When added to salads, sandwiches, soups, a variety of dishes including stir-fry, pizza, and pasta, microgreens bring so much flavour. And what makes them extra special is how easy they are to grow! In short, microgreens are the seedlings that are cut just after leaves have begun to develop. Different to baby greens – microgreens can be consumed once leaves have sprouted, rather than waiting for the plant to mature. Microgreens come from a variety of plants, including herbs and vegetables. Both the leaves and the stems are edible.
As said, microgreens can come from an extensive array of plants, some of the most commonly used ones are radish, spinach, rocket, mustard, and basil. At CoirProducts, as part of our new Grow With Coir seed range, we have some amazing microgreen seeds to offer, including broccoli, chinese cabbage, and onion.
Microgreens all have the same method of growing, and can easily be grown by anyone, whether you are an experienced gardener or not. Microgreens are best grown on window sills, indoors, and can be grown all year round. These tiny plants are usually ready just a few days after germinating, and have the flavour of a fully grown plant. There are multiple ways in which you can use coir to grow your microgreens, here is how to grow them with a range of biodegradable coir-based products:
1. If you already have your own seed trays, or other reusable containers such as egg cups and yoghurt pots, fill them with CoirProducts Coco Peat, either from our bricks or our Coir Discs. Fill each section with a few seeds and cover gently.
2. Our CoirCoins are the perfect growing medium for microgreens, and if you’re looking to grow a bigger bunch, why not try our Coir Growcubes? With added water, our Coins and Growcubes expand, ideal for planting your microgreen seeds into.
3. Or how about a more unique method – while usually our Coir Sheets are for bigger landscaping and gardening jobs, they can also be great for microgreens. Cut into smaller squares, put a layer of Coco Peat onto the sheet and create a shallow drill with your finger. Fill with your chosen microgreen seeds and cover. As your microgreens grow, the roots will be able to perforate the sheet and develop strongly.
Keep your seeds lightly watered, the leaves should be sprouted within about a week or so, but growth may be slower in the colder months. Harvesting time varies between 7 – 14 days to plants, so make sure you get your cuttings done for the perfect microgreens.
Coir is a 100% biodegradable and natural product, which at CoirProducts is used to create an innovative range of horticultural products. Extracting from the husk of the coconut, coir is the best eco-friendly alternative to peat-based products, coir is perfect for a huge variety of plants and crops. At CoirProducts, we ensure that every product is ethically produced, from the sourcing of coconuts to the manufacturing of our products, taking to to make sure that ethical practices are adopted and no harmful ingredients are added.
Our peatlands need to be protected, and the best way to do this is to move to sustainable alternatives like coir. So why not start the new year by sowing and growing some microgreens in the most ecologically-sound way. Shop online for your microgreen seeds and coir-based products all at one place: www.coirproducts.co.uk.