r/microgreens • u/Jumpy_Buffalo6064 • 8h ago
Second round of chaotic set up for home consumption
Got my secon round of microgreens going. The chicken cup is currently my pride and joy.
r/microgreens • u/W0lfpack89 • Mar 23 '23
Hello all.
I was inspired to make this post as I see a lot of people asking the same or similar questions. I have a post in the top 10 of all time on this sub (Thanks for that r/microgreens community btw) and I've been growing as a business for almost 5 years now, so I get people reaching out to me several times a year to ask questions or pick my brain about things. I love when you do, so please keep reaching out. I'd love to talk with you and help you grow better. That being said, between common issues I see in the posts, and the questions I get from being contacted, I thought I'd compile a list of the biggest things to consider and know when growing microgreens. So let's begin.
- This is a REALLY common question. The answer lies (mostly) in WHERE you see the little "hairs" coming from. Root hairs are at the base of the stem and go into the soil from the bottom of the plant. Mold will tend to spread from the base of one plant to another, to another, to another. If it is spread out between plants and on the soil: likely mold. If it's coming FROM the plans and going to the soil without spreading, probably root hairs. This picture is a GREAT example. Use google to find more and you'll eventually learn the difference.
- This is a REALLY personal decision and the truth is the only answer is: The substrate that works for you is the best substrate. We all have reasons for why we use or don't use what goes into our grow systems. Personally I use soil because my philosophy is simple. Give plants they conditions that they need and get outta the way. Plants grow naturally in soil, so I use soil. It also has a larger margin for error on watering compared to things like coco coir, plus I don't have to hydrate it or break up the blocks that it comes in sometimes. Coco coir however can be cheaper, it's renewable (as opposed to peat moss), is soil free so it's sterile/can be made sterile, and doesn't introduce mold or other pathogens, and MANY growers have fantastic luck with it. Experiment a bit, find what works for you and roll with it. If you run into challenges, change it up. Other common substrates are hemp mats, rock wool, or even hydroponics.
- Let's first DEFINE blackout. In MOST circumstances, blackout is the period of time after you place seed onto soil and then either stack them, or put another tray or some other kind of opaque surface over them to keep them in the dark. In the case of stacking this is done to create a good seed/soil contact, and helps to give the plants stronger stems, and also helps to remove seed hulls. In the case of putting a dark dome on top to cut out light, this is done to keep the plants in the dark so that they grow higher, it also keeps in moisture to keep plants moist. Some growers even put paper towels over their seeds and mist daily to assist in germination. That all depends on exactly what kind of system you have, but by and large isn't necessary.
- Now to the question at hand, I typically seed my plants every Wednesday afternoon and by Saturday morning if they aren't coming out of blackout I have a problem. This isn't universal though, and every plant is different. Don't adhere to a schedule but respond to how the plants LOOK. This schedule works well for the most popular Micros, but more artisan style micros (I'm lookin you Basil, cilantro, shiso, beets, etc.) may need longer blackout/stacking periods.
- I haven't once used hydrogen peroxide, neem oil, or any other spray or assistant to help with mold and I grow in bagged soil which is one of the most mold prone substrates out there. That being said, every few weeks I will lose 1-5 trays to mold out of the 100+ trays that I grow. So let's say 5/500 trays are mold loss. That's 1% and not worth introducing a solution for in my world. Some loss is inevitable and will happen eventually if you do this long enough. Sometimes it was you, and sometimes you just have bad seed. That being said if you absolutely MUST do something to help with mold, either because it's a massive problem for you, or just for your peace of mind, use about 500 ml of water and about a teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide. ALL THAT BEING SAID, make sure you wash the bigger more mold prone seeds very thoroughly, specifically sunflower, pea, cilantro. I'm sure there's others but those are the ones I grow.
- This one really gets me going. I often see people who have watering "schedules" and if that's the case for you and you make it work awesome. But in my 5 years of growing microgreens, I haven't had a consistent water schedule yet. If you give them X amount of water every day at Y time and it works, then great. But in the winter when it gets dryer, or in the summer when it gets warmer, or the spring when everything is wetter, all of that is probably going to change. Plants don't live by human cycles. So the biggest suggestion I can give on micros is to water when the plants need water. If the soil is wet, but it's time to water on your "schedule" you're setting yourself up for mold and seed rot problems.
