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.
Mould problems
What I never thought would happen ended up happening. Our farm got a significant mould problem, and it is difficult to pinpoint where the problem originated. We have made so many changes lately that we cannot individuate the root of the problem. Nevertheless, we believe it all started because of the reusable meshes that were drying in our growing area.
A few weeks ago, we talked about how we switched to reusable meshes to become organic. Then, a few weeks after, we talked about how we found a system to remove the leftover microgreens from the mesh by letting the meshes dry. It all seemed to be okay. However, we noticed how the meshes formed mould on the dead matter while drying up.
Of course, the mould had the perfect conditions, dead matter, humidity, and an ideal temperature to thrive. It was a disaster for us. Mould was all over our growing room.
Cleaning the meshes right after harvesting
We figured that drying the dead matter on the meshes for days was a bad idea and probably the reason for our mould problems.
The solution was simple. We need to clean the meshes almost immediately after harvesting. Yes, it adds to the tasks we need to do when harvesting, but it is worth the trouble because, in that way, we don’t need to risk all of our crops over laziness.
Now, we do not have dead matter in our growing room, not even for a couple of hours.
Using H2O2 to disinfect the growing room
Since we had mould problems in several trays, it came in handy to have H2O2 and disinfect everything in our growing room. We were already constantly using H2O2 to disinfect everything in our grow room. However, I became obsessed with cleaning, and I didn’t miss a spot.
Slowly but surely, our growing room started getting rid of the mould altogether, and our problems are almost behind us. We need to maintain the rhythm, and everything should be fine.
A new ventilator
To help the airflow in the room, we decided to invest in a large ventilator that could help with the airflow. We can feel that the air is fresher in the grow room because of the ventilator, and mould doesn’t like that. Having small ventilators on each shelf can be helpful, but a big ventilator is a better option for a larger scale operation.
One tray to grow peas
A few weeks ago, we talked about not using a growing tray to grow our peas, and although the process was easy, we found that watering the peas was complicated and decided to use a growing tray again.
We challenged our difficulties and decided to give it another try to grow pea microgreens with only the reservoir tray. Instead of using the water hose to water the microgreens, we used a container to water them, which was the end of our problems.
The main advantage of growing pea microgreens without a growing tray is that when we harvest them, we are left with a beautiful carpet of roots that flipping the tray is enough to get rid of it. No more hassle cleaning up meshes or trays. Best of all? The microgreens grow perfectly well and are healthy!
Thank you for your time, and until next week!
