There could be a few reasons. If you cover the seeds too deeply then that can have an impact. So can having the temperature too low. Third would seed quality. And the last would be seed amount.
So let's say you are planting in a standard planting tray with drainage holes. You would fill it about 1/2-2/3 with a good seed starting mix. Then sprinkle your seeds over it. A spice shaker works great for this.
Tiny seeds like arugula and basil would be 1 tsp. Put that in your shaker and spread evenly. Broccoli and most brassicas would be 1 Tbsp (kale, cabbage, mustards), but radish would be more like 2 Tbsp to get a carpet effect. You would cover any of these with just a light coat of soil.
Big seeds need more of everything. The deeper soil in the tray to start. Beets and buckwheat would be about 1/2 cup of seed for the whole tray. Peas, wheatgrass and sunflowers would need 1 cup. These last three should be pre-soaked in water for 8-12 hours before planting to make germination more consistent. All the bigger seeds need to be covered more deeply - by at least as much soil as the seeds are big.
For temperature, seed heating mats are awesome and I use these under trays and starting pots all the time.
Do you do sprouting too? I prefer it as there’s less mess (my cat would 100% sit itself on a tray of microgreens!). I guess the health benefits must be pretty much the same?!
Hi Rebecca. I prefer to sprout Mung Beans in sprouting trays. They go so fast and there is no point having any dirt or base materials involved. Nutrient wise they are relatively similar. Microgreens tend to grow a bit longer under lights so they have the opportunity to get bigger than most sprouts will in a jar or tray.
I have much less spoilage and stress worrying over spoilage using microgreens. With sprouting you have to be on top of the watering and draining. With microgreens you've got a much longer window of when you have to water. And the only rinsing needed is the one after you harvest right before you eat. I guess I ended up with too many soggy messes sprouting.
The bottom line is both sprouting and microgreens gives you access to a clean green food supply. And that is golden.
Why are mine always so sparse? Is it the obvious and I ned to seed more heavily or will growing them in natural light also help?
There could be a few reasons. If you cover the seeds too deeply then that can have an impact. So can having the temperature too low. Third would seed quality. And the last would be seed amount.
So let's say you are planting in a standard planting tray with drainage holes. You would fill it about 1/2-2/3 with a good seed starting mix. Then sprinkle your seeds over it. A spice shaker works great for this.
Tiny seeds like arugula and basil would be 1 tsp. Put that in your shaker and spread evenly. Broccoli and most brassicas would be 1 Tbsp (kale, cabbage, mustards), but radish would be more like 2 Tbsp to get a carpet effect. You would cover any of these with just a light coat of soil.
Big seeds need more of everything. The deeper soil in the tray to start. Beets and buckwheat would be about 1/2 cup of seed for the whole tray. Peas, wheatgrass and sunflowers would need 1 cup. These last three should be pre-soaked in water for 8-12 hours before planting to make germination more consistent. All the bigger seeds need to be covered more deeply - by at least as much soil as the seeds are big.
For temperature, seed heating mats are awesome and I use these under trays and starting pots all the time.
And lastly if seed quality is the issue, you can determine that through a germination test. I talk about how to do those in this post https://suesenger.substack.com/p/seed-germination-tests?r=2a4z6u
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Ah I had nothing like that seed density. I was still really happy with the result but know now what to try next. Thanks!
I love microgreens. Such a great way to get fresh greens in the winter.
I totally agree. They offer so much fresh variety when most other veggies are coming from storage.
Thank you!
You are so welcome Tina.
Do you do sprouting too? I prefer it as there’s less mess (my cat would 100% sit itself on a tray of microgreens!). I guess the health benefits must be pretty much the same?!
Hi Rebecca. I prefer to sprout Mung Beans in sprouting trays. They go so fast and there is no point having any dirt or base materials involved. Nutrient wise they are relatively similar. Microgreens tend to grow a bit longer under lights so they have the opportunity to get bigger than most sprouts will in a jar or tray.
I have much less spoilage and stress worrying over spoilage using microgreens. With sprouting you have to be on top of the watering and draining. With microgreens you've got a much longer window of when you have to water. And the only rinsing needed is the one after you harvest right before you eat. I guess I ended up with too many soggy messes sprouting.
The bottom line is both sprouting and microgreens gives you access to a clean green food supply. And that is golden.
This is awesome, thank you! I want to enhance my own garden next spring/summer, so I’ll save this and subscribe!
Thank you Jana!