Microgreens in 330x245mm Trays

There are several different ways of growing your micro greens. The two methods to choose from are –

1 – Growing them in Punnets this is the perfect method for those just starting and do not require large amounts, where you just replant each tray as you use it (five-minute operation), if choosing this method then you also have the option of using a punnet divider system, this is very handy for small leaf micro greens e.g. Broccoli, Radish, when you are growing the maximum number of punnets per tray i.e. 6, this, this stops the shoots from becoming entangled with those growing in the punnet next to it, an alternate option is to use less punnets per tray i.e. giving them a bit more space between each other.

2 – Growing them on a Grill insert – the second method is to insert a grill into the base of the tray and plant out the whole tray, and advantage of this system is that you’re only replanting once a week rather than once-a-day.

So select the system that meets your needs, with the tray colour that you would prefer, personally I eat a lot of greens so I do the second method.

Growing medium – Next, you have to choose the growing medium, or you may have your own i.e. from your worm farm or garden, the options here are :-

Vermiculite with Azomite – (heated and crushed rock that forms a honeycomb structure mixed with Azomite, this is the one I use as it is clean i.e bacteria free, easier to spread, works out cheaper in the long run, (100 ml per tray – 3L>30 x punnets), (3ml/L Fert.).

MicroGreen seedling mix with Azomite – a fine seedling mix, again mixed with Azomite, not quite as easily to spread as the Vermiculite but does not require any extra fertiliser. Because you will be using these every day, then I would recommend the Vermiculite, as it is clean i.e. bacteria free, less messy and easier to spread.

There are also different stands to choose from

LED Light Stand – we use 2x 5 W multifrequency grow light, the base kit for this light stand comes with a power supply that can support up to 6 of these lights (giving you three shelves under lights) , meaning the extra shelves are much cheaper than the base kit. Build up to 3 levels of Microgreen trays.

Reflectors – Another option is to add reflectors, these can be added to al sides of the plant stands, increases light by about 20-30% per(i.e. depending on the number of sides you have reflectors).

Sticky Insect Traps – regarding insects, you will invariably get some small fungal knats, these are those tiny insects that seem to appear from nowhere when you have some rotting fruit, anyway they will stay around the tray, they are attracted by the bright yellow sticky insect traps which you place underneath the tray (assuming the use of a stand). Generally, what you do is cut them in half and place underneath the tray, we have developed a range of insect trap holders, these have a lot of advantages e.g. they keep the trap in place, they are double sided, meaning that insects can gain access to the sticky area from above and below. If you are growing a lot in one place then you may wish to get an ultraviolet insect trap e.g. from Bunnings and just leave it on all the time.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), I use this in my spray bottle, there are two reasons, the first being that it kills mould and the second is that it softens the outer coat of seeds increasing germination.

Once you’ve made these decisions you just need to choose some seeds and you’re off and running. The seeds I use are Broccoli(1wk), Daikon Radish (1wk), Snow Pea (2wk– meaning if you are using one tray each week then you need to have two trays in operation). The Snow Pea is by far the best pea sprout for micro greens, along with rocket lettuce supplies the bulk of the green lease in the salad. A cheaper alternative is the Massey Gem Pea, has the same benefits as the snow be, in that the stalk does not become fibrous like the Field Pea, but does not give as much green lease as the Snow Pea

Also to note, as you add more options the shipping cost estimate may become excessive i.e. the system just adds the volume of each item but many items fit inside each other, we will always adjust and refund once we’ve packed and know the actual shipping cost or just select the pay by Invoice option and we will adjust the shipping accordingly, and then you can just pay on the updated Invoice.