All microgreen growers at home want to achieve better yields.
However, this relies heavily on the planting space, climate, season, and care.
For this reason, small indoor growing spaces and incorrect growing conditions in the home can affect your production.
Provided this doesn’t stop you but rather a DIY microgreen setup can be the perfect solution.
This:
- Provides additional space beyond the vertical space of the home
- Is durable enough to last season after season
- Can grow virtually in all climates
This means you could maximize your microgreen yield in limited space and with minimal maintenance.
To get started with microgreens using a DIY rack system, you’ll need to begin by installing it and outfitting it with lights, fans, and a timer. After, seeds are planted in trays, placed on racks, and covered to create germination.
After germination is achieved, you now simply have to provide the appropriate amount of watering, light, and airflow to ensure your microgreens grow to harvest maturity.
Install the DIY Shelf Setup
Starting microgreens in a grow rack begins with installation:
- While selecting your type of microgreen growing rack it may be metal/steel or wood, based on your needs and preferences.
- If you want to move it around, for example, to clean underneath the shelf or change the growing area, I would recommend you buy or build one with wheels.
- Establish how many racks you would like to set up based on how much microgreen you would need and your growing storage space.
- Establish a place in your home to set up the DIY shelf and establish a clean area. Next, you will screw the legs into the rack legs and build the frame. Check for balance and stability.
- The distance between the tiers should be around 9 to 12 inches. It is important to build the height of the shelf to provide enough room for the microgreens to grow but not have them touch the lights if they grow too tall.
- Next step would be to hang some mini fans on the edge of the shelves with zip ties through the fan holes. Set the fans in the middle of each rack with good air ventilation. Lastly, connect all the shelves from top to bottom with their mini fans using their USB to connection to build the series circuit.
Another option is to utilise a freestanding fan, or to set up an AC; however, a fan is much more energy-efficient.
Attach some artificial grow lights that will meet your needs, preferably 20-watt fixtures.
- Attach two lights to each shelf, parallel to each other but equally spaced, and centered both ends of the frame.
- Attach the lights with hooks and small lengths of chain. Zip tie connections made in the lighting wire.
- If you are using the rack wire, feed one of the power cords through one of the triangles in the rack’s frame, and do it on both ends to support the lights.
- Connect all bulbs to a timer by installing the timer at the bottom of the power strips.
- Place shelf liners down so that the rack remains cleaner and protects plants from plant debris and soil on the lower shelf.
- Use zippy ties to hold in place the hanging wires and not have a messy racking system.
Prepare Growing Trays
Although microgreens are quite versatile and can thrive in a variety of environments, shallow/flat trays do provide us with an avenue to create a healthy environment.
Check to see if your tray has a drainage hole, if it does not, use a drill with a bit and make a few holes in the bottom to ensure drainage as seed establish.
Because without drainage, the soil can become waterlogged and prevents the seed from establishing.
Also, again if you are not using a liner on your rack system this is will also keep the excess water in the container and drain down below.
Sow The Seeds
Microgreens can be cultivated in organic soil or hydroponic growing pads like coconut coir, jute pads, hemp mats, or a biostrate mat.
Ultimately, your method will depend on your personal needs or limitations. Both methods, after all, are excellent you may be limited by space, time, or budget.
Planting In Soil
Following the process:
- Begin by moistening the organic potting mix by adding a little water and mix the water with your hands or trowel. When you hold some soil into your hand, the soil cubes should hold its shape and not drip water.
- Fill the trays with approximately two inches of moist soil. You do not need much soil since microgreens do not take long to grow; thus, there are no complex roots to develop.
- Slightly compress the soil with your hand or drag a piece of cardboard across the surface to smooth and level the soil without over compressing the soil. An even surface will help ensure the seeds have equal soil contact for even germination.
- Broadcast the seeds across the soil surface as you sow. Gently pat across the trays to slightly press the seeds into the soil. This will create good soil contact for the seeds to absorb more moisture which supports germination and growth.
- You can soak seeds for a few hours before you plant, especially for seeds with a rigid hull or larger seeds. Soak, roughly, from six to eight hours.
- Sprinkle some soil on the seeds to cover exposed seeds slightly. Then, with a canister or mister, lightly wet the top soil surface making sure not to saturate or soak the seeds.
Planting in Hydroponics
Take a container and fill it with pure water.
Place a growing pad to fit the bottom of the container. Then move the hydroponic pad around the bottom and flip it to the other side to assure it’s well saturated.
Let it drip for a while, then take it and place it on the tray with draining holes.
Next, take the microgreen seeds and spread them evenly across the surface of the pad. You do not have to presoak them.
Then add a pH-Up or pH-Down solution to the water solution to balance its pH. Should be about 5.5 to 6.5.
Works Well: Mist the surface of the seeds with pH-balanced water; be careful not to inadvertently move the seeds any closer together.
Seed Germination and Sprouting
Microgreens grow best at a germination temperature of 720F.
