Cultivating Microgreens in Your Condo 101

With the pandemic still on and new variants popping up now and then, people are looking into improving their health and immune system. The food that you eat is known to affect your health heavily. That is why a lot of people who have backyards and gardens have considered planting vegetables so they can include them in most of their meals and at the same time save money and avoid frequent trips to the grocery store or public market.

For condo dwellers in the metro, such as those who live in My Enso Lofts, located in the heart of Quezon City, don’t think that just because your home does not have an outdoor space that you can't grow edible plants. A great alternative to planting vegetables outdoors is planting microgreens in your condo.

What are microgreens?

Microgreens are young vegetable greens that grow anywhere from one to three inches tall. These superfoods have aromatic flavors and are packed with different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While you can buy superfoods in juice, powder, and capsule form, nothing beats consuming these superfoods in their natural form.

It is ideal to eat microgreens raw if you want to take full advantage of their nutrient content. You can add them to your salads, sandwiches, tortilla wraps, or homemade pizzas. You can also use them as a garnish for soups or as an additional healthy ingredient to your smoothies.

Why should you grow microgreens?

Growing microgreens in your condo is ideal because they are the quickest edible plants you can harvest. In about 8 to 28 days after sowing, you can harvest your greens. 

It is best to buy a microgreens growing kit that includes seeds, nutrient soil or soil-less medium, trays or containers, seed marker, and growing instructions. These kits cost PhP 150 to PhP 1,000. Some popular microgreens you can plant are pea shoots, sunflower shoots, kale, and arugula.

Growing microgreens in a condo is ideal because they only require two to six hours of direct sunlight. You can also use a simple LED grow light if you don’t have an ideal area at home for them to soak in the sun. They are easy to care of and make ideal hobbies for retirees and children who want to experience planting and harvesting indoors. If you are a current resident of My Enso Lofts in Quezon City, microgreens gardening in your condo is sure to add color to your minimalist zen home. 

How to cultivate microgreens in your condo?

Here are simple steps you can follow when planting microgreens at home:

1. Read the seed packet to see if there are special instructions to follow for that particular seed.
2. Get your container and fill it with one to two inches of nutrient soil. Level the soil but do not over-compress it.
3. Scatter the seeds evenly on top of your soil. Press them gently using your hand or cardboard.
4. Add a thin layer of soil to your seeds, then dampen the surface with water using a mister. Another option is to cover your container with a clear lid or plastic wrap until the seeds have sprouted.
5. Mist your sprout once or twice a day to keep your soil moist, not wet.
6. Once the seeds have sprouted, you can remove the cover if you used one and continue to mist them once or twice a day.
7. Once grown (about two to three inches tall), you can cut your greens, rinse them in clean water, and dry them using paper towels. Afterwards, they're ready to be served and eaten.

Your cut and uneaten microgreens can be stored in a plastic bag and put in the fridge. It is best to consume them immediately instead of storing them in the refrigerator for several days. Not all microgreens regrow after you cut them, but some regrow even after cutting several times. To replant new sets of microgreens, remove the roots and replant seeds, or start the process over again with a new set of soil and seeds.