You may have some Questions
Hidden first item
What needs doing when they arrive?
If not opening the box straight away the most important thing is to keep the box facing the right way up, if left upside down for a few days the roots can start growing above the seeds which you don’t want. Ideally tear off the lid so the greens get some air which will keep them healthy. The seeds have a cover over the top of them, this wants to stay on top for a more days to help them germinate and deprive them of light. You can spray over the seeds with water but it’s not essential if the seed cover is on them. From that point onwards they just need watering every few days before cropping a week or two later.
The seeds look white and fluffy when I open the box?
How tall should they grow?
As the seed density is so high they need more space to grow bigger so the trays usually grow to around 3-4 inches but some plants will be more or less than this. The greens want cutting when they’ve got their first set or the start of their second set of leaves.
Why grow microgreens?
Microgreens lose their vigour and nutrients very quickly after being cropped so cropping them straight to the plate gets them in prime form. For home growing, they make a productive crop as you can grow one after the other all year-round and are one of the few crops that can grow indoors without needing additional resources such as lighting. They fit well in the kitchen, needing little space and are an ingredient that’s versatile enough to go with many types of meals so when using a small amount as a garnish it’s useful to have them close to hand. The alternative is to buy them, normally once cut but we think it’s useful to have a variety on offer to choose from depending on what’s cooking. The microgreens available in shops are usually limited and generally retail around £60/kilo, around 6 times more expensive than a say a chilli.
What sort of space do I need?
The box can go anywhere really, windowsill or counter-top probably somewhere in the kitchen is where you’ll want it. You don’t need to rig up any lighting so you can move the box around, and it will grow wherever it’s left. Just watch out for sunny windows in the summer they won’t like that.
When do I cut them?
Cut them near the base of the stem, usually around 10 days or a little later when they start growing there second set of leaves. They get more flavour as they get bigger but they need healthy roots to reach this and can soon start to struggle with the space that they have
How do the seasons affect them?
In winter they can be a bit slower with lower room temps. If your house temperature is on the lower end, you can promote germination by moving your grow tray to a warmer location in the house. This could mean moving the grow tray away from a windowsill if there is a cold draft, or moving them nearer to a heat source. In the same respect if light levels are low they could benefit from being near a light source. As they are seedlings they want to be protected from too much sun which can on a sunny day ruin the whole crop.
Are they organic?
Yes apart from the seeds, which some are and some aren’t.
What makes microgreens so pricey?
It is mostly because of their shelf life, as a tiny seedling you can imagine how fast they wilt in comparison to a salad green. Distance to the plate is key so they often grow within cities, where space comes at a premium. From a farmers perspective they require the same if not more handling than say a regular herb, a lot more seed and a much smaller yield, the growing process is also not as automated, they’re usually hand sown, the seeds need more cleaning and need pathogenic testing and once grown they are hand cut. They then need careful handling and need to be sold within a few days. The demand for them is still small and the price prohibits its uptake. Our process of doing them as a seed flats cuts out the need for a supermarket or expensive delivery, making it more cost effective.
Is the grow box recyclable?
Yes. The trays are a clear plastic, recycled by all councils across the UK. The seed covers are compostable and recyclable.
The packaging is intentionally minimal, doubling as the grow tray itself.
Do they all grow the same?
How do deliveries work?
The monthly cut-off is the 27th of the month. Delivery is in te first week of the month.