgreens have a very strong and concentrated taste of the original vegetable. This means that cilantro microgreens will still taste of cilantro but in a stronger, more vegetable and condensed format.
Here are some instructions viaFarmingmybackyard
Get a tray or box. Shallow trays are best, but my personal favorite is those clear plastic salad tubs with lids. It’s a little harder to trim, and you may not get ideal airflow, but the lids are nice for keeping the seeds moist while they germinate.
Spread 2 inches of potting soil in your container. Pre-moisten your potting mix and don’t pack it down. Keep the soil nice and fluffy when you add it in.
Sprinkle your seeds over the top of the soil. Don’t worry about spacing! You will be harvesting so soon that a nice little carpet is what you’re going for. You don’t need to put a second layer of soil over the seeds, although some people do. Other people say it decreases germination rate. This is something you may want to test personally and see what works best for you.
Water lightly and cover your container. Covering helps keep in moisture, and the darkness helps the seeds germinate. You can use another tray, a light dishtowel, the lid to a salad box. It’s all good.
Remove cover after the seeds sprout. After a few days, your seeds should have sprouted. Remove the cover and put them near a light source. I don’t have a good south facing windows, so mine go on top of the microwave to take advantage of the under the counter grow lights.
Carefully water your baby plants. The best option is to bottom water, which is setting your tray or box (with drainage holes!) in a sink of water and letting the plants soak it up. If you top water, be careful not to flatten the tiny plants.
Cut your microgreens with scissors. Most are yummiest after they develop their second set of leaves, and are about 2 inches tall. You can let them go longer, especially the larger seeds such as popcorn and pea shoots. Don’t leave your seeds too long or they aren’t as delicious.
Keep the soil moist after harvesting. Sometimes you can get a second crop from seeds that didn’t germinate the first time! Always give it some time and see if you get a round two.
Eat your microgreens! You can eat them on sandwiches, in stir fry, on pizza, in green smoothies, in salads, or as a garnish. They are best fresh, but if you must you can store them in a glass jar in the fridge for a few days.
These are simple and easy instructions. If you have any more questions don't hesitate to reach out.
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Understanding Microgreens Production Without A Solid Rooting Medium
Do you ever stop and wonder if there is other microgreens growing medium out there? What if it turned out that all this time you've been missing the right information on microgreens production without a solid rooting medium?
Understanding Microgreens Production Without A Solid Rooting Medium
March 27, 2018
Do you ever stop and wonder if there is other microgreens growing medium out there? What if it turned out that all this time you've been missing the right information on microgreens production without a solid rooting medium?
Definition Of The Nutrient Film Technique
Nutrient film technique microgreens production (commonly known as NFT microgreens production) is a method of growing in which the microgreens have their roots in shallow stream of recirculating water, in which are dissolved all elements required. There is no soil rooting medium. A root mat develops which is partly in shallow stream of recirculating water and partly above it. The stream is very shallow and the upper surface of the root mat which develops above the water, although it is moist, is in the air. So around the roots which are in the air, there is a film of nutrient solution hence the name nutrient film technique. It is extremely important to maintain this basic principle of a nutrient film because it confers an important advantage. In conventional agriculture, if an abundance of water is provided there is inadequate air at the root surface. As the soil dries out, air penetrates. When there is an abundance of oxygen there in inadequate water. In conventional agriculture, either with planned irrigation or with unplanned dependence on local rainfall, the balance between the supply of water and oxygen at the root is continually changing and, usually, one or the other is limiting. In an NFT crop there is a permanent abundance of both air and water at the root provided the nutrient film principle is maintained.
The Basic Layout Of An NFT System
NFT channels are to be used, these are then laid in position on the slope so that they will discharge directly into the trench. A polytene supply pipe is then connected to the circulating pump so that water from the trench is delivered to the inlet ends of the NFT channels. A small bore polytene tube delivers the water from the supply pipe into each channel. These delivery tubes are prepared by tapering the end of the tube that is to be inserted in the supply pipe. If the tubes have not been prepared by the manufacturer, they can easily be tapered using a pencil sharpener. A hole is then drilled in the supply pipe which has a smaller diameter than the external diameter of the delivery tube. When the tapered end of the delivery tube is pushed into the upper sized hole, a very tight fit is ensured. Before inserting the delivery tube, an oblique cut is made across the tapered end. This ensures that when the delivery tube is inserted into the supply, the end of the tube cannot be sealed off by resting on the internal face of the supply pipe. The water flows by gravity as a very shallow stream down the channels, each channel discharging directly into the trench. If it is desired not to have a trench but merely a small tank at the lowest corner of the rectangle of land, then the NFT channels will have to discharge into a catchment pipe which, in its turn, will discharge into the small tank.
