Do you fancy gardening? Why not grow sprouts and microgreens on your windowsill? Within ten days, you’ll have a large bowl of fresh greens full of vitamins, bitter and pungent substances, essential oils and chlorophyll. All year round. No matter how many degrees it is outside. They still grow perfectly on the windowsill in sub-zero temperatures. That’s great. I am a convinced grower of sprouts and microgreens: Regional, home-grown, pesticide-free superfood. Totally inexpensive and easy. Their delicate taste and appearance can enhance any dish. Individual microgreens in particular can add different flavors and colors to food without having to use a lot of material. Here you can read how easy it is. You can find out what to look out for, tips and tricks in the interview with Christian Zinke from the Microgreen Shop. At the end of the blog you will find a 10% savings code. This Discount code “Bio-Balkon10” with 10 % discount for best organic sprouting seed is up to date.
What is the difference between sprouts and microgreens, you ask?
The difference is the age and the cultivation method. Sprouts are harvested three to eight days old. They are grown on a water base without soil in a jar or sieve. Most microgreens can be harvested after seven to fourteen days. Some varieties are only harvested after 20 days, such as coriander, chard or basil, which simply need a little longer. Microgreens grow longer and greener, grow on soil and not in glass. The green, i.e. the chlorophyll, is converted sunlight. The chlorophyll content in microgreens is somewhat higher than in sprouts. Microgreens benefit if they are grown in good organic growing soil. After more than ten days, they slowly start to absorb the good nutrients from the soil.
Growing microgreens
Pulling microgreens is really fun with such a decorative polished Grow-Grow Nutthat looks really good as a table decoration.
The coconut and coconut soil are harvest residues and are thus put to a new use. The Grow-Grow Nut lasts for years. For every coconut sold, a tree is planted. I find this sustainable, beautiful product valuable. It’s also fun to Starter package with four different varieties. This is a sturdy saucer with four smaller pots inside, each containing one variety. There are holes in the smaller pots so that you don’t have to be so careful when watering that you overwater. You can simply pour the water into the pots. The excess water flows out. For fine microgreens in particular, it is better to pour water into the bottom of the tray, then place the pots inside and allow the water to be drawn in from below. Fine plants such as broccoli and rocket don’t like being watered from above and getting wet from above because they then rot easily. That’s why a set like this is practical. But you can use any other container such as cups, bowls or dishes. You just have to try things out a bit and find the best way for you.
Cultivation of sprouts
For sprouts, the seeds are soaked for around eight hours. They are then placed in a jar with a sieve lid or a piece of fly screen is attached to the jar with a rubber band. The seeds are watered in the morning and evening. It’s very simple. You just have to get into the routine, just like you remember to water your balcony and house plants.
Which is more time-consuming: growing sprouts or microgreens?
There’s not that much difference. Both are very easy. With sprouts you have to water twice a day, with microgreens you have a little more effort at the beginning when sowing. Watering is less complicated, even if you are not there for a day. It doesn’t matter, you can simply water more the day before and then you have a day’s break in between. It’s not quite as easy with sprouts. It depends on your personal preferences. It’s worth giving both a try. Lentils in particular are great for salads and can be used after three days. If you grow green sprouts, the advantage is simply that you get more bulk. If you have a jar of alfalfa sprouts, that’s great if you like juices or smoothies. It’s amazing what you can get out of two tablespoons of alfalfa seeds. And when you think about how little those two tablespoons of seeds cost. It’s such an inexpensive way to grow your own healthy food at home all winter, or even better, all year round.
Personally, I am so convinced of the health benefits of sprouts and microgreens. They have brought me so much further in terms of my health and I hope that many people will feel much fitter, better and more energetic through their diet. Again, just start, try it and make it part of your daily routine.
Interview with Christian Zinke from the Microgreen Shop
Details on growing sprouts and microgreens can be found in the Interview with Christian Zinkethe expert for sprouts and microgreens from Microgreen-Shop which we have chosen for the 3rd Online Organic Balcony Congress led.
10 % discount for Microgreen-Shop and the wide range of accessories
This was about creating desire and instigating the Cress hedgehogthat Sprout glass or the Sprout tower and grow your own superfood full of vitamins and chlorophyll at this time of year. Christian Zinke presented us with a current code that is suitable for the Microgreen-Shopincluding the sustainable Grow-Grow Nut and the ingenious Heimgard system or Think micro garden applies. The Discount code “Bio-Balkon10” guarantees 10 % discount on the first order. These are highly germinable seeds with organic certification from Germany, Italy or France. They value long-term relationships with the producers.
This book by Angelika Fürstler is a great place to start.
Christian Zinke spoke in the 3rd Online Organic Balcony Congress 2019 about growing sprouts and microgreens. In the 4th Online Organic Balcony Congress In 2020, he introduced the sweet sustainable Grow-Grow Nut before. If I have the Grow-Grow Nut with me at trade fairs, every third person who walks past the stand wants to buy it :). The sprouts in the sprout jars don’t grow like that :).
