Everything You Need

to Know about
Microgreen
BIOTECH CAMP 2020
November 14th, 2020

Speaker: Johan Sukweenadhi,, Ph.D.

What is microgreens?
The Production of Seeds
Seed: A plant reproductive package containing
1) Embryo
2) Stored nutrients for developing embryo
3) Protective coating. Prevents...
- Desiccation
- Predators
Parts of young plants
Seed leaves: Part of the embryo of the plant. The first
set of leaves. Usually have a different shape than the
rest of the leaves

True Leaves: Leaves that

develop after germination.
Sprouts and Microgreens
Sprouts: Seeds that have started growing but
have not used up the stored nutrients.
Microgreens: Created when sprouts are
allowed to grow for a longer period of time.
They are generally harvested just as the true
leaves start to develop.

Note: If sprouts are allowed to grow for too

long they use up too much of the nutrients
and start to die
Vegetables harvested at an
immature growth stage:
Sprouts: germinated seeds with emerging root

Microgreens: 2-3 inches in height; 7-21 days

(harvest stem, cotyledons, and emerging true
leaves)

Baby greens: 4-6 inches in height; 21-40 days

Mature greens: >6 inches in height; 40-60 days

Most popular sprouts and Microgreens:
Grasses and grains
• Alfalfa (caution have been cases of e coli in alfalfa from
cattle run off)
• Wheat
• Barley
• Flax
• Sunflower

Brassica
• Mustard greens,
• Broccoli (healthiest option)
• Kale

Legumes
• Peas, Lentils and Beans
 What can I grow?
• Fast and easy: arugula, kale, radish, broccoli,
mustard, broccoli raab, bok choy, komatsuna and
other Asian greens, cress, lettuces (fragile)

• More challenging: amaranth, beet, Swiss chard,

cilantro, basil, pea and sunflower shoots

• Questionable: spinach (hulls), cabbage (odor?)

Benefits of Sprouts and Microgreens
• Fast food: Ready in a few days
• Has 7 times the nutrition of the
mature plant
Protein:
-mature plant has 15g/100g
-sprouts 105g/100g
• Cheep form of nutrition
• Can be grown in home by
anyone
Growing Sprouts
Jar method:
1) Place a table spoon of seeds in a jar.
2) Cover the lid with mesh and secure
mesh with an elastic.
3) Rinse seeds then soak them for a
few hours. 4) Poor out the water and
let the jar sit upside down to allow
excess water to drip out
5) Leave seeds in jar to grow for set
number of days and rinse twice daily
 Simple steps to microgreens
• Fill a shallow container with 1-1.5 in. of
moist soilless growing media
• Sow seeds thickly and evenly
• Water from bottom
• Harvest with scissors when 2-3 in. tall
• ENJOY!
Simple Step to Grow Microgreens
• Cut at “soil line” when greens are 2-3-
in. tall

• No re-growth

• Refrigerate for up to 10 days

 Try a variety of crops,
containers, and locations
Crops in same tray should have
similar germination rates!
Invasion of the “white fuzzies”
Indoor growing: need light and heat

• Window light may be

insufficient
• Lettuce, arugula, mustards,
Asian greens will grow ok
in low light
• T-8 fluorescent lights can
supplement or replace
sunlight
(keep tubes < 2 in. from
plants)
Repurposed shallow food container
(lid becomes saucer)
Commercial flats (trays) for growing
larger quantities of microgreens
Growing Microgreens
Commercial
1) Seeds are grown on large trays
lined with absorbent growing
mats
2) Seeds are sprinkled over the
tray and grown covered for
the first few days
3) Once the sprouts have
reached the desired length the
cover is removed
4) Sprouts are allowed to green
under the fluorescent light
and grown until the true
leaves appear
Microgreen Characteristics
• Essentially a microgreen is a whole plant
harvested as a young seedling that has grown to
the cotyledon or true leaf stage. Not to be
confused with a sprout.
• Microgreens are cut right above the soil usually
no longer than 14 days after they are planted.
• These young seedlings are packed with
nutrients, up to 40 times that of their mature
counterparts.
• These nutrients include vitamins C, K, E, lutein
and beta-carotene, important for skin, eyes and
fighting cancer.
 Nutrients assessment
• Objective: to analyze the concentration of vitamins
and carotenoids in 25 commercially available
microgreens.
• Nutrients analyzed:
1) Ascorbic Acid (Vc)
2) Phylloquinone (VK1)
3) Tocopherols (VE)
4) Carotenoids (Provitamin A:
β-Carotene, Lutein/zeaxanthin, Violaxanthin.)
Top 5 microgreens rich in
carotenoids (provitamin A)
• No. 1 Cilantro

• No. 2 Red sorrel

• No. 3 Garnet amaranth

• No. 4 Red cabbage

• No. 5 Pea tendril

Microgreens as Foods

• Microgreens are more intense in

flavor and come in a variety of
colors, attractive qualities for
chefs.
• Parents might also find these
plants useful to add extra
nutrients to their children’s
meals.
• Children may have fun growing
microgreens, since they are easy
to grow indoors. They can have
fun adding them to their meals
as decoration.
Food Science Principle
Storage loss and nutrition
• Since microgreens are usually used and eaten
right after they are harvested (literally cut from
their roots in the soil and transferred to a plate)
there are no concerns about nutrient loss.
• Microgreens normally aren’t cooked so these
plants retain their nutrients when added to
dishes.
• When purchased in stores these plants are pre-
cut causing some nutrient loss just by sitting
out.
Why grow Why eat
microgreens? microgreens?
• Fun & easy to grow • Vivid colors
• Harvest in 10-14 • Tender texture
days • Intense flavor
• Grow year-round • Nutritious
• $1/oz. in Whole • Versatile
Foods
Thank you for listening!
Contact & Further Information:
sukwee@staff.ubaya.ac.id
+6281-232-818580
ORDID ID : 0000-0001-6615-7447
SINTA ID : 6028320
SCOPUS ID : 55949666800

Any Questions or Comments?