Method Of Supporting Microgreens
When an NFT channel is laid on a prepared surface, or when a universal NFT channel with an integral rigid base is positioned, it is very difficult, no matter how careful the preparation or the positioning, to ensure that is not a slight fall across the width of channel. The avoidance of a cross fall means that the bubble in a spirit level must remain central when the spirit level is laid across the width of the channel. If the bubble is not central then, when the recirculating nutrient solution flows down the channel it, like the bubble, will not remain central but will flow down one side of the channel, leaving the majority of the width of the channel dry. Microgreens placed in the channel could wilt and die because lack of water. Even if it were possible, with great care, to ensure that the solution flowed near the centre of the flat base, it would meander as a narrow rivulet because of the surface tension between the liquid and the plastic.
This would result in some of the plants dying for lack of water. Once the roots of the plants grow across the width of the channel, they act as tiny dams which are sufficient to spread the recirculating solution across the width of the channel. Until this happens, however, some other method of spreading the liquid must be employed. The method first used was to roll out inside the channel, and covering the full width of the channel, a thin absorbent material, rather like unrolling a roll of toilet paper along the length of the channel. It is essential that the material used should not be phytotoxic, it should not have any adverse effect on the growth of the plants. It must be capable of spreading the liquid across the full width of the channel. If there is only a slight cross fall, a transverse filament acting as a tiny dam would be sufficient. If there is greater cross fall, an absorbent material with sufficient capillary action to wick the liquid across the width of the channel is required. The material used is irrelevant, provided it is not phytotoxic and it will do the job, it could range from cellulose to man made fibers.
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Microgreens: What, Why and How?
Feb. 06, 2018
Microgreens: What, Why and How?
What are Microgreens?
Whether it is on the menu of a fine restaurant or the product section of a specialty grocery store, you are likely to spot microgreens. They are dressed in vinaigrette as a salad or used to stylishly top our meal dishes as garnishes. However, other than the fact that they are very small in size, what exactly are microgreens? Well, they are delicate miniature seedlings of edible herbs and vegetables that add flavor, texture and color to a variety of foods. They pack a dense assortment of nutrients complete with beneficial enzymes thanks to their rapid growth.
While they may be presented in a sophisticated manner at gourmet restaurants, microgreens, also known as “vegetable confetti”, are simple and cost-effective to grow. Typically, microgreens are harvested using scissors within a month with the edible parts being the stem and the leaves.
Nutritional Content in Microgreens
So how do these tiny greens fare against their mature counterparts? Well, studies have shown that they punch well above their weight in terms of nutrition. Microgreens such as red cabbage micros, garnet amaranth, cilantro, radish and lettuce seedlings pack as much as 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.
Red cabbage micros, for instance, was found to have 69 times more Vitamin K than its mature counterpart. Cilantro microgreens recorded 3 times higher beta-carotene concentration. Green daikon radish on the other hand, was found to have the highest Vitamin E concentration among other microgreens as well as its mature counterpart.
How to Grow them?
The beauty of microgreens is that anyone can grow them. All you need is a shallow container, windowsill, hemp pad, some potting mix and suitable seeds. As long as the microgreens’ trays (containers) receive good light and adequate moisture, they will grow just fine. The seeds also need to be adequately spaced so that they are not too cramped. A useful tip to help with faster germination, that you can use for larger seeds like beans and peas, is to soak them overnight in warm water.
Microgreens are typically harvested before they attain maturity by snipping them at soil level after the first two ‘true’ leaves emerge from the cotyledon. They usually attain a growth height of anywhere between one inch and three inches. It really is the ideal crop for urban gardeners with limited space. There are dozens of microgreens’ varieties and the number keeps on growing with the years.
