Microgreens. (Pt.1)

We have harsh long winters where I live. Dark, long, cold. I always start the winter loving the coziness of soups and stews and warm drinks and being inside while winter rages out there. But after a few months of that I start to really feel the darkness. And that is usually when I crave crave crave greens. Fresh, crisp, green. GREEN!  We have been growing herbs and microgreens in winter for years - and have been pretty happy with our setup. This year, however, we decided to up it a notch and try hydroponics. We have a simple two tray ebb and flow system which we setup right in our dining room. It keeps the bright fresh greens close at hand, and allows the boys to help and participate since it isn't tucked away in a forgotten corner or basement. I.LOVE.IT. We have grown more lettuces, cress, greens, and microgreens than ever. I use one tray for microgreens and every 7-10 days I have an entire tray to cut. An entire tray to cut! It is satisfying to cut whole tray of peppery flavorful crisp bright greens when the snow is deep and the wind is howling. 

 
The second tray we rotate for baby greens. Peashoots, arugula, cress, head lettuce, mesclun, etc. We harvest that tray every 15-30 days or so, depending on what we are growing.  So from a small two tray system in our dining room we have had fresh greens all winter. With no soil.  I like it so much we are considering expanding to a larger system in our basement next winter to grow more mature culinary herbs and vegetables - although the fast seed to harvest time of microgreens and baby greens really can't be beat.

This winter we have grown everything, it seems. Mixed microgreens with radish, broccoli, cabbage, fennel, dill, mustard, fenugreek, beet, onion, kale, chard, amaranth, and more! We have harvested multiple trays of peashoots. And the baby greens! Arugula. Wrinkly crinkly cress. Dwarf pak choy. Sorrel. Shungiku. Mizuna. YUM.

I have an excellent helper too, who loves choosing which seeds to start for microgreens, checking on our water levels and changing water, and especially cutting (his favorite part is cutting).  I think both boys enjoy seeing how quickly everything grows and choosing what to grow next.

I love having fresh greens all winter.  And now as hints of spring will slowly (every so slowly!) start to appear, I need the boost. I dream of salads and vegetables and herbs, but my garden won't be producing any of that for a long while still. So even though we are starting trays of seeds to plant outside, we have this more instant reward. We can see the green, we can watch the progress, we can pick and nibble whenever we like. It is so good.