Then you should consider growing broccoli microgreens right in the comfort of your own home! These tiny greens pack a powerful punch of flavor and nutrients, making them a fantastic addition to any meal! So if you don’t mind, I would like to share several health, environmental, and financial benefits of cultivating broccoli microgreens in your own kitchen:

• Nutrient Powerhouse: Despite their small size, broccoli microgreens are densely packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They contain high levels of vitamins C, K, and E, as well as important nutrients like folate, potassium, and fiber. Incorporating broccoli microgreens into your diet can help support overall health and well-being. Studies have concluded that broccoli microgreens contain up to 40 times more nutrients than their mature counterparts. More info on the health benefits in the next section.
• Easy and Quick to Grow: Growing broccoli microgreens at home is incredibly simple and requires minimal time and effort. With the right supplies and a little bit of attention, you can have fresh microgreens ready to harvest in just 7 to 10 days. It's a great way to introduce gardening to beginners or those with limited outdoor or indoor space.
• Year-Round Harvest: One of the best advantages of growing microgreens indoors is that you can enjoy a continuous harvest year-round, regardless of the season. Whether it's the middle of winter or the height of summer, you can always have fresh, homegrown broccoli microgreens at your fingertips.
• Not Available: Buying fresh microgreens from the grocery store or local markets are often hard to find. 
• Cost-Effective: Eating microgreens ensures that you are eating your daily consumption of nutrients from vegetables as they contain the same nutrients but microgreens have much higher quantities. Therefore, to get the same amount of nutrients, you only need to harvest a tray a day and you will have consumed your daily nutrition. This makes microgreens a very small investment in seeds and growing supplies which in turn can yield a bountiful supply of nutrient-rich greens, saving you money in medical or health related illness or diseases in the long run.
• Improve Your Culinary Creations: Broccoli microgreens add a delightful burst of flavor, texture, and color to a wide range of dishes. From salads and sandwiches to soups and stir-fries, these versatile greens can elevate your culinary creations and impress your family and friends with your garden-to-table delights.
• Sustainable Living: By growing your own broccoli microgreens at home, you're reducing your carbon footprint and contributing to a more sustainable way of living. You'll minimize food miles, packaging waste, and reliance on commercially grown produce, promoting environmental stewardship and self-sufficiency.

Overall, growing broccoli microgreens is a fruitful and rewarding process that involves nurturing young broccoli seedlings to their incredible flavorful and most nutritious stage, harvested at the cotyledon stage, when they are just a few centimeters tall. 

Amazing Benefits of Broccoli Microgreens

As you may have read, health and nutrition scientific discoveries and applications have demonstrated that broccoli microgreens are renowned for their exceptional nutritional profile, packing a potent dose of health-promoting compounds in their tiny leaves, with much attention on the cancer-fighting compound: sulforaphane. Nevertheless, broccoli microgreens are a complete and wholesome food that our bodies naturally thrive on. Here are some of the core health benefits found in broccoli microgreens:

Rich in Antioxidants: Broccoli microgreens are abundant in antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and various phytochemicals like sulforaphane and glucosinolates. These antioxidants help combat oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.

High in Vitamins and Mineral: Despite their small size, broccoli microgreens are a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals essential for overall health. They are particularly rich in vitamin K, which is crucial for blood clotting and bone health, as well as vitamin A, folate, potassium, and iron.

Support Heart Health: Consuming broccoli microgreens may help promote heart health due to their high content of heart-friendly nutrients. The antioxidants and fiber found in broccoli microgreens can help lower cholesterol levels, improve blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Aid Digestive Health: Broccoli microgreens contain dietary fiber, which supports digestive health by promoting regular bowel movements, preventing constipation, and supporting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Additionally, the sulforaphane content in broccoli microgreens may have anti-inflammatory effects in the gut.

Boost Immune Function: The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in broccoli microgreens play a vital role in supporting a healthy immune system. Vitamin C, in particular, helps stimulate the production of white blood cells and antibodies, enhancing the body's ability to fight off infections and illnesses.

Cancer-Fighting Properties: Sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli microgreens, has been studied for its potential cancer-fighting properties. Research suggests that sulforaphane may help inhibit the growth of cancer cells, reduce inflammation, and detoxify carcinogens, offering protection against certain types of cancer.

Promote Skin Health: The antioxidants in broccoli microgreens, such as vitamins C and E, help protect the skin from damage caused by UV radiation, pollution, and other environmental stressors. Additionally, vitamin A supports skin cell turnover and regeneration, promoting a healthy complexion.

