Planting Trays: these can be anything from recycled mushroom containers to 10x20" planting trays you can buy from a gardening supply store. We found these types of Seed Sprouter Trays to be the best size for our personal needs. Ideally, you'll need 3 trays. One to nest a tray with holes into another tray without holes to grow micros properly. Then you'll also need a third tray without holes to use for black-out and an even weight distribution when germinating the seeds.

Weights: Pea Shoot, Sunflower and Radish seeds need to be weighed down for a period of time before sprouting to ensure their root systems. Look for a cement paver like this for 10x20 flats, or a smaller one for the half-sized Seed Sprouter Trays mentioned above.

Soil: we use coco coir because it's compact, clean, holds in moisture and tends to have less problems with mold, weeds and pests. However, there's nothing wrong with using a good quality potting soil like the kind you can buy just about anywhere.

Seeds: the seeds we like to use come from True Leaf Market because they're non-GMO and a great quality. You can find just about any microgreen seed you're looking for and the germination rate is superior to other brands we've tried. The best (easiest) ones to start with are Peas, Radishes, and Brassicas like Broccoli.

Light: if you don't have a sunny window, you can use a grow light installed underneath a cupboard or on a grow-rack. You'll need 2200lm, 6500K (Super Bright White), 20W LED lights like is found here. These are great because they don't produce heat, are energy efficient, and the plants really respond well to them.

Watering: a spray bottle like this one is very handy for misting your micros. Make sure to get one that has a metal tip and not a plastic one. It will last longer and give you a better spray overall. You can use a regular spray bottle too, if you don't mind squeezing the trigger - we got sick of it!

Scale: this is an optional item, but is very handy for consistency in measuring the amount of seeds to plant. Any digital food scale that is able to read both ounces and grams will work.

Thermometer: this is not necessary to start growing, but if you have problems, it could be due to your room being either too cold or too hot, or too much/not enough humidity in the air. A device like this digital thermometer gauge will help you determine your environment.

Air circulation: plants NEED circulated air to grow properly and prevent mold growth. You can try to grow micros without it, but if you have mold issues, lack of air circulation is usually to blame. If you have a ceiling fan or an oscillating fan, you can use that. We prefer using these small computer fans - they can be placed just above the plants, they use less electricity and are pretty quiet.

YOU'RE SET AND READY FOR STEP #2!

Amount to plant: this greatly depends on the type of microgreen you grow, and what size of container you're growing them in. Generally, the smaller the seed, the less (by weight) you'll need. For instance, we have found that about 15 grams of very small seeds, like radishes, broccoli, kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, and other brassicas is perfect for planting in Seed Sprouter Trays like the ones in this link. Double that amount for the 10x20" growing trays. Larger seeds like sunflowers will take about 30 grams to fill the Sprouter Trays, and peas will take up to 80 grams. A basic rule-of-thumb would be to do a test trial. Try sprinkling the seeds into a clean dry tray until they're evenly distributed, and then gather them up and either measuring them by spoonful or weight for future reference. Please note that you do not want to overcrowd the seeds, because this will make them more susceptible to mold and may inhibit their potential for growth. You also don't want to spread them to sparsely because then they will be spindly and fall over.

Soak First or Direct Planting? In our opinion, larger seeds like sunflowers and peas need to be rinsed and soaked for a period of time before sprouting to ensure germination. Rinsing for 1-2 minutes helps remove any harmful tannins from the outer layer of the shells and allows the seeds to prepare for germination.

• Peas - Soak peas in cool water in a colander nested in a larger bowl for around 12 hours, or until doubled in size and tender. You can plant them directly, but we prefer to allow them to germinate inside the colander first by covering them in a cool wet cloth (like a dish towel) for another 12-24 hours. Note that this will stain the cloth a bit, so use one you don't care about. After they've started to germinate (the roots start showing), gently rinse with cool water and plant them into your growing medium.

• Sunflowers - use the same process as for the peas, but soak only 4-6 hours, and before planting, lightly spray with straight hydrogen peroxide to inhibit mold growth.

Smaller seeds, like radishes and other brassicas, can be planted directly into the moist soil from the package. Radishes will need a weight on top of them while they germinate, while broccoli and others can go directly into the blackout stage (addressed below).

Medium (Soil): whether using coco coir or potting soil as a growing medium, you'll need about an inch depth spread evenly in your tray for planting. It's best to use medium that is already moist, but not wet, as it tends to expand after moisture has been added to it. Keep the soil light and fluffy until the seeds are placed, then gently tamp down the seeds into the soil with a flat bottomed baking pan or piece of wood to compact the medium and keep the seeds in place.

