If you love the idea of growing your own greens so that you have a constant supply for summer salads without having to pay for the bagged variety let me introduce you to the microgreen. The microgreens are simply green leaf plants which you can harvest at a very young age. This is because their seed leaves - the first sprouting leaves - have the characteristic flavours of the herb or salad. This means that you can grow them in as little as a few days. They can be grown in just about any container and many don't even require soil.
You can also grow them indoors on a windowsill so perfect for the fair weathered gardener or for those who don't have any outdoor space. There are a whole range of different microgreen seeds available such as watercress, mustard, broccoli, alfalfa, basil and rocket to name a few. You can fashion a growing container out of any container type thing you may have lying around for example tins, plastic milk bottle cut off or plastic food trays.
Line your container with a little soil or damp piece of kitchen towel. Sprinkle some seeds (quite a few as they are only tiny sprouts and don't require too much space) and cover with a lid or piece of paper until the seeds have sprouted. Then leave them open to the light. Wait until the sprouts are a few centimetres tall and then they are ready to harvest. This usually takes between 4-8 days. You can sew different varieties to ensure a continuous supply of tasty little greens.
Micro-greens are so small and compact that you could even have some growing in a small container on your desk at work and add to your lunch for a fresh green kick. The possibilities are endless, hooray for microgreens!
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