How to Grow Your Own Microgreens at Home All Year Round!
- Alex Montgomery
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
If you're looking for a simple, sustainable, and satisfying way to add fresh nutrition to your meals, microgreens are a brilliant place to start. These miniature powerhouses are easy to grow, require minimal equipment, and can be harvested in just a week or two. Best of all, you can grow them all year round right on your kitchen windowsill.
Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned gardener looking for a winter project, growing microgreens connects you to your food and your soil in a rewarding and low-waste way. At Generation Soil, we believe that everyone can grow something, and microgreens are the perfect starting point.
What Are Microgreens?
Microgreens are the young seedlings of edible plants such as herbs, leafy greens, and even vegetables. Think pea shoots, sunflower shoots, rocket, mustard, basil, and beetroot. Instead of letting them grow to full maturity, you harvest them when they're just a few centimetres tall, usually just after their first set of true leaves emerge.
Don't confuse microgreens with sprouts, which are grown in water and eaten root and all. Microgreens are best grown in our living compost, another growing medium, or on a damp paper towel. Check out the difference between different growing mediums or even how to make your own! To harvest, cut just above the root, giving your food a boost of texture, colour, and flavour.
Despite their small size, microgreens pack a nutritional punch. They’re bursting with concentrated flavours and essential vitamins, often containing higher levels of nutrients than their fully grown counterparts.
Getting Started: What You’ll Need
You don’t need a garden, a greenhouse, or even a proper plant pot to grow microgreens. All you need is:
Seeds. Pea and sunflower shoots are great for beginners. You can also try radish, cress, or broccoli.
Growing medium. We recommend using Generation Soil Living Compost for the best results, but you can also use a damp paper towel or a clean piece of cloth.
A shallow container. Try a reused yoghurt pot, takeaway container, or even a plate. Just make sure it’s clean.
Water. Keep your seeds moist, but not soaking.
A warm, bright spot. A sunny windowsill is perfect.
Microgreens are a fun way to experiment with low-cost, low-waste gardening using what you already have at home. This is your chance to improvise. Reuse, recycle, and grow!
How to Grow Microgreens in five Simple Steps
Prepare your container. Choose a shallow, clean container and fill it with a thin layer of Living Compost or lay down a few damp paper towels.
Sow your seeds. Sprinkle your seeds generously and evenly over the surface. Microgreens don’t need much space between seeds, so sow them quite densely.
Water lightly. Mist or lightly water the seeds to keep them moist. Cover the container loosely with a lid or another tray for the first day or two to help them germinate faster.
Keep them warm and bright. Place your container in a warm spot with natural light. Once the seeds sprout, remove the cover and let them soak up the sun.
Harvest and enjoy. After 7–14 days, when your greens are about 5–10cm tall and have developed their first set of leaves, they’re ready to harvest! Snip them just above the soil with clean scissors.
Growing On: Keep Things Fresh
To keep your microgreens healthy, avoid reusing the same compost or container repeatedly without cleaning. Used containers can harbour mould or bacteria that could damage your next batch. Always wash your container thoroughly and start fresh for each new crop.
Because microgreens grow so quickly, you can enjoy a continuous supply by sowing new seeds every week or so. It's a great habit to build into your kitchen routine, and it's a fantastic way to reduce food miles, food waste, and plastic packaging, all while reconnecting with nature.
Munch Time: Flavour and Nutrition in Every Bite
The best part about microgreens? Eating them! These tiny greens deliver the same punchy flavour as their mature plant counterparts, sometimes even stronger. Try peppery radish shoots on eggs, sweet pea shoots in stir-fries, or earthy sunflower greens in a sandwich.
And don’t worry about precise harvesting times. You can start snipping your greens once they’re tall enough, or leave them a little longer for more texture. Just keep in mind they become tougher as they age, so eat them young and often for the best crunch and taste.
Why Microgreens Matter
Microgreens may be small, but they represent something significant. A step towards a healthier, more sustainable food system. By growing even a tiny amount of your own food, you’re taking back some control over how your food is produced. You’re also making a connection to soil health, food waste reduction, and seasonal eating, all things we champion at Generation Soil.
And it’s not just about food. The process of growing, observing, and caring for your microgreens can be a grounding and mindful practice. It’s a simple way to bring a little more nature into your day.
Recipes and Videos Coming Soon!
We’re working on a series of How-To videos and easy microgreen recipes to inspire you in the kitchen, so keep an eye out. Until then, sprinkle your fresh shoots over toast, stir them through soups, or eat them straight from the tray like nature’s crisps.
Final Tips
Start with easy varieties like peas and sunflowers.
Use high-quality compost like Generation Soil Living Compost for nutrient-rich growth.
Water regularly, but don’t overdo it. Mould is your main enemy!
Sow little and often for a constant supply.
Keep experimenting. There’s a whole world of microgreen flavours to explore.
Join the Microgreen Movement
At Generation Soil, we believe that healthy food starts with healthy soil, and healthy habits start with simple steps. Growing microgreens is one of the easiest, most accessible ways to begin that journey. No matter your space, budget, or experience, you can grow something nourishing today.
Tag us in your microgreen adventures on Instagram and let’s grow a greener world, one shoot at a time.
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