Central Coast Home & Lifestyle Magazine Autumn 2026

Microgreens Pack a Nutritional Punch M icrogreens are flavourful and can easily be incorporated into your diet. They are very nutritious and may even reduce your risk of certain diseases. They are easy to grow at home, and a cost-effective way to boost nutrient intake. Microgreens are young seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs harvested less than 14 days after germination. They are usually about 1-3 inches long and come in a rainbow of colours, which has made them popular in recent years as garnishes with chefs. They can be grown from many different types of seeds: Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, watercress, radish, rocket, lettuce, endive, chicory, radicchio, dill, carrot, fennel, celery, garlic, onion, leek, quinoa, swiss chard, beet, spinach, melon, cucumber and squash. Microgreens require slightly less warm and humid conditions than sprouts do, and only

2. Sprinkle the seed of your choice on top of the soil as evenly as possible. 3. Lightly mist your seeds with water, cover your container with a plastic lid. Check on your tray daily and mist water as needed to keep the seeds moist. 4. A couple of days after the seeds have germinated, you may remove the plastic lid to expose them to light. Water once a day while your microgreens grow and gain colour. After 7–10 days, your microgreens should be ready to harvest.

the leaf and stem are consumed. They can be grown year-round, both indoors or outdoors.

How to Grow Your Own If growing microgreens at home, it’s important to buy good quality seeds from a reputable company and choose growing mediums that are free of contamination with harmful bacteria. Here’s what you’ll need: Good-quality seeds, a container filled with potting soil or homemade compost. Alternatively, you can use a single-use growing mat specifically designed for growing microgreens, either sunlight or ultraviolet lighting, ideally for 12–16 hours per day. Instructions: 1. Fill your container with soil, making sure you don’t over-compress it, and water lightly. The most common growing mediums are peat, perlite and vermiculite. Single-use growing mats produced specifically for growing microgreens are considered very sanitary.

11 Home & Lifestyle Magazine | Autumn 2026