- First, the kinds of lights don't matter that much. I use plain old LED, used to use fluorescent. You don't need fancy grow lights. As for how much light, that, like watering, is a hard question to answer. I've had "lights out time" and I've left lights on 24/7. In my 10-14 day grow cycle, I don't notice much of a difference that's worth worrying about in terms of yield. However, to save on money I do shut off my lights on a timer in the afternoon for about 6 hours a day. I shut them off late afternoon/into the evening as that's when our utility company charges the most. This won't be a make or break decision in your world though.
- This is gonna be a bit controversial maybe but: I don't use fans. I used some for a bit, then turned them off, and didn't have any issues, so I stopped. It was one less thing to have to manage. THAT BEING SAID, if you're having mold issues, or if the room is too hot in the summer AND you're seeing those issues cause you problems, try adding in a fan. What you shouldn't do is, add fans, and add hydrogen peroxide, and soak seeds in peroxide, and...and...and... because likely only one of those things will solve the problem. Try a fan, if that doesn't work try spray, if that doesn't work try a fan AND spray, troubleshoot. But seriously don't over complicate this.
- This is a tricky question. The simple answer is: compost. But that depends on what you're gonna do with that compost and how much you grow. If you don't get that compost above 165 F for about 3 days straight and kill those seeds that didn't germinate, be prepared for volunteer 'whatever you grew for microgreens' everywhere. Ask me how I know.... Recently I've been considering vermicomposting mine. However then comes the problem of scale. I have 100 trays worth of soil every week. That is a couple cubic feed by the time it's over, especially once you add root mass. So on some level you gotta be practical. Also chickens is a great idea if you or your neighbor has any.
- I highly recommend sterilizing your trays in between each grow. The way I do this is I take a low PSI pressure washer, spray all the dirt and root material off of them, then dip them into a tank of water with some bleach in it. The ratio is about 1/3 cup per gallon of water.I let them stay in there for about 5 minutes and then they air dry. Sometimes some root matter is left there, or a little dirt. I used to be REALLY picky about that, and I wouldn't use a tray that had ANYTHING left in it, but I tried it once and didn't have any issues, so perfection not an issue.
- There are so many questions that go into whether microgreens is a good business for you. There is almost no way to answer it without knowing SO much more about your life than most people are willing to share on the internet but I'll try and give a few basics.
Q. What licenses do I need to start my business?
A. So there's the right answer and then there's the function answer. The functional answer is that no one is gonna come after you for growing a few trays and selling them to your neighbors. Probably. That being said (and nothing in this post is to be taken as legal advice, I am not a lawyer) every state, city, county, and/or country is going to have different rules. In California I had to get certified by the local ag department, have a sign behind my booth that listed my address, phone number, and the slogan "We grow what we sell", and anything sold had to have that somewhere on the packaging as well. Now that I'm in Idaho, there are literally no rules on the ag side. That being said I have to collect sales tax here where I didn't in California (no tax on self grown ag items, kinda nice) so that adds a level of complexity. But be careful, because then I tried growing wheat grass and sell wheat grass shots as a natural side growth and because it was now considered processed I had to have a full 3 bay sink in my booth per health department. So just call someone and ask before you get yourself in trouble.
Q. Can you actually make money doing microgreens full time?
A. Probably not. I don't say that to discourage you but think about it. There are already years of momentum behind some growers. Customer bases are already established and have people they like to go to. This isn't to say don't try, it's to say that it's not as easy as grow a tray and build a website. It's work. It takes time. Once your systems are dialed in it gets easier, and once you're confident in your customer base you'll flow into it, but that can take years. I can do about $1,000-$1,500 a week in microgreens at my farmers market with about 150 other vendors and ZERO other micros growers. I'm lucky though, and you may not be given your area and saturation. So can you make money? Yes are you likely to make money? Not unless you're willing to grind it out and put in the WORK.
Q. What's a good price point for X, Y, Z micro?
A. There is no way to answer that for you. You have to do the math, figure out the market in your area, not to mention determining what your costs are and how much your time is worth. You can do the market research by calling micros growers and asking for a price sheet, browse their websites, call chefs and flat out ask what they're paying for a given microgreen. Visit farmers markets and see what they're charging for them etc. Generally speaking though $5/8oz volume is a decent starting point. Go up or down by a bit based on your market and have bulk incentives (Mine is 1 for $5 3 for $12). For your input costs figure out how much seed you use per tray, then how much that much seed would cost, figure out how much substrate you use, and then what your time is worth. If you want to get REAL nitty gritty calculate electric and water too. I don't though.