If the room temperature is too high or low, expedite the germination process by installing an air conditioner/fan at 720F or using a seed mat at temperatures lower than 720F to jumpstart germination.
If temperatures are not extreme, please be patient, and give them time to germinate.
Germination In Soil
After sowing, make sure to keep the trays covered for at least five days with a humidity dome or stacking them together if they are the same size.
This will preserve moisture and protect them from light which also contributes to a higher germination rate.
You can also use plastic bags or plastic wrap with holes snipping into the top for air flow, a damp paper towel, or you can even just leave them open!
If you choose to leave them open in the air, it’s important to mist them with a spray bottle every day at least once.
Do not turn on the lights as seeds do not need any light at all to germinate, they need moisture.
What to Expect: In about three to seven days, you will see seeds sprouting.
Germination In Hydroponics
Once you plant the seeds, take another tray without holes and place it on top, to keep the tray and seeds in the dark and away from light.
Depending on the type of microgreen, you do need to keep them in the dark for the first 5 days or so, only opening the tray when you mist it (which should be done every 12 hours or so).
After four or five days, you can carefully lift the tray with the seeds and check to see if they have germinated. You would be able to see roots beginning to form as well.
Once you observe root growth, you can remove the cover and begin to water both the tray and the spray and pad.
Instead of misting them with water, just spray some water into the bottom tray, until there is a thin layer instead – you can water them twice a day with plain water throughout the next several days.
Caring for Sprouts In the DIY Shelf Setup
After the seeds are sprouted and ready to harvest, take off the cover and follow these steps.
Light
Switch on the grow lights to illuminate the exposed trays for 12–18 hours a day, promoting quicker growth and healthy plants.
The grow lights will provide sufficient light exposure to the seedlings, regardless of the outside weather conditions.
Microgreens do need light for photosynthesis. Without it you will end up with leggy or pale greens.
You can use the electric timer to set the time of exposure to keep from exposing the crops to excessive light.
Water
Watering should be done every other day or when the growing medium dries. The plant medium should stay moist, and never soggy.
With soil-based microgreens, ensure the soil is dry in between watering, while with hydroponic microgreens water when the pads of the container or the edges start to feel dry and don’t water directly on the growing mats.
The frequency of your watering is very important:
- Under-watering your microgreen can lead to dehydration and eventual death.
- Over-watering your plant can lead to disease and mold.
Bottom watering is the most recommended watering set up for both soil-based and hydroponic microgreens as it provides an even watering of your readers.
Bottom water set up is as easy as placing the microgreen tray planters inside a larger container. Fill your tray with around an inch of pure water in the tray below them.
For hydroponics, turn your feeding solution (Take fertilizer, and mix it with your pH balanced water).
The holes in the bottom of the trays will allow the soil to wick water while they sit in the bottom watering container, which is how the plant based microgreens suck water up through their holes.
Once you leave your tray in water for a few minutes you can drain the water from your trays, as this excess water can over-water your plants.
If you don’t have the ability to bottom water your microgreens—water to the sides of your growing microgreens rather than over them directly.
Be careful! Your top watering system will lead to high transpiration leading to high humidity for your plants, wet leaves, wet stems, which all increases the likelihood of developing disease or mold.
Air Circulation
Having good airflow is important to help grow healthy microgreens, especially for growing rooms or greenhouses as the air indoors is moving very little.
Airflow allows fresh air by preventing the depletion of the Carbon dioxide, which is beneficial in helping strengthen plants, and providing protection against mold, pests, and root problems.
Airflow prevents fungal diseases in winter while allowing microgreens an opportunity for cooler conditions in the summer.
The ideal amount of airflow to determine:
- the humidity amount
- and temperature in the room
If you have moderate temperature and low humidity, do not turn the fans on. In general, set the fans to a low level to not disrupt too much airflow as it can cause the microgreens to fall.
Good airflow can also help simply by cooling the air temperature. Therefore, using fans has benefits beyond air exchange and is needed to help keep temperature and moisture content levels.
As noted above, an air conditioner can be used instead of a fan to keep the space at 78 0f temperature.
Humidity
The optimal moisture for microgreens is between 40-60%.
Fortunately, the humidity level inside our homes is typically about 40-50% on average.
Too much humidity can harm microgreens, just as dry air may dehydrate them when they lose more moisture than they can uptake through their roots.
High humidity appears with excessive watering of microgreens, poor airflow, along with the regular activities in the house such as showering and cooking,
To remedy this turn on the fans for added airflow, and utilize the Air conditioning, or dehumidifier to relieve high humidity.
Too dry air can be improved with more misting or by using a humidifier.
Final Thoughts
Growing microgreens with a DIY rack system is easily one of the best ways to grow microgreens.
Not only does a DIY Microgreen setup increase your yield, but you’ll also save money as microgreens can be quite expensive in stores.
Not only that, but it’s also easy to set up and operate. You’ll have peace of mind knowing you can harvest healthy microgreens any time of day.
You can enjoy them in their rawest and freshest form from the “garden” to the table right away.