Overall, incorporating broccoli microgreens into your diet can provide a convenient and delicious way to reap these health benefits and support your overall well-being. Whether enjoyed raw in salads, sandwiches, or smoothies, or lightly cooked in stir-fries or soups, broccoli microgreens offer a nutritious boost to any meal.

If you're ready to get started, you've come to the right place! So without further ado, we'll walk you through the simple steps of growing broccoli microgreens, ensuring you have everything you need for a plentiful harvest in approximately 7 to 10 days (from seed to harvest). 

Broccoli Microgreens Overview

Must-Have Tools for Growing Broccoli Microgreens

Essential Materials:

• Seeds: High-quality broccoli seeds are essential for successful cultivation. Explore our seeds selection here.
• Trays/Containers: You will need two trays—one shallow tray with drainage holes to create an optimal growing environment, and another tray without holes to be placed underneath to catch excess water. Check out our selection here.
• Growing medium: Choose a nutrient-rich growing medium such as seedling soil, mix or coconut coir to support healthy growth.
• Lighting: Ensure your microgreens receive optimal lighting for robust growth. While natural sunlight is effective, for enhanced results, we recommend our T5 LED Microgreen Grow Lights. Engineered with a 6500K spectrum, these lights are precisely tailored to provide the ideal light spectrum for growing microgreens, guaranteeing optimal growth and health.
• Spray Bottle: A sprayer bottle is necessary for maintaining proper moisture levels during germination and growth.
• Humidity Dome: Use a humidity dome to create a moist environment during the germination stage, aiding in successful seed sprouting and early growth. Explore our selection of humidity domes here.

Optional Materials:

• Rack Cooling Fan: Enhance air circulation and regulate temperature for optimal growth conditions with our rack cooling fan. Additionally, you can control the fan speed using the fan speed controller, allowing for precise adjustment according to your specific needs.
• LCD Digital Thermometer Hygrometer: Monitor indoor temperature and humidity levels using our LCD digital thermometer hygrometer. This tool provides valuable insights into the growing environment, ensuring conditions are optimal for your microgreens' development.

The 6 Easy Steps & Processes

Now that we have all the necessary materials and information to grow broccoli microgreens, here is the step-by-step guide to growing them:

STEP 1: Prepare Your 1020 Microgreen  Shallow Tray 

Take your 1020 shallow tray with holes and place the tray without holes underneath, so that they are stacked together. Begin by filling the upper tray with holes with soil until the surface is level and even - you can use a press or your hand to make the soil even and lightly fill any low areas. 

STEP 2: Sow Your Seeds 

Evenly spread the broccoli seeds across the surface. Water the surface using a spray bottle, and add about a cup of water to the bottom tray to keep the soil moist throughout the germination process.

 

STEP 3: Germination Stage 

Your broccoli microgreens will need about 2 - 3 days to germinate fully and become developed enough to be placed under sunlight or artificial intelligent lighting. Therefore, we recommend that you check your microgreens on a daily basis. Ensuring that they have the right moisture level. Lightly mist as well as bottom water your tray as needed.

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STEP 4: Growing under T5 Artificial Lighting

Once the seeds have fully germinated (typically within 2-3 days) means that they are now at their next stage of growth: seedling. Next, remove the humidity dome from the top of the 1020 tray or retrieve your 1020 tray from your designated dark space, and place it under an optimal, consistent light source. We recommend that you use T5 LED 6500K lights which provide you with sufficient lumens (1200-2200 lumens). Make sure that you also use a timer to program the amount of light your plants need. This will ensure they are able to photosynthesize throughout their lifecycle and can deliver the high level of nutrition that your body thrives on. 

We recommend a minimum lighting duration of 10 hours. The average should be between 16-18 hours of light per day, ensuring consistent exposure to promote healthy growth. In theory, the higher the amount of light the seedlings receive, the higher the antioxident levels, as can be read in this scientific article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277075083_The_effect_of_light-emitting_diodes_LEDs_photoperiod_on_nutritional_quality_of_Brassicaceae_microgreens

The distance from your light source is also very important. If your light source is too far from your seedlings, they may become overly stretchy and thin. However, if the light is too close, they may not fully stretch beyond the top of your 1020 tray, making harvesting difficult and reducing yields. 

Therefore, we recommend that you place the top of your 1020 tray between 22-25 cm from your growing lights. If you live in a sunny location, you can, of course, place your 1020 tray on the sunny-side of your house, such as on a window-sill or outside.

Temperatures should be similar to those in your germination room, but humidity levels will vary. As your seedlings continue to grow, they will not only require more space but will also continuously release moisture, increasing the relative humidity during the entire growing cycle. To reduce the chances of mold or similar quality issues, maintain your humidity level between 45-55% RH. There are relatively cheap, smart humidifiers available that help you maintain adequate RH. In addition, you can use a fan or ventilator to reduce moisture buildup and high humidity within your 1020  tray. 

