Introduction
If you’re getting started growing microgreens, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. Many people on the internet say conflicting and confusing things about growing microgreens, especially when it comes to making money growing microgreens. I will dispel or clarify ten of the most common myths and misconceptions I see as an experienced microgreen farmer. Why trust me? I own Piedmont Microgreens (PMG) in Durham, NC. I’ve been farming for seven years and I’ve spent the last four years exclusively growing microgreens for profit. We grow 400+ trays per week at PMG with a team of three full-time employees. We sell to 50 local restaurants. We also sell at the local farmers’ market. We partner with large distributors, like FreshPoint/Sysco. We also have a contract to grow microgreens for the Durham Public Schools.
Many of the myths below are so rampant in online forums that I’ve written full-length blogs about them. The relevant blogs are linked below in the Related Articles section, by myth number.
The Myths
- Watering During Germination: The primary method for germinating microgreens is to stack freshly planted trays and place a weight on top. Stacking your trays causes them to almost fully nest. This locks in moisture from the planting step. Placing a weight on top compresses the stack, further locking in the moisture. Our longest germinating crop is parsley at ten days. We don’t water it after it enters germination, and it doesn’t dry out during that time. If you are stack-germinating your crops and they dry out mid-germination, add more water when planting. The alternative germination method is to use a humidity dome. We germinate our basil, celery, and lettuce crops under humidity domes. Their respective germination times are seven, ten, and five days. We will lightly top water these crops once during germination. The humidity domes have vents that allow for air exchange, which does dry out the seeds. Please stop misting your crops during weighted germination. It’s a waste of time, and it could lead to mold or disease.
- The Blackout Step: Blacking out is a step some growers use between germination and putting the microgreens under lights. The point of a blackout step is to deprive the plants of light, leading to etiolation. Etiolation (ee-dee-uh-LAY-shuhn) is a plant adaptation where the growing tips of a plant will elongate or stretch to find light. In other words, blacking out your microgreens causes the stems to stretch upwards. Some growers find this necessary, or at least helpful, for crops with naturally short stems. Longer stems make a crop easier to harvest because there’s more space between the lip of the tray and the crop canopy. I don’t blackout any of our crops, but arugula and basil would be good candidates. Blacking out is generally unnecessary, and it creates more work for the farm team. If you want to learn more about why I discourage the blackout step, please read the article linked below.
- Deep vs. Shallow Containers: 10” by 20” trays, or “1020 trays,” are the most common tray dimensions for growing microgreens. The two most common tray depths are 1” and 2”. The shallower 1” trays were designed to be more economical by using less soil. Most growers prefer the shallower trays for that reason, but some are adamant that the deeper trays grow better microgreens. Some growers will use 2” trays, but only fill them with 1” of soil. This method saves on soil costs, and it keeps their farm cleaner since less soil falls out. There are two potential drawbacks to using 1” of soil in a 2” tray. First, it will be more difficult to get good airflow at the base of the plants. Second, it will be harder to harvest the microgreens, especially shorter varieties like basil and arugula. There is no correct answer, just a preference for one method over the other.
- Prior Experience Required: No prior farming experience is needed to start a microgreen business. "Conventional" or outdoor farming usually demands you learn about soil, weather, pests, and crop rotations. Most of those topics are irrelevant when farming microgreens. Instead, you must learn about electrical, plumbing, HVAC, airflow, and humidity. You don’t ever need to be an expert in these topics, though. Prior farming experience can help your microgreen business. You'll know how plants grow. You'll be more equipped to troubleshoot production challenges. You'll be able to better differentiate good advice from bad advice. You can learn everything required as you go, though.
- Fertilizing: Microgreens do not require supplemental nutrients to grow. Microgreens hugely benefit from receiving supplemental nutrients, though. Most microgreen substrates, like coco coir, peat moss, and hemp fiber mats, lack nutrients. These types of substrates are strictly a place for the plants to root and develop. Microgreens grown on these mediums will be fine thanks to a component of their seed called the endosperm. The endosperm is like their built-in food bank. As the young seedling emerges from its seed, it will metabolize the endosperm for energy and nutrients. It needs the endosperm to survive its early development stage, the microgreen stage. Adding a fertilizer to your growing medium will greatly improve your microgreens. This includes using a medium with added nutrients. Ocean Solution is a common liquid fertilizer. Gaia Greens 4-4-4 is a common solid fertilizer. Coco Loco is a popular, nutrient-rich soil. It needs no extra fertilizers. To drive the point home, we use Ocean Solution. We dilute one ounce of the concentrate with one gallon of water. Fertilizing each tray once costs us $0.06, but our yields increase by 20-30% as a result. Seems worth it to me.
- Special Lights: You don’t need specialized lighting to grow microgreens. Since I started PMG in late 2020, we’ve used this exact LED light from Amazon. It was, and still probably is, one of the cheapest 4’ LEDs you can buy. Could we get better yields if we bought something better, like a Barrina LED grow light? Probably. At today’s rate, though, it would cost us $12,000 to switch over because of how many lights we use. The question isn’t, “Are some lights “better” than others?” "Better" being they produce higher yields, richer colors, and deeper flavors. There certainly are better and worse lights. The question is, "Do you need to buy specialty lights, especially when starting, to grow quality microgreens?" The answer is definitely “No!”
- Micro vs. Macro Airflow: Micro-airflow is overrated; macro-airflow will suffice. Micro-airflow is the type of airflow you get within a rack, such as what’s provided by computer fans. Macro-airflow is the airflow in your farm at large. It comes from your HVAC system or large circulation fans. In the beginning, I bought many of these Bootstrap Farmer Grow Rack Fans. They were expensive and the airflow didn’t even reach past the third tray. The larger our farm grew, the more I realized they were pointless. You're better off with a few large, oscillating fans, like this Hurricane Fan, and good climate controls. Focus on keeping your relative humidity between 40-60%.
- Special Permits: You don’t need a special permit or license to grow microgreens for profit. The only potential caveat could be a business license, depending on your state, but that’s not exactly specific to microgreens as a crop. This is a point many people, even experienced growers, get wrong when answering this common question. I wrote a lengthy and in-depth blog about why this is the case. The article is, of course, linked below. It examines federal rules and the classification of microgreens as a "raw agricultural product." The point is that you can get started growing right away, although I do suggest getting an EIN and opening a business bank account.
- Microgreens = Sprouts: Microgreens are not the same thing as sprouts. This might sound like the most obvious statement to many people, but it’s worth repeating. Microgreens and sprouts are grown completely differently. Microgreen production is governed by different laws and regulations than sprout production. The general public still conflates the two crops all the time. Please read the article below to learn about more differences.
- Expensive to Start: I wrote a blog covering how to start a for-profit microgreen business for less than $1,000. I wrote it assuming you knew you wanted to turn it into a business from the onset. I picked supplies and equipment that were a bit bigger, nicer, or more ergonomic as a result. Instead, you could grow microgreens for yourself or your friends and family for much less than $1,000. You could then turn it into a business later. $1,000 or less is very affordable when it comes to starting a business.
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