Microgreens are one of the best ways to add food to a meal. They are also an easy and artistic option to garnish your dishes. Imagine a steaming dish of lasagna topped with crispy, bite-sized basil. Delicious, isn't it? In this article, you can make this delicious meal a reality by learning how to grow basil microgreens.
Genovese basil, also known as sweet basil, is by far the most popular for growing microgreens. This is mainly due to its superior taste and health benefits. You might think that a smaller plant means a smaller flavor, but that's definitely not the case here. Genovese basil microgreens actually have a stronger taste than ripe basil, are a little sweeter and more tender. Throw in the fact that basil microgreens contain over three times as many nutrients as grown plants and we have the perfect herb!
Basil microgreens are one of the slower growing microgreens. They germinate in 2 days, but can take up to 20 to grow. However, thanks to their leisurely pace, you have the option of spreading out your harvest instead of cutting off the basil microgreens all at once.
Perhaps the best thing about basil microgreens, or indeed all microgreens, is that they are compact. You can grow these tiny vegetables right at your home without digging! All you need is seeds, supplies, and shelf space.
Good products for growing basil microgreens:
Basil Microgreens Brief Info
Mix the colorful basil microgreens.
| Taste: | Basil flavor; Sweet |
| Soaking: | No |
| Rinse / Drain: | No |
| Germination: | 2 days |
| Ideal harvest: | 15-20 days |
Growing basil microgreens
Dark opal basil seeds.
You will see that growing microgreens is pretty easy and rewarding. Although basil microgreens take a little longer than others, every step flies by. Let's start by gathering some supplies.
materials
We recommend the high quality seeds from True Leaf Market. Here is a list of some of our favorite basil microgreens:
These materials are the perfect furnishings for your micro-green garden. Most of them can be reused with any microgreen crop you grow. The exception is the soil, on which bacteria can grow if reused too often. Make sure to wash the tray with hot water between uses.
You can choose to use natural sunlight instead of artificial, but microgreens grow best under grow lights. When placed directly under the light, the basil microgreens will grow evenly and straight up. This also lowers the risk of etiolation.
soaking
Dark Opal Basil Microgreens.
Genovese and other basil seeds are slimy, which means they contain a significant amount of mucus. This gelatinous substance is commonly used in medicine, glue, and even marshmallows. When it comes to soaking seeds, slime is a bit of a hindrance. When the seeds get wet, the mucus that covers the seeds makes them sticky, just like chia seeds. Save yourself the hassle and skip this step.
plants
First, fill the tray with drainage holes with potting soil. The bottom should reach just below the top of the tray. Give it a mist of water and level the soil as evenly as possible. Now spread the micro-green seeds on the potting soil. Because basil seeds are so small, consider using a seed shaker bottle to help spread them evenly.
When we grow microgreens, we place the seeds very close together. This will create a dense mat of greens. There should be about 15 microgreen basil seeds per square inch, or 2 tablespoons per tray.
Once the basil seeds are set, make them at home with a spray of water. The seeds release mucus almost instantly and turn into goose bumps. The slime holds the water well, so don't spray it as heavily as you would with other micro-plants. Take a tray with no holes and place it directly on the floor. It should block out the light completely so the seeds can germinate and grow. Note, however, that the container must have some airflow.
Some microgreen gardeners claim that basil seeds do not need darkness to germinate. They even found that light helps the seeds germinate! However, this is not generally confirmed. So feel free to do a little experiment at home. If all goes well with germination, you don't need this extra step to grow microgreens.
If you want to speed up the growth process, use a seed starter mat for this step. It warms the potting soil so the basil seeds can germinate faster and start growing into microgreens. Set your mat to at least 75 ° F. Make sure to turn it off for the next growing step.
Growing
Genovese basil microgreens.
Leave the cover compartment in place for the first 4 days (if you've used one). It is important that you don't lift it as the slime will remain on the basil seeds until they germinate and they will stick to the cover. The potting soil and slime should have had enough water in them to last a while without re-fogging.
On day 4, check how much the basil seeds have grown. When they're evenly sprouted and have tiny, folded leaves, it's time to take the cover off for good. The basil seeds are now ready to grow into full microgreens. If they don't seem ready to you, sprinkle them with water, put the cover back on, and give them another day or two to keep growing.
You will see that your basil sprouts are pale in color as opposed to the grass green of grown basil leaves. This is quickly remedied by turning on the grow light. Give your basil microgreens at least 12 hours of light each day and they'll turn green quickly.
Growing microgreens and soils are very susceptible to bacteria, especially to dampening disease. To keep the plants as safe as possible, we're going to throw away the spray bottle and water the soil from below. Take the perforated tray and fill it with a few centimeters of water. Then put the basil microgreen tray inside. The growth medium absorbs the water and makes it available to the growing roots without the leaves getting wet. Remember to remove the tray after a while so that the floor does not get soaked.
Water the basil microgreens this way as they continue to grow. You will be able to tell whether the plants need more water from the feeling of light in the tray. Depending on the temperature and airflow, you might water the growing basil microgreens every few days.
harvest
Red ruby basil microgreens.
Basil microgreens grow about 20 days to harvest, but they can be ready earlier so you need to know what to look for. If you don't harvest them on time, basil plants, not microgreens, will eventually grow.
Most microgreens must be trimmed at the cotyledon stage, but basil microgreens are an exception. For the best taste, wait for the first real leaves to grow in. For reference, the cotyledons are shaped like semicircles, while the real leaves are egg-shaped and a little wrinkled. Also, the microgreens will grow to be around 2 to 3 inches tall.
When you've determined they're ready, stop watering for at least 8 hours to allow them to dry out a little. Then grab your kitchen shears, perfect for a quick garden harvest. Cut the greens in bunches just above the ground.
As mentioned earlier, you don't have to harvest the basil microgreens all at once. This step can be carried out over several days. If you don't get to them in time, the taste will be a little different but still delicious. Basil microgreens can grow in their shallow bowl for up to a month, but must be transplanted afterwards.
storage
We recommend eating basil microgreens raw as they lose some nutrients when cooked. Plus, they're deliciously crispy when raw! Add them to pasta, eggs, grilled cheese, and more (we hear that basil microgreens in pesto are awesome).
Don't wash the basil microgreens until you're about to use them. They are best stored in a dry state (like any other microgreen). Put unused greens in an airtight container and put in the refrigerator. Over time, if you see some moisture inside the container, stick a paper towel in to dry it out. With this home storage method, the basil microgreens will last for about a week.
frequently asked Questions
Thai basil microgreens.
Q: What can I do with basil microgreens?
A: Add them raw to any dish you like! Basil microgreens taste great in pasta, eggs, pizza and pesto. They go well with mozzarella and marinara sauce.
Q: Do basil microgreens taste like basil?
A: Yes, but with a slightly sweeter taste (in our opinion they are much better!).
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