Benefits of Growing Microgreens at Home
- The obvious health benefit
Because microgreens are harvested almost immediately after germination, they contain a higher level of nutrients than mature plants. Studies have proven that they have a very high content of carotenoids, vitamins and antioxidants.
- It perfect for space-efficient urban home farming
You don’t need expansive tracts of land to grow microgreens. Even if you are living in a city apartment, all you need is a sunny windowsill and you are ready to grow your own fresh organic greens.
- It is as simple as A B C
You don’t have to be an experienced farmer to grow microgreens. It requires few and affordable materials and a few simple steps with little maintenance and you are good to go.
- Refine your means with color, texture and flavor
You’ve probably heard the phrase: “looks are an important part of taste”. Well, microgreens come in a variety of colors that you can use to garnish your dishes. In addition, they offer uniquely specific essences, textures and flavors known to please the most refined of palates.
- The aspect of “self-sufficiency”
Being able to eat what you grow is one of the most satisfying feelings. With microgreens, growing organic produce is no longer looked at as a daunting complex and labor-intensive task. As a matter of fact, modern technologies like hydroponic kits make it even a whole lot easier.
Many microgreens growers are opting for hemp pads over soil because they make it possible to obtain a clean soil-free harvest. Also, these stabilized growing media are suitable for a wide variety of microgreens as well as growing methods that preserve moisture much longer. We provide such hemp pads to all aspiring and established microgreen growers to help them achieve the best results (provide sales page link here).
Microgreens We Love To Grow
Microgreens We Love To Grow
March 2, 2018
Do you know which Microgreens we love to grow? These are our favorite Microgreens but we’ll also be giving you some seeding procedures too! You won’t regret missing out on this! We promise.
Pea Shoots
Crunchy, juicy texture and the same yummy taste as fresh peas. Perfect for sandwiches and on pizza, rice, and soup dishes! Try your pea shoots at different times/stages while they’re growing – their flavor, texture and look is best when they’re about 3” tall. Here are the procedures for growing theses beautiful pea shoots yourself!
These large seed varieties are grown using a different method than the other microgreens, So we will cover them first. The same technique is used for peas, can be used for sunflowers and any other large seed variety (such as popcorn seeds). Pea seed should be soaked prior to planting for 8 - 12 hrs. (soak seeds when you leave your farm at the end of the day)
Preparing the pea seed for planting:
10 oz of pea seeds per 10x20 black tray
To soak the pea, a plastic food grade container works well (5-gallon bucket with paint strainer bag).
Fill the container with enough water to rise above the seeds 2”. The seeds will swell as they absorb water, and you’ll want to make sure they stay below the water line and must remain covered.
Allow seeds to soak overnight. They are now ready to be spread on the microgreens pad.
Soaking The microgreens pad
The special microgreens pads are made of untreated all natural loose weave plant-based materials. The grow trays are 10"x20", so 1 microgreens pad are laid end to end in the tray. This makes them easier to handle at harvest time when they must be removed from the tray with the crops attached. The microgreens pads usually come in a pack of 10 - 10"x20" and don't need to be cut. If you lay the pad in the tray dry, they would not lay flat, and the seeds would go rolling off the high spots and end up crowding up in the low areas. The microgreens pad would also have a hard time becoming evenly damp, to begin with. Before placing the pads in the tray PRE-SOAK THEM in a 5-gallon bucket of vegan boost water for a few hours before seeding. This helps them lay flat in channels, which makes planting a lot easier and helps gives your seeds a germination boost.
Fill the bucket with RO water or tap water.
Place one tsp of vegan boost in bucket (mix properly).
Fold and place the pads in bucket.
Soak for 1 hr to 24 hrs. They are now ready to be used.
Place the soaked pad into the tray.
Smooth out the pad until it is completely flat.
Evenly shake the seeds in each tray, one tray at a time, using a gentle shaking motion with a cup.
Evenly spread seeds on the microgreens pad using your hands.
Place tray in darkness for 48 hrs to 72 hrs till seedlings sprouts up 2".
