You can enjoy fresh vegetables in the winter by first growing and harvesting a lot of seeds, and then use them to grow microgreens/sprouts indoor in winter. Of course, you can grow your microgreens outdoor in spring, summer, and fall, depending on the germination temperature of your seeds. But you need to put your seeds under some shade cloth in summer cause most seeds will be killed by the scourging sun.
There are two ways to grow your own microgreens:
- Put your seeds in a Mason jar. Rinse your seeds. Then soak them in water for 12 hours to 24 hours. Rinse your seeds and drain all the water in the jar 2 to 4 times a day depending on what kind of seeds you are using. Put your mason jar in a cool and dark place, say your kitchen cabinet. Mung beans, for example, should be soaked for 24 hours a day and rinsed twice a day. Soy beans can be soaked for 12 hours or less. Then they should be rinsed at least 3 to 4 times a day or the beans will rot. The
Mung bean sprouts are ready in 5 days - Many seeds should not be sprouted in Mason jars, for example, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, amaranth seeds, chia seeds, etc. For these seeds, you need a growing tray and a growing medium. Water your growing medium so that it is thoroughly moist, but not soggy. Cover the surface of the growing medium thoroughly with seeds. Your target is to have the surface eventually fully covered by the cotyledons of the seeds. Depending on the germination temperature of your seeds, you can grow your microgreens inside your house or in an unheated garage.
Sprouted seeds under an LED grow light
