The rabbits are into something – carrot shells taste amazing! Well, at least carrot microgreens. These young greens, fresh from the seed, have a mild carrot flavor and delicate texture that you will love. They add flavor to your plate and green to your garden!
Carrot microgreens are one of the slowest microgreens you can grow (if you want something faster, try radishes or mustard). Depending on the variety, it usually takes 15 to 25 days to harvest. That's still less than a month of growth, however, which is much shorter than waiting for a vegetable to mature. The unique taste and texture make this microgreen worth the wait.
Although they take longer, carrot microgreens are grown like most other microgreens. You can reuse most of the supplies and continue growing all types of microgreens! First, let's examine how to get those fresh carrot microgreens.
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Carrot microgreens short info
Carrot microgreen tastes surprisingly like the carrot root!
| Taste: | Mild carrot taste |
| Soaking: | No |
| Rinse / Drain: | No |
| Germination: | 3-7 days |
| Ideal harvest: | 15-25 days |
Growing carrot microgreens
You only need a few basic things to get started growing microgreens. Then you can plant, grow, and harvest your healthy goodies!
materials
- Seeds: Choose some good quality carrot seeds (all varieties should grow successfully as carrot microgreens). This carrot and microgreen mix from True Leaf Market is a great option.
- Container: A flat container with holes for water and a container the same size or larger without holes
- Growing Medium: We love using Espoma Seed Starter Mix for most microgreen strains
- Light: You can't go wrong with a T5 grow light
- Kitchen scissors
Since carrot microgreens are just immature carrot plants, you don't need a special type of seed. Some companies may market their seeds for microgreens, but any high quality carrot seed will do. Carrots grow tiny little seeds so make sure you have enough to cover the entire surface of your growing tray.
It is tempting to save money by skipping the grow light. However, if you want to get high quality microgreens then you shouldn't. Any microgreen crop must grow directly under the light source to ensure optimal taste and even growth. While sunlight does the job in a pinch, it usually results in leggy, lackluster microgreens.
soaking
Carrot seeds are so tiny that they absorb fine water from the soil. You can skip this step.
plants
Start by grabbing your seed starting base and the tray with drainage holes. Fill the growing bowl with soil almost to the brim, water the soil thoroughly and smooth the surface. Then spread the microgreen seeds on the tray. Try to cover the entire surface of the soil without the microgreen seeds overlapping each other. This is not an easy task with seeds this small, so we recommend using a salt shaker to spread them out.
Gently push the microgreen seeds into the soil to keep them in place. The seeds absorb water from the soil and begin to germinate. If you want, you can put a heating mat under the growing tray. The ideal soil temperature for this plant to germinate is 75 ° F.
Once the microgreen seeds are planted, we will initiate a blackout phase for them to grow. Take your second, holeless tray and place it on the growing tray. It should block all light to the microgreen seeds. If necessary, place a weight on the tray (up to 5 pounds).
Carrot seeds germinate and begin to grow in 4-7 days. It is important that you keep the compartment covered at all times. The soil should have enough water so that you don't have to add more water during the lockdown period.
Growing
Check to see if the microgreen seeds have sprouted about 4 days after planting them. When at least 80-90 percent of the seeds have small, white shoots, you can remove the cover tray. Place the growth tray about 1 to 3 feet below the grow light and turn it on for about 12 hours a day. You should also remove the heating mat if you used one.
The micro-green sprouts turn green and grow towards the light. Water the soil evenly as it grows. The carrot microgreens will need more water the more they grow. Instead of reaching for the watering can, microgreens should be watered from the bottom up.
To pour the carrot microgreens, you will need the second tray again. Fill it with an inch or two of water and place the micro-green growth tray inside. Let the growth medium soak up the water for about 10 minutes and then remove it. This method keeps the leaves on the microgreens dry and thus protected from bacterial growth.
harvest
Carrot microgreens have beautiful, pinnate leaves with a dill-like texture.
Most microgreens can be harvested right after the cotyledons have unfolded (cotyledons are the first premature leaves). However, carrot microgreens can move on to the next level without losing their great taste and delicate texture. You can wait to harvest their first real leaves – the pinnate ones we associate with carrots. However, the microgreens must be harvested before full clusters of leaves grow.
Use your sharp kitchen scissors to cut the micro greens just above the ground. You can harvest them all in one crop or move the cuttings over the next week or two. Carrot microgreens will not grow back successfully after harvest, so you can just compost the soil and wash and reuse the peels.
storage
To keep your microgreens as fresh as possible, don't wash them until you're ready to try them. Store the microgreens in a sealed bag in the refrigerator (like salad). They stay fresh and ready to use for around 5-10 days.
Thanks to its great taste of carrots, this plant is perfect for salads, stir-fries and a side dish for vegetable soup. You don't have to stop here, however! The tender leaves add texture and vitamins to almost every dish.
frequently asked Questions
Q: What is the biggest benefit of microgreens?
A: It's hard to pick just one, but we'd say the best thing is how fast microgreens grow. Microgreens usually take 2 to 4 weeks to grow. This is a much faster rate than the months it takes for a ripe vegetable to appear.
Q: Do you need a heating mat to sprout carrot microgreens?
A: It's optional. Microgreen seeds usually germinate faster when the soil is warmer, but they don't rely on a heating mat to grow.
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