Gardening Edible Gardening Vegetable Gardening How to Grow Microgreens Indoors Go from seed to harvest in just a handful of weeks with this guide on how to grow microgreens indoors. By Kate Carter Frederick Kate Carter Frederick For 30 years, Kate Carter Frederick has served as an on-staff editor for the Better Homes and Gardens special interest magazines as well as a freelance editor, project manager, writer, producer, and garden/plant stylist for the magazines, books, brand licensing, and custom publishing groups of Meredith Corp. Her work for hundreds of magazines, books, and websites spans the realms of gardening, outdoor living, DIY, food, crafts, decorating, remodeling, building, and holiday celebrations. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Project Overview Working Time: 1 hour Total Time: 3 weeks Skill Level: Kid-friendly Among the easiest and fastest-growing crops, microgreens offer a palette of fresh flavors, from mild to spicy, and inspire repeated plantings for an ongoing supply of fresh greens for creative uses. These teensy microgreen seedlings are grown for harvest at a tender stage and are perfect for a windowsill garden. They're ready for harvest and can have their stems snipped after only two to three weeks of growing. If left to grow, microgreens become young seedlings and then full-fledged plants. To grow microgreens indoors, you'll need potting mix and bright light. Flavors range from intense, like a full-grown plant, to subtle. What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Garden trowel Watering can Materials 3-inch peat pots or other suitable containers Soiless seed-starting mix Vermiculite Seeds Plant labels Plastic wrap Instructions Dampen Soil To get started growing microgreens indoors, remoisten the soilless seed-starting mix, a sterile medium formulated to promote seed development. Do this by sprinkling warm water onto the mixture and blending until it is thoroughly damp. Fill Containers Fill each container with premoistened seed-starting mix. There's no need to pack it into place—packing the container too tight will lead to drainage issues. Set the container on a watertight drip tray or saucer. Sprinkle Seeds Sprinkle seeds evenly over the surface of the seed-starting mix, sowing them more thickly than you ordinarily would. Leave at least 1/4 inch of space between the seeds. Cover Seeds Cover the seeds with vermiculite. This mineral-based material absorbs water and releases it slowly, keeping seeds damp but not too wet. Follow instructions for planting depth provided on the seed packet. Some seeds should be barely covered; others need thicker covering to germinate (sprout and grow). Label plantings. Water Water the sown seeds with a gentle shower, soaking the vermiculite without washing away the seeds. Water lightly as needed to keep the seed-starting mix damp until the seeds germinate and green shoots sprout. If the mix is too wet, seeds can't root and fail to grow. Cover Cover the containers with a lightweight sheet of plastic or a doomed lid to maintain humidity and promote germination to encourage the best growth of microgreens indoors. Set the drip tray on a heat mat designed for seed starting or on a heating pad. Care for Plants When the seeds germinate, remove the lid and the heat source. Set the containers on a sunny windowsill to help your microgreens grow indoors. Keep the planting medium damp, and promote healthy growth by watering from the bottom. Pour water into the tray and allow it to be absorbed into the soilless mix. Harvest To harvest the microgreens, hold a section with one hand and use the other to snip with scissors. Keep your microgreens cool and in an airtight container until you're ready to use them. Their shelf life in the refrigerator is about a week.