Anybody Growing Micro-greens

[Joe Bifano]

I am setting up a system just for micro-greens and I am looking at several ways to do it.

You can grow them in 10x20 trays with burlap, STG or other wicking materials.

You can also use NFT long trays with burlap, STG and other materials.

Is anyone using rafts? Or would this be possible? Or would the micro-greens just get way to much nutrients.

Anyone got any ideas?

[Carey Ma]

I persnally like NFt or mist spraying of nutrients but it is possible to grow them using rafts. I do not use raftes because I believe the area can be better utilized growing larger (more productive/ higher income) crops.

PS: I don't use any media (burlap).

You can read more (if you are interested) somewhere in my writings here.

Cheers

[Joe Bifano]

Thanks Carey, I tried to look for anything you had on micro-greens and could only find a post and drawing on a T rack you made.

I am leaning towards using the NFT system after looking at this closer. I have never grown them before and thought that I could use a vertical shelf setup, like what you made, on my North wall with maybe 4 shelves but I am concerned about not having enough light coming in to the lower shelves. The main greenhouse now has rafts and I am considering making fixed NFT troughs for micro-greens above them for now only because you can get more for them than what I am growing in the rafts.I will try to grow other herbs when I can get my water temps up higher down the road and then get more than I get for lettuce. 

I am also considering making a rolling shelf over the rafts so I can put some of the micro-greens in the walkways and then when I need to work on the micro-greens move them over the rafts.

Again because I have never grown them can you have a vertical growing setup that takes up most of the greenhouse?

Can you build shelves above my rafts and still get enough light under them to get the lettuce or herbs to grow okay?

[Carey Ma]

I think the article is in my " making your own feed" group's page.You might do a search here for fodder or sprouts as well.

Verticle growing can beappliedto most plants except for bushes andtrees dueto the obvious mechanical liabilities. The only thing with verticle growing is that is uses medium of one sort or another so not so suitable for micro-greens. I strongly suggest using some sort of tray system in a stack/ rack system. From there you can either spray mist or use NFT to provide nutrient and moisture. The most important thing is not to have too much moisture in the air to prevent mold and keep changing your water during the soaking stage.

Before you build asystem I suggest try doing somes prouts in a big mouth jar a coupletimes for experience.