The micro greens I planted last week have already sprouted. If you planted along with me, how does your crop look today? 

If your seeds haven’t germinated yet, there could be a number of reasons:

1. The seeds were planted too deeply. Tiny seeds, like those for the micro greens, need to be planted shallowly. This helps the seeds push their way through the top of the soil. If they’re too deep, they won’t have enough power to make it to the top without giving up along the way.
2. There wasn’t enough moisture. The potting soil needs to be kept moist, but not soaking wet. If the soil is allowed to dry out, the seeds will dry, too. If the water was dumped over the seeds, they may have been displaced or pushed deeper into the soil. A good way to water is to gently mist the seeds with a spray bottle. 
3. There was too much moisture. Another problem with moisture is the seeds and seedlings need oxygen to germinate. If there wasn’t good drainage or enough drainage holes in the bottom of the container, lack of good air flow could be a problem.
4. There wasn’t enough light. If the seeds didn’t get enough light, they’d have a difficult time germinating. A sunny window can help get the seeds off to a good start, but perhaps grow lights would speed them along. There are a number of grow lights on the market, from typical fluorescent lights to the new T5 grow lights that are energy efficient and provide full-spectrum light.
5. The light source was too far away from the seeds. The lights need to be only 2-3 inches above the top of the soil when starting seeds.

If you didn’t have good luck with this first batch of micro greens, try again. Adjust the planting depth, amount of moisture and light to give your seeds the best possible start.

If your greens have sprouted, it’ll be just a while longer for the plants to grow their first true leaves and will be ready to snip when they’re 1-2 inches tall.

Please share your experience with growing micro greens, and your pictures, too!

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