Easy Gardening: Micro Greens

Last year was my first year planting a garden, and it was so fulfilling. This year is not looking quite as good because of our strangely wet and cool summer, but hopefully it will heat up a bit and we will get a nice harvest. One thing that has been growing gangbusters though is my barrel full of Mirco Greens. I would suggest everyone plant some...they are so easy and fantastic!

I got a packet of seeds from our local nursery ($1.29) for Micro Greens (a nice mix of lettuces). I placed some good soil in my large barrel  and planted pretty tight rows with lots of little seeds about 1/2 inch down into the soil, then covered them up and pressed the soil on top. I was careful to make sure they were well watered (moist but not soggy) in the beginning and within two weeks I had a whole pot of Micro Greens, enough for a few huge salads. I snipped the ready leaves off and left about 1/2 inch toward the soil. Within another week, I had all the lettuce I needed for another salad. They are delicious and mild and they just keep growing! I have them in a pot on my deck to keep them from being eaten by critters, and they have done incredibly well. Even if you don't have much space this is definitely something you could grow on a deck or small patio. Give it a try!

One caution...they really hold onto water. So, after you harvest them, plan on washing them and then spinning them for a while in a salad spinner or drying them with a paper towel. I made the mistake of not drying them enough and they were really soggy. I would also suggest only harvesting what you plan on eating that day because they don't seem to hold well for very long. If you must store them, place them in a plastic bag with a paper towel and refrigerate. 

Yum, Yum!