Germination, Weights & Blackout: this one of the most fascinating stages in a plant's life cycle! You will get to witness the miracle of vitality and growth as your seeds expand and roots break free to find nourishment to grow. When this happens, you will need to ensure these roots can find what they need by doing two simple things.

• Blackout - Generally, microgreen seeds are planted by sprinkling them on top of the soil and then gently pressing them into it so they won't accidently roll around while trying to grow. Most seeds NEED a period of darkness to be able to grow properly, so since these seeds are basically exposed, you will need to create this darkness. If your seeds need weight on them (we'll talk about this in the next section), that will create the darkness for a few days. If not, simply invert a planting tray (if it's dark and opaque enough) or cover the tray with a cardboard box to block out any light. Generally, this is done for a just a few days, or until the plants are reaching up to find light, and you see a few roots coming through the bottom of the inner tray*. Then they are ready for the light!

• Extra Weight - Pea shoots, Sunflowers and Radishes will all need a period of extra weight on top of them to drive their roots down into the bottom of the planting tray. It will also create some darkness (if the tray is opaque so light can't get through). This is done by placing an extra planting tray directly on top of the seeds and then placing a heavy brick or stone to weigh down the tray and prevent the seedlings from moving the tray. Do this for a few days, or until the seedlings are firmly rooted and tiny plants are trying to push upward. Then, remove the weight, invert the tray, and continue to blackout the plants for a day or two until they are straightened and reaching upward for the light. *Be mindful to add moisture to the exposed roots during these stage so they won't dry out!

Watering: water is vitally important throughout the entire process of growing microgreens. Too much can cause mold and mildew to set in and ruin your crop. Too little can dry out the roots and prevent the plants from gaining nutrition, stressing them out and affecting your harvest. Basically you want your growing medium (coco coir or potting soil) to be moist when planting, but not saturated. After planting, mist the seeds just enough to start the germination process. Check every 12 hours and spray mist (or a little water) as needed. Until the roots are exposed through the bottom holes of the nested tray, misting is really all that is needed. After that, generously spray the bottom of the solid tray until the blackout period is complete, then begin to water ONLY from the bottom tray - no need to continue to mist the top of the plants after introducing them to the light.

Light: Once introduced to light, you'll see a drastic change of color in as little as one day! Ideally, bottom watering and light/dark in 12 hour increments is all they'll need to thrive. Realistically, if growing in a sunny window, they may not get exactly 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark, but they'll still grow okay for home use. Just remember to rotate your trays so the light is evenly distributed. Timers like these are a great purchase if you're using artificial light (one less thing to do, right?). The lights turning on and off can also serve as a reminder to check them for water too!

Temperature/Humidity: we have found that microgreens thrive best in 70-80 degree temperatures, and humidity that ranges from 40-55%. This makes them very easy to grow indoors because it's an environment that is fairly easy to control. Using a digital thermometer gauge is helpful to have if you experience problems germinating or growing your microgreens, and need to adjust your environment. If you're growing them near your kitchen, humidity is usually not a problem (living in Utah) if you boil or run hot water where steam is present. It's also probably one of the warmest rooms in your house due to cooking and using the dishwasher.

Fertilizer: this is a totally optional step. Everything a plant needs to grow properly is already stored inside of the seed, and it is harvested so soon after sprouting there isn't really a need for additives. However, if you'd like to add trace minerals or get a deeper green color or whatever, you can experiment with hydroponic solutions that will do this for you. However, only add this AFTER the bottom watering phase of growing starts, and realize if you add chemical fertilizers, you are not growing organically. Ocean Magic is a good organic solution to use if you are looking for a good one that is organic, MaxiGro is an excellent one as well, but unfortunately, not organic.

Throubleshooting: There are very few concerns with growing microgreens, but we'd say the most common one is mold growing in the trays (particularly with sunflower seeds in our experience). Prevention is key, so make sure you use CLEAN and SANATIZED trays and plant seeds in NEW medium each time (do not recycle). You can sanitize the trays after cleaning them by spraying them with food-grade hydrogen peroxide. Cinnamon powder and food-grade hydrogen peroxide solution (1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide per 1 pint of water in a spray bottle) are extremely helpful in preventing and treating mold when necessary. Removing the affected seedlings is also recommended to prevent spreading. If you are doing these things and the mold growth is still bad and seems to be coming from the seeds themselves and not the soil, please contact the place you purchased them from and get their advice. They monitor each lot of seeds they sell, and might need to replace them if other customers have had the same issues.

YOU'RE READY TO GO TO STEP #3! (Coming Soon)