What are microgreens? Why is everyone talking about them, and why you must get on the bandwagon too!

Mindful family time!

My husband and I love growing herbs in our garden. And now, our latest team member is my 18-month old daughter. She loves her time frolicking in our garden, watering plants, sowing seeds and picking up leaves fallen from the floor. Gardening as an activity, apart from being immensely therapeutic, is also our idea of a quality, family time.

It is also an enriching activity that greatly benefits children. Watching their sown seeds grow into beautiful plants makes them mindful and conscious of their surroundings. It builds patience and confidence.

Immense health benefits

We have recently been hooked to growing microgreens and love how it enriches our simple meals. Most microgreens are rich in iron, zinc, potassium and also have great antioxidants properties. The baby shoots are far more nutritious than the whole vegetable. They help boost the immune system and can be easily incorporated in any diet. We Indians love to eat our food hot and fresh, so the best way to slip them in is through chapatis, parathas and theplas. In Europe and other Western countries, it is generally added to raw in juices, smoothies and salads. It is advisable to have greens in the raw form as more nutrients are absorbed by the body that way.

Easy to grow!

The best way to grow microgreens is in soil. Many new methods have become popular recently - a lot of people use mats such as hemp mats, coco mats and mulch mats. I personally have tried using the hemp mat and liked the results. Of course the mat is biodegradable, so that’s a plus. I also use takeaway boxes and reusable plastic containers - like mushrooms containers that we get from grocery stores. This helps to reduce and repurpose waste.

Microgreens usually take around 7-10 days to grow, depending on the seeds. Eg cress is a fast growing microgreen and takes around 5 to 7 days from growing to harvesting. They are especially a boon during lockdowns, so you don’t have to step out!

To learn more about microgreens from the comfort of your homes, you can sign up for an online workshop on 24th October 2020 from 3 pm to 4 pm.