Welcome to the weekly oh nènè microgreens update, where we talk about the latest information on our microgreens journey. We started experimenting with microgreens in March 2021 and found the process fascinating. As we discover the wonderful world of microgreens, we feel inclined to share with you our progress.
Testing sunflower seeds
Last week, we discussed our tests growing a new batch of sunflower seeds for our microgreens and how we tested soaking for eight hours, four hours, two hours, and no soak. Here, we will show you the results and what we learned from the test.
Results of the experiments
- Eight hours soak: Without a doubt, soaking the sunflower seeds for eight hours before sowing gave us the worst result in germination. It seems like the seeds drowned and couldn’t handle the underwater time.
- Four hours soak: Similar to the eight hours, four hours also had a horrible consequence on the germination rate of the seeds.
- Two hours soak: The two hours wasn’t as bad as the previous soaking times, but still, shallow germination rate.
- No soak: Without a doubt, not soaking the sunflower seeds provided the best germination rate. However, it was insufficient.
We contacted our seeds provider to see if there was something about the quality of the seeds and if they had similar experiences with that batch, but they replied by saying that they didn’t encounter any problems. They sent us a sample bag from another lot of sunflower seeds to make tests and see if they work better. We started the new test a couple of days ago, and we will see how they germinate by the end of the week.
Eliminating the mesh for peas
After growing pea microgreens multiple times on top of a plastic mesh, we have noticed that using a mesh is not necessary at all. The growing tray without a mesh should be enough to grow the peas. We wanted to be sure about our hypothesis, so we tested it.
So far, the peas are sprouting well, with even germination across the board and no pea staying behind. Nevertheless, we need to wait a few more days to know if it works.
Radish and Broccoli microgreen opening problems
Since we switched to using meshes to grow our microgreens instead of coconut coir, we have noticed that our Radish China Rose and Broccoli Calabrese are having a bit of a hard time during the growth phase. We mean that several leaves do not fully open like we expect them to do or like they would usually do.
We noticed that both Radish and Broccoli’s root structure also grows on top of the mesh. So we started spraying water on top of the tray. We haven’t been able to see if this works, but we should know in a couple of days.
Mizuna, Kohlrabi and Rocket microgreens thriving on mesh
Since we switched to using meshes to grow our microgreens, we have seen a substantial positive change in Red Mizuna, Purple Kohlrabi, and Rocket microgreens. These plants grow exceptionally well when we use the meshes, way better than coconut coir. It seems that the meshes favour the growth phase of these microgreen types, and now we are enjoying a more tasteful and beautiful harvest.
New racks!
We bought two Danish trolleys to increase our microgreens production in our grow room. The Danish trolleys are fantastic, they have wheels, are modular, and best of all, we bought them used! We will update our microgreens setup blog post soon talking about the advantages of these great racks.
Thank you for your time, and until next week!