 

 STEP 5: Harvesting 

When your seedlings have fully developed their first two-leaves (the cotyledon stage) they have become a microgreen! This typically requires between 5 to 7 days of consistent and optimal lighting. Your broccoli microgreens should have a height between 5 to 7.5 centimeters (2-3 inches), which also means they are ready to harvest if you are ready to eat that is. So grab a pair of scissors or a knife and start freshly harvesting.

The total growth from seed to microgreen harvest stage should be between 7 to 10 days.

STEP 6: EAT YOUR MICROGREENS and Storage 

After harvesting your microgreens, you can choose whether to harvest all of them at once or to allow them to continue growing and simply harvest to eat. Our seeds are organic and all our growing processes are without any chemicals or harmful substances so they are perfectly safe to eat right after harvesting, for maximum freshness and nutrition.

If you have a need to rinse them, such as soil remnants then we recommend giving your microgreens a quick soak or rinse. Then, pat them dry, and they will be ready for use right after.

If you prefer to harvest all of your broccoli microgreens then simply take a food-grade clean container and line it with a paper towel at the bottom. Then gradually and gently add your freshly cut microgreens inside your container. Make sure not to use a very tall container, as microgreens are sensitive to stacking and may spoil quickly if stored this way. Store your broccoli microgreens in the refrigerator (at 8°C) and consume them within 7-14 days. 

Note that the paper towel at the bottom of your container is intended to absorb moisture during refrigeration, which will also increase the shelf life of your broccoli microgreens.

When you’re ready to eat your microgreens, grab a pair of scissors or a knife. Cut right above the 1020 tray line, holding your microgreens with your opposing hand. Wash your harvested microgreens if you need to. Since we do not use any chemicals and our seeds are organic, we eat our microgreens as soon as we harvest. 

Alternatively, and especially if you’re sowing your seeds under soil, we recommend you give your microgreens a quick soak or rinse. Then, pat them dry, and use them immediately for optimal freshness and nutrition. 

If you prefer a more convenient or ready-to-eat broccoli microgreens instead of having to cut each time, simply cut your 1020 entire tray using a knife. Before starting, make sure you line a food grade, airtight container with a paper towel and gently add your freshly cut microgreens. Ensure that you do not use a very tall container as the microgreens are sensitive to stacking and will spoil quickly if you store them in this way. Store your broccoli microgreens in the refrigerator (8℃) and eat within 7-14 days. Note that the paper towel at the bottom of your container is intended to absorb moisture during refrigeration, which will also increase the shelf-life of your broccoli microgreens. 

Video Link: How to Grow Broccoli Microgreens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT-9B9DESb4

MICROGREEN GROW TIPS

• Watering: Water the microgreens from the bottom tray to allow the soil to absorb the water.
• Monitoring: Use the optional LCD digital thermometer hygrometer to monitor temperature and humidity levels regularly. Adjust conditions as needed to maintain optimal growing conditions.
• Air Flow: Microgreens are densely seeded and therefore require airflow. Keep your microgreens in an area with good airflow. You can either keep it close to an open window or add a small rotating fan. Try to avoid keeping your microgreens in an enclosed space without any airflow. 
• Waste & Recycling: If you are using soil, coconut coir or another biodegradable growing medium, simply start a compost bin or look for waste recycling centers, such as in the city of Amsterdam and Amstelveen where used soil is sorted and recycled. Note: If you want a quick tip to start your own compost, simply find a compost sack or container that easily fits your 1020 tray for smooth sailing. Once you have a few trays of composted soil, add worms from your surrounding area or find some tiger worms online. Within 3-4 months, you will have rich compost soil that you can use in your outdoor garden. We do not recommend using compost for microgreens, especially when growing indoors
• Food Safe Sanitizer & Quality Control Measure: Hydrogen peroxide is an effective natural cleaning agent used to sanitize your trays and equipment before and after use. Hydrogen peroxide can also be used as a quality control measure that controls your quality issue. When using make sure to opt for 3% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide or dilute as needed. 
• Chef’s Tip: Most uncut or ‘live’ trays can be stored in a walk-in refrigerator for 1 - 2 weeks. Be sure to store them on the top rack to comply with food safety regulations. They will not continue to grow in the refrigerated walk-in but will stay alive and remain fresh until harvesting.

By following these straightforward steps carefully, you'll be able to grow delicious and nutritious broccoli microgreens from your  own home.  Happy Growing!