Grow Your Own Food, Grow Your Health: The Microgreen Adventure!
- jay smith
- Dec 13, 2023
- 5 min read
Tired of store-bought greens that wilt faster than your New Year's resolutions? Let's ditch the plastic and grow our powerhouse greens in our kitchens with microgreens! Not only is it fun and family-friendly, but these tiny titans pack a nutritional punch that'll leave your bodies (and taste buds) singing. Ready to transform your kitchen into a mini-farm and fuel your family with nature's bounty? Join me as we explore the world of microgreens, their incredible health benefits, and how they can be the secret ingredient to happier, healthier lives!
A few posts, ago we dove deep into the phenomenal world of microgreens, those tiny titans of nutrition bursting with flavor and health benefits. We marveled at their vitamin-packed goodness, their ability to add a vibrant punch to any dish, and the fact that they're ready to harvest in just a week (talk about instant gratification for your taste buds and your body!). Now, I'm here to take you from green-eyed admirer to green-thumbed grower, because guess what? You can bring this micro-magic into your own home!
So buckle up, plant lovers, because we're about to explore the exciting world of Urban Leaf and their incredible microgreen kits. They've got options for everyone, from the curious beginner to the seasoned sprout master, all designed to make cultivating your green bounty a breeze. Whether you're craving a compact windowsill garden or a vertical jungle of micro-goodness, Urban Leaf has the tools and seeds to make your green dreams a reality.
Ready to ditch the plastic-wrapped, flavor-faded greens and embrace the power of homegrown microgreens? Let's get our hands dirty (well, mostly just green!) and explore the joy of growing your superfood superstars!
Modern Microgreens Kit with Grow Light
A sustainably made, hydroponic countertop indoor garden to grow microgreens in just 7 days and with zero effort, just add water!
Sleek in-built grow light with a timer enables year-round growing, even in the darkest of spaces
What's Included
3 refill pads (about 2-week seed supply 🌱)
1 ceramic bowl
1 steel frame
LED grow lights
1 steel tray holder
3 wick holders
3 seed pad trays
3 wicks
What to love about it
The garden unit is a sleek addition to your kitchen countertop, and with a range of color options available, you are sure to find the right one for your space. Although microgreens can be grown without a grow light, in dark places (or in the middle of winter) the added grow light can assist with
more consistent yield
germination success
full spectrum rays for plant development, and
is more automated (you can leave Ingarden alone for a whole week without needing to babysit it)
Only costs about 14 dollars a year in electricity
Ceramic Zero-Waste Microgreens Kit
Orta Kitchen Garden's large microgreens kit includes a ceramic self-watering tray with lifetime warranty, plus soil and seeds to get you started straight out of the box!
The thoughtful use of ceramics in this product provides a passive watering mechanism with zero moving parts, and is built to last your lifetime
The product itself is made from natural materials (clay) and the (plastic-free) packaging is 100% recyclable. Includes Organic Seeds and OMRI-certified organic growing medium
What's Included
1 Terracotta self-watering pot, dimensions: 5" x 5" x 3" tall
Organic soil, enough for 4 crops of microgreens
Seeds for 4 crops of microgreens: Radish, Arugula, Beets, Tatsoi (an Asian green, like spinach)
Illustrated instruction cards that show you how to use your kit for microgreens, veggie and flower starts, herb cuttings, succulents, and seed saving
Anne Fletcher, founder of Orta Kitchen Garden, has been incredibly thoughtful with the design and production of this product. She sourced her clay to avoid nasty chemicals (such as Barium carbonate) commonly found in other clays, and she even figured out a way to apply the glaze to her unbaked clay so that she could reduce the number of firings needed for this product from 2 to 1.
Supplies You'll Need
A small amount of light - either sunshine or daylight (doesn't need to be direct, or intense)
Windowsill Microgreens Kit
The Urban Leaf Microgreens Starter Kit makes a great gift (for you or someone else!) and includes more seed varieties (six) than any other Microgreens kit we offer. It's best suited for smaller households (1-2 people) and is the only Microgreens kit we offer that can be paired with the Urban Leaf Window Shelf.
What's Included
3 x Grow Trays (4 x 4" ea) - self-watering, dishwasher safe, and made from bamboo fiber PLA.
3 x Germination Lids, made from recyclable PET.
6 x Grow Mats, made from 100% compostable plant fiber.
6 x Packets of Seeds, including Radish, Kale, Rainbox Mix, Mustard, Spicy Mix, and Broccoli. All seeds are Organic and non-GMO.
1 x Guide Book.
1 x Free 156-page eBook download
Futuristic Micropod
What makes the Micropod unique is that it does not require any additional grow mats or media. Only seeds. This means that the ongoing refill cost of this unit will be significantly cheaper than the alternatives. This is also the only kit we offer that does not ship with seeds included, so be sure to add them separately!
What's Included
Includes MicroPod and MicroGrid
7.5”/19cm diameter, 1.5”/4cm height
All parts are made from durable and recyclable ABS
Food proof, dishwasher proof, and BPA free
Fits nicely under PlantSpectrum MicroFarm mounts and HomeForest products
The MicroPod kit does not come with seeds, so be sure to include some of these with your purchase. Be careful with extremely fine/small seeds, as these can slip through the gaps in the MicroGrid and when you have organic matter (seeds) sitting around in water it can lead to the water turning foul.
Minimum ambient temperature above 19°C/66°F
Ideal average germination ambient temperature lies around 21°C/70°F
Too high temperatures (+26°C/80°F ) or low air humidity (-40%) can cause faster water evaporation.
Want More than Microgreens Check out Our Self Watering Planter 6"
These glass & ceramic self-watering planters are stylish, easy to use, and take the guesswork out of watering.
After adding water to the glass, it will slowly seep through the ceramic liner and become available to the plant roots.
This 6" size is great for most herbs, and could also accommodate small fruits & vegetables.
What's Included
One self-watering planter including a glass outer, and ceramic liner
Features to Know About
Most edible plants will need watering every 1-2 days. With these planters, you can extend this to 1-2 weeks.
Supplies You'll Need
Some high-quality potting soil, seeds, and a good source of light
Last but not least is the Bottle Garden Kit
A low-maintenance gardening project that adds a touch of green, with minimal effort. Never forget watering day again with this passive hydroponics setup that enables plants to water themselves, straight from the bottle.
What's Included
3 bottle inserts, complete with nutrient-enriched grow sponges
bottle labels
germination stickers
3 x packets of seeds (for best results use the seeds provided)
quick start
Features to Know About
The grow sponges in these kits are enriched with a water-soluble hydroponic plant food, which will soak out into the water in the bottle once inserted. Never replace the water in your bottle, just top it up. After 4 months we recommend adding some Urban Leaf liquid plant food to the top-up water as well.
Supplies You'll Need
These kits do not include bottles. They are however compatible with most beer and wine bottles. We recommend 750ml and dark green or brown for best results. Do not use clear bottles as this will allow algae to grow in the water and consume all the nutrients.
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