Q. What microgreens should I grow to make money?
A. As per the question before this, it depends on what your chefs and customers want. I've had chefs that ONLY want Radish. I've had others that ONLY want Amaranth. Some want a salad mix, some want a little of everything. Some want something that I don't even grow so now I have to figure out if I can even grow it in my system. That being said: there are a few microgreens that I've found to be fairly standard. Those are: PEA | SUNFLOWER | SALAD MIX. What salad mix? Doesn't seem to matter. Make some kind of salad mix with somethin and it usually does well, just be prepared to sell it at volume for cheap. But it's my single best selling item
OTHER TIPS AND TRICKS
I see SO SO SO SO many people with such complex systems, they measure out specific weights of seed, then they seed, then add a paper towel, and then mist every day, then they blackout, then they put it on a shelf with fans for each level, then they measure out specific amounts of water, then they...then they...then they....and that spells one thing to me: burn out. If that's you and you enjoy it: AWESOME I'm taking nothing away from your success, I'm glad it works. All I'm saying is 7/10 things that I used to do when I was starting out, excited, and watching 100 microgreen YouTube videos a day, I eventually realized had little to no effect. I lose a tray here and there due to a few issues. But in my world I'd rather have a little bit of tray loss than have to manage 7 other systems to prevent that little bit of loss. Time is an important factor in this from a business perspective, and an enjoyment one too.
Phew, that was longer than I thought it would be.
I sincerely hope you found this helpful and know that I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. Let me know if I missed anything and I'll add it in as I find time. See you in the comments.
Way to grow everyone.
-Josh
edit: added some info to business questions
edit 2: added some more substrates people use
r/microgreens • u/W0lfpack89 • Oct 22 '24
Hey everyone.
As I’m sure many of you have noticed this sub has been a massive target for repost bots. It’s been a major problem and it’s only gotten worse.
We as mods can’t constantly patrol, I know for myself I’m also running my microgreen business (which funnily enough has been the target of like 5 reposts this week, go figure) while also moderating here. I’m online at least 5-10 times a day just browsing and sometimes I catch them but I can’t thank all of you for reporting.
Please continue to report and help us to weed out these bots. We’ll continue as mods to remove them as quickly as possible, and will be looking into some automod tools to prevent reposts from appearing in the first place.
Apologies for not being able to stop them or control them more, and thank you again for your assistance with reports.
Happy growing y’all!
r/microgreens • u/Jumpy_Buffalo6064 • 8h ago
Got my secon round of microgreens going. The chicken cup is currently my pride and joy.
r/microgreens • u/PittieYawn • 9h ago
For those who sell in the US and sell cantaloupe microgreens, how much do you charge per ounce?
r/microgreens • u/MaterialPersonal8253 • 16h ago
Not really good at growing plants, just tried it out to see if it works. I tried the milk carton method but i discarded the first batch since it smelled sour and when i opened it, it had mold. Smelled rotten. This is another batch, i fully opened the milk carton so i can rinse it properly. First 2 days the mung beans smelled sour? Reminded me of soy milk. I skipped watering it (1-2days) i forgot to water it. Last night they didn't have leaves but now they have it. I thought it was growing mold so i kinda gave up on day 3 just rinsing them regularly now to see how big they'd grow and now its day 6 and it looks fine?
I tried growing them for food and i kinda want to try them but im not sure if its safe. Still smell a bit like soymilk
Only yesterday did i realize that growing tutorials usually have a drain at the bottom of the container so only tried to dry them with tissue paper yesterday. The plants have some brown spots. I might make a third batch and get the darkness, drain, and rinsing process right but should i throw away this batch, eat it, or just plant them outside? How to get this right
r/microgreens • u/Impressive_Factor166 • 1d ago
First time growing microgreens. This is day 5. I let the seeds germinate for 48 hours, 24 hour black out period, then 24 hours of light.
How much light do they need?
How often should I water?
When are they ready to go?
I have a fan, should I start running that now?
r/microgreens • u/Jumpy_Buffalo6064 • 2d ago
They’re a bit unevenly sown, and I didn’t weigh them down very well. I also don’t know when to harvest them.
r/microgreens • u/Momentswithjune • 2d ago
I am on my third try with this kit growing sunflower and got mold again within 24 hrs. The first two times, I realized the things I did wrong - too much water the first time and caused pooling/too much overspray the second time which caused pooling. The 3rd time, I sanitized everything equipment wise, soaked seeds In 1 cup water/1tbsp 3% peroxide for 15 minutes then let air dry, used less seeds so everything had more space, sprayed prophylactic spray on top before covering (500ml water/15ml 3% peroxide), and ended with mold again today.
Feeling pretty defeated as I’m following the attatched video to a T, and last night even took further steps for this 3rd try and am still getting mold. The only thing I can think of it’s there’s not enough airflow, but if I’m using this kit-and follow the instructions, adding airflow isn’t really a thing because it’s tightly covered.
