A small tray.
A new growing habit.

Your first tray in six steps

1. Choose one crop

   Choose seeds intended for edible microgreens. Check the supplier’s sowing instructions and use one variety per tray so it develops evenly. Compare radish and broccoli in the growing glossary.

2. Prepare your tray

   Wash your hands and clean your tray and tools. Place a tray with drainage inside a catch tray. Moisten fresh seed-starting medium evenly, without leaving it waterlogged.

3. Sow evenly

   Measure the seed quantity for your tray using the supplier’s guidance. Spread evenly and gently press into contact with the medium. Follow crop-specific instructions for soaking and covering; these are not the same for every seed.

4. Check germination

   Keep the medium moist, not saturated. Check the covered tray daily and follow the supplier’s advice on when to uncover. Record sowing and germination dates; use the crop profiles as starting references.

5. Give it light and water

   After uncovering, provide suitable natural light or a grow light. Once established, water through the catch tray as needed, then remove excess water. Check the crop daily rather than watering to a fixed timetable.

6. Harvest and try again

   Harvest at the stage recommended for your crop using clean tools. Keep cut greens refrigerated and discard suspect batches. Record your results for the next sowing and explore ways to serve your harvest.

What are microgreens?

Microgreens are young plants harvested above the growing medium. They are grown for tender stems and leaves. Unlike sprouts, the roots and seed are generally not part of the harvested product.

Start with one crop, not a full shelf

Radish is a practical first experiment: the CropPlan library starts at eight days from sowing to harvest. Broccoli is another option. Treat those times as starting points; your variety, light and temperature will change the result.

What you need for your first tray

Use seeds sold for edible microgreen production, a clean tray with drainage, a suitable growing medium, water and suitable light. A second tray can catch drainage. Start small, then adjust your setup after seeing a complete growing cycle.

Follow the crop, not just the calendar

Check the crop each day. Keep the medium appropriately moist and avoid standing water. Soaking and blackout depend on the species: basil and arugula, for example, should not be pre-soaked according to the app library. Do not apply one recipe to every seed.

Keep a simple record

Record the seed quantity, tray size and sowing date. Add observations about germination and harvest. After a few batches, adjust the growing time in CropPlan to match your own setup.

Keep food hygiene part of the hobby

Use potable water and clean equipment, and follow seed-supplier and local food-safety guidance. Harvest with clean tools, keep the harvested crop refrigerated and discard batches with suspected mould or contamination. A calendar cannot determine whether a crop is safe to eat.

When a hobby becomes something more

If friends or local buyers ask for regular harvests, test a small repeat order before buying more equipment. Include your time, packaging and unsold crops in the calculation. Our profitability page helps you explore those numbers.