Grow Healthy Food Fast! Easy Greens You Can Grow Indoors.

Sprouts can be grown in as soon as 3 days!

That means you can start them on Wednesday and be adding them to your sandwich by Saturday.

Supplies:

All you need is a glass jar, cheesecloth (or in a pinch a paper towel), sprouting seeds and water.

It's important to use organic seeds for sprouting to ensure they have not be treated with any preservatives.

Sprouts are eaten whole, root and shoot where as we only eat the shoots of Microgreens (more on that below).

Get Started!

Using a clean mason jar, add about a tablespoon of seeds and water to cover. Then place a piece of cheesecloth over the opening securing with an elastic band.

Allow seeds to soak according to the recommended time for each variety.

After seeds have soaked for a few hours, drain and add fresh water to rinse. Simply swirl the jar for a few seconds and drain again.

You'll want to be sure your seeds are not sitting in any water that may get left behind as this can lead to rot. Just prop it on an angle in the sink to drain for a few more minutes before placing it on a flat spot on your countertop.

This process of rinsing and draining should be done a minimum of 2 times a day but up to 4 is ideal.

Depending on the seeds, sprouts will develop within 2-4 days and will be ready to eat in 3 to 6 days. Sprouts do not require sunlight to grow, but a bright area is better than a dark one.

Mung bean sprouts (the kind used for Asian inspired cooking) prefer very little light since they can get bitter if they are grown in a too bright location.

Simply give the sprouts a good rinse, swirl and drain before adding to your meal.

Microgreens take a little longer to grow but they are totally worth the wait! Pea and sunflower greens have delicious earthy flavors while radish and mustard greens have a zesty kick perfect for dressing salads or grilled meats.

You will need a small container (recycle a take-out tray for this!), a little soil and organic seeds intended for growing as Microgreens.

Simply sprinkle your seeds over the soil and press in lightly to ensure good contact. Mist often when they are first developing switching to watering once the first leaves emerge.

The first two new baby leaves are known as cotyledons. These leaves are so full of nutrients that they fuel the rest of the plant to grow roots and the next set of leaves which are known as the 'true leaves'.

Only the shoots are eaten for Microgreens that are grown in soil. All that is needed is a pair of sharp snips to lop off the tops of the plants near the soil line leaving the roots behind.

No need to waste the soil block! Just mix it up with your fingers removing bits of roots and reseed it again for another batch!

Microgreens take anywhere from 14 to 20 days to grow to harvest stage.

In my book Countertop Gardens , I share some of my favorite home growing devices, DIY projects, and the best veggies for growing indoors.

NO GREENTHUMB REQUIRED!

This book was written to make growing fresh edible greens easy. It's perfect for:

• Indoor growing in small spaces
• New and seasoned gardeners
• Growing green food FAST
• Using limited supplies

For more information, visit the link to learn more:

https://www.sowanddipity.com/countertop-gardens/

Happy Growing!