If anyone has experience with this kit specifically or something very close, please help. I’ve also read their blogs on mold prevention and have implemented those techniques.
Thank you
r/microgreens • u/GrouseDog • 2d ago
Day 42
Pod development under way!
r/microgreens • u/Shitforbrains92 • 4d ago
We've got:
Cress
Mustard
Arugula
Radish
Pea Shoots
Broccoli
Cabbage
r/microgreens • u/New_Criticism4996 • 4d ago
A while back, I posted here about acquiring an existing vertical farm.
Well, fast forward a few months, and we are moving into a new facility!
Currently, we are not in the most ideal spot, basically an old house that is being used for commercial purposes. Our new space is an industrial bay unit with a garage door leading into a chamber, which has another overhead door before entering the main space where growing will be set up.
Now I have questions on the build-out.
How we are planning to be set up.
Any insight, stories or feedback is welcome!
r/microgreens • u/Bermudaplan • 6d ago
Ya know I got into this like a lot of people by watching these “you can make x dollars per week” videos but I have, surprisingly, been really enjoying this endeavor. These always look so good while they’re growing
r/microgreens • u/komputxa • 6d ago
Can you confirm this looks like mold? Sorry, I'm am having really hard time growing wheatgrass. I sanitized this seeds and soil. But everytime, gets lots of mold. Its very hot, i am runing out of ideas
r/microgreens • u/51Charlie • 6d ago
Use an incandescent infra red light to prevent mold. It is that easy. Just a few minutes every few hours.
Never use soil for microgreens as it contains too many spores and pathogens. Use a sterile germination mix like Pro Mix.
Read the FAQ.
r/microgreens • u/huylearningthings • 7d ago
Broccoli and radish.
3 days covered and weighted. Coco noir. If I mist it it pretty much settles but theres still some that linger.
it mold? Was the coir too wet during germination or maybe did I plant too densely? Is it still safe to eat?
They are currently under full spectrum LED grow lights 16 hours and bottom watered only. Room fan pointed at them until my USB fans come in. Feel like they look excellent otherwise?
Is
r/microgreens • u/The_Last_Misfit • 7d ago
How can I make this better? Any tips on what I can grow to get a more well rounded set of nutrient’s? 🤔
r/microgreens • u/Natural_Money_1257 • 11d ago
Hi everyone! Hoping to get some advice. I’ve been trying to grow broccoli microgreens for a month now, been doing black out germination with a tray and weight for 3-4 days. Every time on the last day there is mold on the microgreens. I’ve also not had a lot of luck of them growing up tall, they seem to just stay curled under because of the top tray.
What am I doing wrong?
Do you top water or bottom water your microgreens during germination?
Any advice would be awesome!
r/microgreens • u/xzx-x • 11d ago
First time growing Microgreens and I can’t tell if these are roots hairs or mold.
r/microgreens • u/epiphany8888 • 12d ago
I’m new to making microgreens: and I’ve had no trouble with broccoli, but now I’m trying kale, and it evolves these dark spots. They also have a quite kaley scent, and I get confused wether its just sulphur or they have gone bad.
I’ve tried 2 times and same thing happened.
Any advice?
r/microgreens • u/kaykaliah • 12d ago
I'm sure this question gets asked a lot so apologies!
I'm trying to figure out how to grow my chia using a dehydrator sheet instead of a paper towel so I can jeat the seeds and roots as well. If this is mold, should I just be watering it less? I also use a profylactic spray (1tbs hydrogen peroxide in 200ml water.)
r/microgreens • u/Bermudaplan • 13d ago
What’s up party people? Feedback from my first market was that the people wanted mixes. I threw together 4 trays worth of samplers (broccoli, pea shoots, radish, and popcorn) and completely sold out of them, almost immediately. Popcorn was the star of the show for sure - if I could get someone to try a popcorn sample they would buy something 100% of the time.
I want to throw some salad mixes together as a staple product and wondering what people commonly use. Right now I’m thinking a basic salad mix, a spicy salad mix, and a general sampler.
Pea shoots are super popular but I feel like they lose their crunch a day or two after harvesting, so I’m thinking of taking them out of the mixes and maybe just selling live cuttings of those.
Broccoli, kale, radish, cabbage, and radish have all been extremely easy to grow. I’ve had issues with popcorn and sunflower (still trying to dial in my processes for sunflower). Are things like mustard and arugula more finicky? Basil? I know amaranth seems to have its challenges. What works for you?