+ What are microgreens?

Microgreens are essentially the young seedlings of vegetable plants. They are considered baby plants, falling somewhere between a sprout and baby green. Due to their compact size, the young plants are concentrated in both taste, and nutrients. Some microgreens, such as cabbage and radish, have been shown to contain up to 40 times the nutrient content of their adult counterparts! So although they’ve been made famous by online cooking shows, they are actually one of nature's hidden superfoods.

+Are any chemicals used?

No chemicals, no pesticides, no herbicide, no fungicide...Only the good stuff for our greens!

+What do they grow in?

Here at Urban Green Sydney we choose to use coconut coir (coco) as our medium of choice. This is for many reasons, but the most important is that it is a renewable resource, being the otherwise waste product of the coconut industry. Instead of throwing the coconut husks away after the water is harvested, they can instead be treated over a number of months and turned into an incredible medium for plant growth. But whether you choose to use soil or coco to grow in, there are also other additives that you can improve the mix with. For example, you might see small bits of white and gold mixed through the medium. These are perlite and vermiculite respectively, with the former providing aeration, and the latter helping with nutrient uptake.

+How long do the seeds take to germinate?

It really depends on the variety (and germination temperature!) but usually between 3 to 9 days.

+How can I use my microgreens?

• As a flavour enhancer : Microgreens can be incorporated into a variety of dishes, including sandwiches, wraps and salads.
• Microgreens may also be blended into smoothies or juiced. Wheatgrass juice is a popular example of a juiced microgreen.
• As a gourmet garnish : Another option is to use them as a flavourful, colourful garnish on pizzas, soups, omelets, curries and a huge range of other dishes. There’s a reason why fine dining chefs the world over love them so much!

+How do I harvest?

To serve, simply use scissors to cut them on the stems above the soil mix. If harvesting a larger amount to store and use later, itʼs best to cut, rinse with cold water and use a salad spinner to dry. It’s important to immediately refrigerate them in a sealed container to make sure that they don’t wilt. Stored like this they should remain fresh for at least 7-10 days and usually longer. Did you know? After harvesting, the plants can be carefully taken out of their pots and replanted into the garden to grow into their mature selves!

+What is the best way to store them in the punnets?

It’s important to remember that microgreens in their pots are essentially living seedlings. So they shouldn’t really be kept in the fridge - you would put a seedling in the fridge right!?! We recommend to leave them on your kitchen counter, or anywhere that they’ll get a little bit of natural light (it doesn’t have to be direct, but if you store them in the cupboard you may find that they go yellow quite quickly.) If they start drooping, use a small jug to give them 50mL of water and they should stand up again within hours. Kept like this, our microgreens will last anywhere up to 3 weeks.

URBAN GREEN GROW-KIT FAQs

+ What is included in my grow kit? .

Your grow kit includes; 4 varieties of seeds, 1 bag of soil mix, 4 biodegradable pots + lids, an instruction sheet, and box that doubles as a DIY plant stand. The box is made from recycled cardboard, and our planter pots are 100% biodegradable.

+ How long do the seeds need to germinate? .

This varies depending on the variety of each seed. Refer to the planting guide on your instruction sheet for specific details.

+ The soil looks and feels dry. Should I add water before planting?

Absolutely! Because of shipping delays, sometimes the soil can dry out before arriving to your door. To know whether it needs water or not, take a handful of soil and squeeze it together. If it doesn't expel water, or leave your hand moist, then you can add some tap water. Take a bucket or a large mixing bowl and mix in around 200ml water with the soil (50ml/cup). Alternatively, when sowing the seeds, you can simply spray the soil for longer.

+ The Biocups don't have drainage holes. Why is that?

Because microgreens are only really designed to be grown for 2-3 weeks maximum, it's not as important to give them drainage as there isn't as much chance for root rot as the roots aren't very developed yet anyway. Having said that, you do need to be careful not to overwater. The soil should be moist, not wet, and you should only give it a drink if the topsoil looks/feels dry, or if the plant looks droopy. A general rule of thumb is 50ml every other day.

+ I got Peas in my kit. It says to soak them. Do I just use regular tap water?

Yep! It's best to soak larger seeds like peas as it helps them germinate quicker. Just cover the seeds with around 2cm of water in a small container. Leave them at room temperature overnight but not longer than 16 hours. Make sure you rinse them well before planting out.

+ Do I have to soak them?

You don't have to soak them but it will increase your chances of germination. P.S. Just the peas! You don't have to soak any other varieties currently included in our kits.

+ How can I use my greens?

Check out the @urbangreensydney instagram to learn more about each microgreen, and for tips and recipe ideas!