Place tray in sunlight or artificial grow lights
Microgreens - Red Rose Radish
A classic winter radish that is best planted later in the season, and then harvested for winter storage. China Rose produces an attractive rose-colored exterior and delicious white flesh. As its name suggests, this radish hails from China and was introduced to the occidental world by Jesuit monks in the 1950's.
Place the soaked pad into the tray.
Smooth out the pad until it is completely flat.
Weigh out the appropriate amount of seed for each variety to be planted
Red Rose Radish seeds per 10"x20" tray = 21 grams
Evenly shake the seeds in each tray, one tray at a time, using a gentle shaking motion with a season shaker.
Spray each tray, one at a time, spray generously (rule of thumb is to count out loud for each tray).
Spray humidity dome for a few seconds.
Cover 10"x20" tray with humidity dome.
Place tray in darkness for 48 hrs to 72 hrs till seedlings sprouts up 1.5".
Place tray in sunlight or artificial grow lights.
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Tags: microgreens growing microgreens peashoots shoots red rose radish
Foolproof Growing Tips For Microgreens
Foolproof Growing Tips For Microgreens
February 27, 2018
Ever feel like growing microgreens is a bit like being stuck in a blizzard? We promise that these foolproof tips will help you out a lot. Growing microgreens doesn't have to be brain science. It should be like strolling on a tropical island with no worry in the world. Easier said than done, right? We sure wish that someone would've told us these tips when we were first attempting to harvest.
Water Quality
At the start of a microgreens crop, a hydroponic system is filled with water. Water is continually being lost from the system, mainly through the leaves of the microgreens crop by a process known as transpiration. The volume of water in the system is, however, maintained constant by the automatic replacement of the water that is lost. This is achieved by a float valve in the catchment tank, which allows water to flow into the microgreens system from an external source as required. This makeup water will normally contain dissolved substances in it. The nature and quantity of the substances in solution in the water will differ by locality. If these substances are not removed from the water by the microgreens crop plants at a faster rate than they are being supplied in the makeup water, then their concentration in the recirculating water in the microgreens system will increase, until a concentration of one ion will be reached at which growth is adversely affected, and eventually a toxic concentration will occur. The best water for growing microgreens is rainwater or water condensed from the moisture-laden air. Water from these two sources has virtually no dissolved substances in it. Consequently, there is no build-up of excess ions coming into a hydroponic installation with the makeup water.
Filtration
Very little filtration should be required in a microgreen hydroponic system. If the makeup water does not contain solid particles in suspension, and if the method of supporting the young microgreens plants does not release solid particles into the recirculating solution, then filtration will not be necessary. The only precaution to take would be to site the inlet of the circulation pump in the catchment tank, as far as possible from any solution returning from the microgreens hydroponic system to the tank, and also near the surface of the solution in the tank. the tank will act as a sedimentation tank and the solution recirculated by the pump will thus be drawn from the clear solution near the surface. Yet, if there is a problem with solid particles in suspension, a course filter should be fitted over the outlet end of the catchment pipe so that the returning solution discharges into the tank through the filter.
Root Death
In a microgreens crop, the root system can be inspected readily. Consequently, if any roots should die. their demise is quickly seen and observed in all its tragedy. Roots are so basic. If too many roots should die, will not the whole microgreens plant die? In soil grown microgreens crop, the death of roots cannot be seen. The phenomenon of root death has been most extensively studied in tomatoes. Three english research workers at the Chestnut Experiment Station (Leonard, Head and Cooper) in the 50s, using glass sided inspection trenches dug besides rows of soil grown tomatoes, recorded the root growth visible through the glass. All three workers studied plants from December sowing dates, because at the time, most commercial tomato crops in southern England were not sown before December. They all reported a sudden and marked loss of roots in the month of May; from 50% to 90% of the roots visiblein the glass panel suddenly died and decomposed. The phenomenon was given the name of the 'May Check', because there was also a reduction in the growth rates of the tops of the plants.
Without these tips, you'd possibly be stuck in These tips are foolproof. If you follow these basic guidelines you can't possibly go wrong. These are the essentials needed to grow microgreens. Remember consistency is key!
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Tags: microgreens growing microgreens growing tips hydroponic system