As usual, the answer is “it depends”. What does it depend on?
In my view, the best way to grow microgreens will depend on a few key factors:
- Space needed
- Budget available
- Quantity you want to grow / harvest
If you’re short on space, I recommend growing microgreens on your windowsill. If you don’t have a windowsill, you may be able to install a window shelf or a shelf that crosses a window.
The only things you really need to buy are high quality, organic seeds and a growing medium. You’ll also need a grow tray but these are easy to DIY - any clean dish or food safe container that holds at least 0.6 cm or ¼ in of water will work.
You’ll need a few grams of seed for each tray of microgreens you grow so finding an affordable source of organic seeds is important. While organic garden seed packets can usually be used to grow microgreens you’ll likely find this a much more expensive option than buying bulk microgreen or sprouting seeds.
Hemp grow mats are a convenient and sustainable growing medium for those in Canada (and the USA) thanks to the local growing and processing of the hemp. Alternatives include peat, soil, jute baby blankets and synthetic grow mats.
You can make your own DIY grow tray out of a plastic 2L rectangular juice/beverage container. Simply cut the container about 2.5-5cm or 1-2 in from the bottom and use the lower portion as your grow tray. If DIY isn't really your thing, we include a practical and aesthetically pleasing grow tray in our kits.