Micro Greens?

Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
Clarebelle
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Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2018 5:37 pm

Re: Micro Greens?

Post by Clarebelle »

sunflowers are lovely as microgreens, one of my favourites
jansman
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Re: Micro Greens?

Post by jansman »

xplosiv1 wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 9:50 pm I'm just getting started really and it's kind of an experiment in a way.

I'm going to try and grow them with no sunlight just to see what I could achieve in the depths of winter as long as I still had a power source for the grow lamp and I'm not using soil either as with any potting soil you can introduce pests or mold two things I dont want in the house , I'm using a hydroponics basket instead hopefully it works for me I've seen them used for microgreens on a few different websites.

I have a full spectrum 45W LED light source which i'm going to use. ( Red light (650-660nm) + Orange light(620-630nm) + Blue Light(460-465 nm) +White Light (3000-6500k)+ IR(730-740nm)

I have the area set up, I've blacked out the window, shelves and lighting are in place, seeds arrived friday I'm going to start with Sunflower and pea i'm just waiting on the trays to arrive (should have been here saturday)

I'll keep you informed of progress.



basket/ tray similar to below

Image


45W lamp similar to below

Image
Those trays: I am guessing its an aquaponic growing medium?
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Arzosah
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Re: Micro Greens?

Post by Arzosah »

It gets more and more interesting, doesn't it, especially in light of the growing problems from drought, pests etc. I was clearing away some sedge thats grown up at the bottom of my garden (used to be overrun, I haven't been concentrating on that bit) and I saw a grasshopper. It made me think about much bigger pests, even locusts. I remember the plague of ladybirds we had on Merseyside in 1976, it was horrible, just like you see pictures of plagues of locusts in Africa. These "interesting times" that we live in might well mean that microgreens are invaluable to help along the crops.

As for seed ... hmm, I have sorrel plants that go to seed magnificently :mrgreen: and at the start of the conversation between Lil and I, I researched wheatgrass on Amazon - these guys https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brow-Farm/b/re ... =Brow+Farm
seem to be the main suppliers in the UK. I wanted to go see the site on my trip up to Merseyside last week, but my time wasn't really my own with the other agendas we had going on. Brow Farm has its own online shop too: http://www.browfarmonlinestore.co.uk/ they seem to be legitimate farmers who branched out into other concerns a long time ago. I applaud their efforts :) I'll put an order in via Amazon at first.
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xplosiv1
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Location: Scotland

Re: Micro Greens?

Post by xplosiv1 »

jansman wrote: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:34 am
Those trays: I am guessing its an aquaponic growing medium?
If by medium you mean something like clay pebbles .... No there is nothing but a dribble of water in the bottom.

I think it's the most cost effective method although apparently some people say it doesn't yield as big a crop that soil does but I have seen evidence contrary to that. The only other option would be grow mats which are expensive and single use.

Soil can be used over and over but needs time to compost the remaining roots before it can be used again so lots of soil is required and space to compost it. I'm trying to keep my operation as minimal and efficient as possible, I do have soil and two compost bins (one at home and one in my allotment) but I want to see the achievable results someone in an inner city flat could expect under the worst conditions ( no sunlight, no soil, not outdoor space) .

Last edited by xplosiv1 on Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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moominmama
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Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2017 1:23 pm

Re: Micro Greens?

Post by moominmama »

hi,

https://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/micro ... d6975.html is really quite good, I use with child as very easy, and as only need water little work needed, very small crop though.

i also have https://www.amazon.co.uk/Greenfingers-G ... B0038NDWME which is really good for a decent crop, and also really nice for a bit of sunlight in the dark winter months, IKEA has a range of similar, through despite strong hints i still do not have!
Arzosah
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Micro Greens?

Post by Arzosah »

The other set of seeds that'd be really easy to collect (round here, anyway!) is nettles .... and something I've literally found out this evening - wood avens, which PFAF, the RHS and wildfooduk all describe as edible. It's a weed in my garden, with noticeable seedheads that disintegrate into individual seeds very easily at this time of year (ask me how I know, go on, ask me).

Plus this one (Allium sphaerocephalon, the RHS tells me) has self seeded amongst the south facing cobbles between the path to my side gate and my house. The seed heads haven't fully formed yet, but they're tipping over from the flowerheads.

So for me, seeds from my own horribly overgrown garden so far are sorrel, nettles, wood avens, and allium sphaero. seeds. Excellent.

ETA - alchemilla mollis, leaves are edible raw and cooked, and it won't *stop* seeding.
-
Last edited by Arzosah on Tue Jul 31, 2018 4:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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diamond lil
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Re: Micro Greens?

Post by diamond lil »

I just need some energy to get this started, I have a pile of plastic trays that used to contain mushrooms, they fit on the windowsills and I have long windows.
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hobo
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Re: Micro Greens?

Post by hobo »

One for you, Lil .... Micro kale https://youtu.be/L2Z2hJe4kmQ :D
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ukpreppergrrl
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Re: Micro Greens?

Post by ukpreppergrrl »

The Vertical Veg chap is a fan of growing microgreens: https://verticalveg.org.uk/courses/amaz ... w-harvest/ It's something I've toyed with, and I've even got some small microgreen growing containers as well as ex-mushroom trays. I just haven't got around to it! My plan was always to try this over the winter in the enclosed south-facing carport inside a blow-away green house to see if it was a way of getting fresh greens over the winter. Really must try it!

As a lot of my greens have bolted this summer (not a single unbolted pak choi!), I've left them to set seed proper which I'll gather and use for this over the winter. I need encouragement so piccies of others' microgreen harvests is a must over the next 6 months! :D
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diamond lil
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Re: Micro Greens?

Post by diamond lil »

hobo wrote: Mon Jul 30, 2018 8:52 pm One for you, Lil .... Micro kale https://youtu.be/L2Z2hJe4kmQ :D
:evil: :evil: :evil: BLEUGH!