Nowadays, with the help of technology and modern ways of precise farming, many types of agriculture have become beneficial and accessible. One such is microgreen farming, which is a fast-growing segment of agriculture, especially popular for urban farming and small-scale setups or indoor farming.
In this article, you will get a brief idea of microgreen farming, its benefits, disadvantages, and basic setup plan.
Microgreens Farming
Microgreen farming is different from normal farming of plants. Here, young vegetables are harvested just after the cotyledon leaves develop; hence it doesn’t take much time for the plants to harvest. These leaves or greens at this stage are very nutritious and add a flavour to any dish. Hence, these are popular among chefs as they tend to add a depth of flavour to the dish, making it rich and tasty.
Microgreens
Microgreens are small plants from herbs and vegetables. They are harvested just after the cotyledons appear. They are smaller than baby plants but bigger than sprouts and very rich in nutrients—mainly 4 to 40 times higher than normal mature plants. They are mainly used in salads, smoothies, and garnishing. They tend to add an in-depth flavour to the dishes.
Example:
Normal plant – big spinach
Microgreen – tiny spinach seedling (7-10 days old)
Advantages of Microgreen Farming
Following are the advantages of microgreen farming:
- Short growing phase
Microgreens are not fully grown plants. Instead, they are harvested when the first cotyledons appear. Hence, it takes around 7–12 days to harvest a microgreen. As harvesting is done so early, you can easily plant multiple crops per month for regular or constant income. - Organic
To grow these plants, no fertilizers or chemicals are needed; they are purely organic. Also, no need for fertilizers or chemicals cuts off some of the key costs for growing. - Low investment, low maintenance, and high profit
In order to grow microgreens, you need small space and capital, as they are harvested quickly, making microgreen farming a quick return on investment (ROI).
Less water is used compared to other methods of farming, and no soil preparation or labour-intensive work is needed. - Fast growing market
Nowadays, people are more focused on a healthy lifestyle, clean, organic, and healthy food. With this mindset shift, the demand for microgreens is increasing in urban cities and luxury hotels. - No expertise or professional certifications needed
Growing microgreens is an easy farming technique. Anybody can learn and easily adapt to this farming method. A larger variety and quantity can be grown in a small setup.
Disadvantages of Microgreen Farming
Some of the disadvantages of growing microgreens are the following:
- Maintaining hygiene and disease-free environment
As they are grown in small spaces indoors or even outdoors, they are difficult to keep disease-free. We need to create an artificial environment for microgreens to grow. - Collecting the best quality seeds
As there’s no other important element in this type of farming, seeds play a really important role here. Choosing high-quality seeds from trusted brands is really important. - Creating a consistent market
As a farmer of microgreens, you need to find a good market for them to sell. As they are harvested quickly, within just 7–10 days, you need to find a consistent market to sell.
Requirements of Microgreen Farming
Following are the necessities for microgreen farming:
- Location, space – it can be indoor, balconies, terraces, or greenhouses
- Equipment – growing trays, seeds (good quality), water sprays, growing medium (cocopeat, soil, or tissue papers)
- LED grow lights for indoor farming
Steps of Microgreen Farming
Following are the steps for microgreen farming:
- Step 1 – Selection of good quality seeds
- Step 2 – Preparation of trays – you need to prepare the trays with a growing medium (tissues, cocopeat, soil). Doing this step correctly is highly important as this will create the base for growing.
- Step 3 – Growing – in this step, you need to spread the seeds evenly, as this will ensure proper growth of the microgreens. Cover the trays for germination for 2–3 days. Once the seeds are germinated, you need to expose the seeds to sunlight after germination.
- Step 4 – Maintenance – you need to water them daily and watch out for any diseases, as prevention is better than cure.
- Step 5 – Harvesting – once the microgreens are fully developed, it will take around 7–21 days. You need to harvest them once grown.
Conclusion
Microgreen farming is really easy and convenient to grow, and they are highly profitable as compared to traditional methods of farming. Microgreens are healthy, nutrient-rich, easily digestible plants. Starting microgreen farming is a wise investment and business to do.
