Broccoli microgreens are a powerhouse form of broccoli that’s actually tender, tasty, and great to eat! You don’t even need to cook these delicious little plants, just grow, harvest, rinse, and enjoy. The micro-green form of broccoli has more of the nutrients, anti-cancer properties, and vitamin power that you’re used to enjoying with regular broccoli, from a tiny serving.
Microgreens are an awesome way to grow your own vegetables despite winter, or overly hot summers. You can grow microgreens all winter, even without a grow light. In summer, you can grow microgreens of cool weather, quick growing, plants that would stop thriving once the heat hits.
Broccoli microgreens, and broccoli sprouts, are nutritional powerhouses that are healthy and rich in anti-cancer sulforaphane. They are also rich in other essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and B, calcium, iron, and they are relatively easy to grow.
Broccoli microgreens are harvested once they reach an inch to an inch and a half in height. At this point they can either be just the two seed leaves, or some eager growing plants might have started on their first true leaf too. Even if the greens start getting true leaves, it’s not too late to harvest. Follow thesetips to get the best microgreens.
Growing Broccoli Microgreens:
Microgreen equipment is pretty much the same for all seeds.
- 2 microgreen trays
- Seed starting mix
- A mister bottle
- Broccoli seeds, microgreen specific
- A grow light (optional)
- A heat mat (optional)
Broccoli seeds are small and do not require soaking before germination. So, start with one of your microgreen trays and fill it to about 1/2 inch below the top with seed starting mix, coconut coir, or your chosen growing medium. Make sure your microgreen trays have drainage holes, as it does work best to water them from the bottom.
Once your tray is filled with soil, evenly sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of broccoli seed across the top. The seeds should be close together and nearly touching. Add more seeds as needed, depending on the size of your tray.
Mist tray until the top layer is thoroughly wet, but water has not started dripping out of the bottom. Place the extra tray over the seeded and prepared tray and set aside in a dark, warm, location for 2-4 days.
After two days, remove the top tray and check on the seed growth. They should be starting to send down roots and some may be starting to try to send up leaves. Water if necessary by placing in a flat tray and letting the growing medium absorb enough water to be evenly damp but not soaked. If the sprouts are pushing up the top tray, remove the weight tray and return to the dark location for 12-24 more hours, this is to increase the stem length.
On removing your microgreen tray from the dark location about six days to a week after starting the seeds, the greens will appear yellow and semi anemic. Place tray under a grow light, or in diffuse natural light. After 6-12 hours, they sprouts should begin greening up and become a rich, dark green.
Keep your microgreen tray out of direct sunlight during hotter months, you can use direct sunlight during autumn, winter, and spring. Broccoli likes cooler weather, so may grow slower if it is too hot.
Let the broccoli microgreens grow, watering from the bottom as needed, until they are at least 3-4 inches tall. They should just have their seed leaves, you are not waiting for true leaves for these microgreens.
Once you feel your broccoli is tall enough, use scissors to cut the stems level with the top of your tray. Place cut greens in a glass, sealable container with a paper towel on the bottom and top to absorb excess moisture. If greens are visibly dirty, rinse off before storing.
Using your Microgreens:
These microgreens are awesome in salads, added to sandwiches, or sprinkled on top of soups. Any where you use green accents, lettuce, or other greens you can use microgreens. They even taste great on their own, just as a snack.
You may be able to convince broccoli haters to try their microgreen form, since the greens taste nothing like conventional broccoli heads.
New to growing microgreens?
Check out the Fill Your Salad Bowl workshop and learn how to use 3 different growing methods, at home, so you can fill your salad bowl with super food, nutrient dense, greens every single day. These are greens you can use in your salad bowl, greens you can add to soups, stews, and pasta dishes, and even greens you can use in a stir fry.
In this mini workshop you will learn how to fill a salad bowl every day with food you grow yourself.
- Even if you don’t have any land.
- Even if there is 3 feet of snow covering your garden
- Even if you’ve killed house plants in the past.
- Even if you think you have a black thumb.
Have a look at what’s covered in this workshop and see if its a good fit for you, by clicking/tapping the blue button below.
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