When To Harvest Microgreens (My Personal Experience)
One of the best reasons to grow microgreens is that you get to harvest them super fast. But knowing when to harvest microgreens is important. Why? Well for optimal nutrition. To my understanding, the whole purpose of growing and harvesting microgreens is to gain the immense amount of nutrients available in their tiny leaves and stems. This begs the question: When are microgreens ready to harvest?
Some say that microgreens are ready for harvesting after 2 weeks, while others claim that you can harvest them within 10 days. Personally, I’ve found times to vary depending on the vegetation of choice, environmental factors, and the method used to grow microgreens.
A good rule of thumb is to assess the growth of leaves. Most microgreens are ready for harvesting when their first set of leaves sprouts and their stems reach about 5cm in length or height.
This first set of leaves is referred to as cotyledons and is generally packed with nutrients. But there’s a second set of leaves that sprout, which are referred to as true leaves. This is the second stage of growth.
Generally speaking, you can harvest microgreens during the cotyledon stage or the true leaf stage.
Rarely will microgreens need 3 weeks for harvesting, and if you wait too long, the leaves may begin to mature and grow too much, or they may start to turn yellow. This is especially true for certain species of microgreens, like garden cress.
Related article: Beginner’s guide to growing microgreens
What Time Is Optimal For Harvesting?
During the early mornings and late afternoons, plants tend to be at their freshest and healthiest during these hours of the day. Many people claim that harvesting at these hours ensures that your greens are crispier, fresher, and more flavorful.
This tends to be the case because plants or vegetables regain their moisture from the soil overnight.
There are a few lifestyle reasons why I prefer to harvest microgreens in the morning. For one, I get to soak up some sunshine outdoors, which helps regulate my circadian rhythm.
Secondly, I can be motivated to eat healthily throughout the day since I have a fresh harvest of microgreens.
Thirdly, it’s convenient to prepare a salad with microgreens first thing in the morning.
Related article: The best herbs to grow at home
Can You Regrow Microgreens After Harvesting?
Yes, you can, but it’s quite difficult. Typically, the second harvest of microgreens tends to be less vibrant and healthy than the first. It even takes longer for new sprouts and leaves to develop, which doesn’t make it worth the time or effort.
Some gardeners argue that microgreens can only be harvested once and require a new seed-sowing process for a new batch of sprouts.
I tried to regrow garden cress after a single harvest, and it was rather poor in quality.
Not all the stems regrew leaves, and the ones that did never truly grew back as healthy or crispy as the first batch.
It’s better to utilize these stems to make potting soil of your own that is more enriched with nutrients and minerals.
Then, sow a new batch of seeds into this richer and replenished soil for a higher-quality harvest of microgreens.
Ultimately, if you’re looking to harvest crops multiple times and gain a larger amount, it’s best to allow most plants to grow and mature in size.
This is a more laid-back, evergreen, and high-yielding approach to gardening that would benefit most people who are trying to garden and eat healthier home-grown crops.
Related article: Potting soil and compost explained for beginners