We organized well-attended webinars together. In the Microgreen-Shop offers a wide variety of seeds for sprouts and microgreens. It is certified organic and has an extremely good germination capacity, which is the basis for success. A clear recommendation from me.
I work with these accessories. But I also use sieves, cups and pots because I grow a lot and don’t want to keep buying new ones.
Sprout glass set with holder and bowl ((2x or 3x 750ml)
Grow-Grow Nut
Best suited for starters is the Grow-Grow Nut made from upcycled coconut. Sustainable, plastic-free, beautiful. A tree is planted for every coconut.
Sustainable Grow-Grow Nut starter set made from coconut
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10 Responses
Not only good ones. IN SPITE OF CAREFUL HANDLING, the plumber had to come — total blockage. Got a drain strainer to drain them in advance. No sprouts for 1 1/2 years despite initial enthusiasm.
Please give me TIPS on how to improve. LG Angela
Dear Angela, what a shame. They slipped down the drain during the daily rinsing. That is of course unfortunate if they get stuck there and continue to grow. It hasn’t happened to me yet, but of course it can happen, it’s conceivable. I like to work with strainers when the jars are all in use, but jars with a fixed mesh lid, such as those from Eschenfelder, are helpful and more professional https://amzn.to/36dRuDSso that the rungs do not slip through. As the lid is on, nothing can slip out if it tips over. Thank you for making me aware of the need to make sure that no rungs slip down the drain. I like to say, just try again. Make sure nothing slips in. It’s vibrant, super fresh, micronutrient and vitamin-rich food with lots of valuable chlorophyll. I find alfalfa and broccoli in a sprout jar ideal for beginners. Which seeds have you had good success with and which seeds have failed? Slime-forming seeds such as rocket and cress are not grown in a sprout jar, but using a cress sieve, for example. It helps to read up on the particular seed you want to grow. From my experience, when rinsing the cress sieve https://amzn.to/2v1tirb nothing down, because I pay attention to the water pressure.
I started growing sprouts back in January. As I don’t have that much space, I’ve never used sprout jars but sprouting trays from Sonnentor. I just have to spray them or hold them under the tap twice a day and they grow quite well. And if the sprouts are too small, I simply take a piece of kitchen paper, cut it to size and the sprouts grow very well.
I have already grown a few sprouts with GrowGrowNut. Since the mustard seed went moldy right from the start (!) last time, I haven’t grown any more in the coconut husk. Instead, I made mustard myself with the mustard seed, so I have more of it :-)).
Dear Dagmar! I didn’t know the Sonnentor range before. Fine, fine. So you work with the cress sieve https://www.sonnentor.com/de-at/onlineshop/suesses-feinkost/keimsaaten-muesli/kresse-sieb-mit-weisser-schale and do you primarily use mucilage-forming seeds, as I understand it? As is so often the case, there are different variations. For me it’s like this, sometimes I use one thing more, then another, then something else. It’s great that you’re germinating! That’s great. Why did mold appear? Maybe too wet? But if you wash it out well with vinegar, it would be usable again. It hasn’t happened to me yet. Best wishes to you Birgit
Dear Birgit!
Thanks for all the information and the explanations. I didn’t realize the difference between sprouts and microgreens until now. Not only does it look great, it also helps the balcony gardener to bridge the gap until the start of the season 😉
One question: do special seeds have to be used for this, or will “normal” seeds (organic quality, of course…) do?
Kind regards
Valérie
Dear Valerie, it’s totally worth getting involved in growing sprouts and microgreens. You can also buy peas, lentils, mung beans, radishes, sprout mix … in organic stores and use them very well. “Normal” organic seeds also work, but you will find that you need more seeds once you have acquired a taste for them and realize that you are getting more energy. Sprouted seeds, such as those from the recommended Microgreen store, come in larger containers and are therefore cheaper. Sprouted seed is not highly cultivated, it is not about large radishes or large heads of broccoli, but about the original plant itself. Have fun trying it out and hopefully you’ll stick with it. Kind regards Birgit
Thank you very much for this great information — I immediately bought a starter pack from Christian Zink.
So far I’ve been growing my sprouts in glass jars with gauze over them and a rubber ring, which works really well.
The difference to the microgreens is now clear to me and I am already looking forward to the coconut shells.
Kind regards
Cornelia
Dear Cornelia, that makes me so happy. For starters, pulling in jars with gauze works really well. But when you’ve really got a taste for it and have got into a daily routine, then it can be a bit more professional. I always love looking at my jars, GrowGrow Nuts and the little plants in them and they bring great moments of joy back into my life and healthy, fresh green plants rich in vital nutrients. Have fun Birgit
Thank you dear Birgit,
I have my daily routine — by professional do you mean the jars with the metal lids from the Eschenfelder Mühle? Kind regards Cornelia
If you already have a daily routine, you are already much further along. Then you’ll stick to it. Yes, I have the ones from Eschenfelder and I think they’re very good. Christian Zinke’s microgreen store also stocks them, that’s where I got them. Best regards Birgit