What Are Microgreens?

Microgreens are young vegetable or herb seedlings harvested just after the first true leaves appear — typically 7 to 14 days after germination. They sit between sprouts and full baby greens in their growth stage, offering a concentrated punch of flavour and nutrition in a tiny package. Chefs prize them for their intense taste; home growers love them because a tray on a windowsill can produce a fresh harvest every week or two.

How Microgreens Differ from Sprouts

Sprouts are germinated seeds eaten roots, seed and all — they never touch soil and are ready in just a few days. Microgreens, by contrast, are grown in a growing medium (soil or a hydroponic mat), exposed to light, and cut at the stem just above the medium. This means you eat only the green shoot, not the root or seed. The soil contact and light exposure encourage the plant to develop chlorophyll and the richer flavour compounds that come with it.

Baby greens are simply microgreens left to grow longer — beyond the cotyledon (seed leaf) stage and into their first set of true leaves. Microgreens hit their peak at or just after the cotyledon stage, when flavour concentration is highest relative to size.

Which Plants Can Be Grown as Microgreens?

Almost any edible plant can be grown as a microgreen, but the most popular fall into a few families. Brassicas — broccoli, radish, kale, mustard, cabbage — germinate fast and are packed with glucosinolates. Sunflower and pea shoots are large-seeded and produce thick, satisfying greens. Herbs like basil, coriander and amaranth bring colour and distinctive flavour. Grasses such as wheatgrass and barley grass are grown specifically for juicing. Beets and chard add deep-red colour and earthy sweetness.

Why Grow Them at Home?

Commercial microgreens are expensive because they spoil within a few days of harvest. A single punnet at a farmers market can cost several pounds or dollars for a small amount. Growing at home collapses that cost dramatically — a tray of broccoli or radish microgreens from seed to harvest costs pennies and takes up no more space than a dinner plate. You also harvest moments before eating, so freshness is incomparable to anything store-bought.

They are also one of the few crops that thrive indoors year-round. No outdoor bed, no frost protection, no seasonal timing — just a tray, some seeds, a grow medium and a light source or a reasonably bright window.

What Do Microgreens Taste Like?

Flavour varies dramatically by species. Radish microgreens are sharp and peppery — similar to the mature root but more intense. Sunflower shoots are mild and nutty. Pea shoots taste remarkably like sweet fresh peas. Broccoli microgreens have a mild brassica bite without the sulphur heaviness of cooked broccoli. Basil microgreens carry the same anise-clove perfume as the adult herb but in a softer, more delicate form. Because you harvest before secondary bitter compounds build up, most microgreens are gentler than their mature counterparts.

Nutritional Value

Studies published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that microgreens of many species contain 4 to 40 times more nutrients by weight than their mature counterparts — higher levels of vitamins C, E and K, lutein and beta-carotene. The concentration is highest at the cotyledon stage, which is exactly when you harvest. This makes microgreens one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can add to a meal without eating a large volume.