Whether or not you have delved into the arena of gardening, you must have come across the term “microgreens”. Some of you might even be growing microgreens seeds in your house. Besides looking super adorable in your home, microgreens can be consumed and they are excellent for the health of your body. They help cure many illnesses and diseases and keep you functioning your best all the time. Growing microgreens are quite easy and inexpensive and anyone can try it. However, there is a downside to everything. There may be times when you notice that your microgreens aren’t looking as good as they should. This is not the time you should back out of growing your precious greens. Instead you should try to look for the cause of your greens lacking life and tackle the problem. It is a bit tricky to diagnose microgreen problems, but if you have a basic understanding of the common microgreen problems, you can solve the problems easily. Every person who has taken up the task of growing microgreens has been through these problems at least once in their life. After growing plants is just like cooking; if you don't succeed in one go, you keep trying till you do. Soon, you will have the necessary experience to have healthy microgreens every time you grow them. Keep reading further to know all about common microgreen problems and microgreens troubleshooting.
Common Microgreen problems and how to tackle them
Given below is a guide for troubleshooting the problems that you may have faced while growing microgreens. In short, how to tell if microgreens are bad. If you will see the following, it surely means troubleshooting is required.
1. Fungus or Mould:
Firstly, you need to be positive that your microgreens have fungus or mould. If you notice some white fuzz growing around the roots of your seedlings, you can rest assured it is not mould, but just root hair, which happens during germination and growth. You can tell apart root hair and mould, if you know what you are looking for. While root hair is lighter and only surrounds the roots, mould is heavier, darker and covers the surrounding soil and seeds as well. Mould generally occurs due to less air circulation, high humidity and unclean pots or containers. Here’s the solution to tackling mould.
- You should always make sure that the container you are going to housing your greens in, are thoroughly cleaned, to prevent the development of mould
- The right amount of ventilation and sunlight is essential to prevent mould from growing on your plants. AFter your microgreen seeds germinate, you should move them to a spot where there is good air circulation and sunlight.
- You should be careful not to overseed the container. Overseeding could make your microgreens a hot for fungus. Microgreens need their own space to grow (much like humans).
- One major cause of mould is overwatering. You should keep your greens hydrated without flooding them.
2. Uneven growth of your greens:
You may have or will go through a phase at least once while growing microgreens when you see uneven growth. If you see your greens growing taller on one side of the container while the other side shows shorter greens, you would need to keep some things in mind.
- Uneven growth generally happens when you overpopulate the seeds in a container, especially for small seeds like broccoli or basil. When they start germinating, they compete for limited resources, ultimately causing uneven growth. It would be best to use a seed dispenser so that you can sow your seeds evenly.
- The placement of the container in a spot where the whole pot gets adequate and equal sunlight and shade is important. That is an important thing to keep in mind during and even after the germination period.
- The quality of the potting soil plays an important role in the growth of your greens. Ensure that you are using the right potting mix for your greens. Try out a variety of mixes and see which works best.
3. Slow germination:
In general, microgreens take only 2 or 3 days to start germinating. But if you don't notice any progress in the germination of the seeds or if the soil looks dry, you should try spraying water to increase the moisture level in the container. You could also try pre-soaking the seeds before you sow them, to ensure that the seeds do not remain in a dormant state. You would need to pre-soak your seeds about 8- 12 hours before you sow them.
4. Falling over:
It is quite a sad sight when you see your microgreens falling over, that is, look as if they are dying and are going to wilt. When you see your greens in the centre of the tray dropping to the seeds, you should know that there could be multiple reasons for falling over. These reasons are water or light. Here's how to tackle this problem.
- Make sure you water your plants well but do not make the soil sogging
- Since low light levels may cause falling over as well, ensure that they get proper lighting before , during and also after the germination period.
5. Yellowish microgreens:
During the germination period, you may notice that your microgreens are looking yellowish in colour. That is normal and happens because they have not yet been exposed to sunlight and thus, haven't started photosynthesizing yet. When you expose your greens to sunlight, they will start to turn green. You should ensure that you do not keep your microgreens blacked out for a long time, as they may develop spindly stems. You must make sure that you are giving the right amount of blackout time to your microgreens.
Last but not least, you must harvest your microgreens only when you want to use them as they won't last very long in hotter climates. However, if you must store them, do it in a glass container or mason jar to keep them fresh. Now that you know all about the common problems that you may face while growing microgreens, and the solutions as well, we hope you can grow beautiful, healthy microgreens every single time! You can protect plants with some plant health hacks to give them a longer life.
Why choose Urja Seeds?
Urja Seeds has an excellent team who manufacture premium quality vegetable seeds and flower seeds besides those of exotic herbs seeds. We also sell these seeds on a wholesale basis. All of the seeds on our website are processed with the latest technology by the most skilled professionals in this industry. Moreover, you would also get these high quality seeds online at very affordable rates too, at Urja Seeds. Enjoy the goodness of nature now through Urja Seeds.
FAQs
Q1. What are the top 5 microgreens?
Ans. The top 5 or the most popular microgreens in the market are sunflower microgreens, microgreen peas, radish, broccoli and cress microgreens.
Q2.Are microgreens Superfoods?
Ans. Scientists see microgreens as functional foods which can provide your body key nutrients in a quite practical way. Due to their small size and high percentage of nutrients, some people call them Superfoods.