Are your microgreens ready to be harvested?
When Do I Harvest?
If they are, don't keep them growing in your trays. It is important to know when to harvest your microgreens. Keeping them growing well after their ideal harvest period will only reduce their flavour and even taste fibrous. Microgreens should be eaten raw so harvesting them at the right time is important, not only for their flavour but also to ensure that you get the right amount of nutrients with each growth.
In Singapore, most microgreens grow quite quickly - within 5-10 days - after the germination period. This is especially true of seeds like Arugula/Rocket, Pak Choi, Kale, Broccoli, Radish, Sunflower, Mustard, Cabbage, Turnip, and Cress. In our hot and often humid climate, microgreens grow a lot faster.
How Do I Harvest?
For the home grower, the easiest way to harvest your microgreens is to use a pair of sharp scissors. Make sure they are washed because you don't want any contamination on your crop.
To harvest, simply grab a small bunch with your hand and snip off about half an inch to an inch above the medium. If you are using a soil medium, make sure you inspect the undersides of the stems for any clinging soil. Don't rinse your harvest, unless you must wash off any clinging soil.
There is no best time to harvest microgreens, in my opinion. I harvest my microgreens whenever I need them but I do ensure that they are dry. In other words, if I know I need to harvest my microgreens in the evening, I'll make sure I only water them in the morning so they are dry by the time I harvest them in the evening.
Where Do I Store Microgreens?
If you are planning to only serve your microgreens later, refrigerate them in an airtight container. Always store them dry. If your microgreens are wet, lay them out on a dry kitchen towel and place them under a fan to dry them before storing them in the fridge. If stored wet, the moisture in the microgreens will cause it to rot. Stored correctly, your microgreens will last for at least a week in the refrigerator.
Hi Jennifer, when using a felt medium to grow your microgreens, you can use any tray with no drainage holes. Just place your felt into it and soak the material in water to keep it moist.
The 5″ × 5″ trays that we sell (8 sets) come with drainage holes so they are not ideal to use with felt.
On your question about the smell, it sounds like you may have left too much water on your felt during the germination process. Another reason could be the seeds themselves. It would be good if you could include an image so we can access why it went wrong.
Hi! I’m residing in Penang. I would like to enquire on the sprouting tray for non soil. Do you sell any or the 8 sets of black tray that you sell, can I use them with felt. I’m using BioStrate felt for the microgreens. I watched the video that you shared on growing with hemp. I did it with felt on Broccoli sprouts, after the third day of germination, there’s some odor smell of fermentation of the seeds. Is that normal? Thanks!