Health Benefits of Micro-greens
The health benefits of micro-greens is often overlooked. One of the big benefits when it comes to growing your own greens is that you can pick and eat them right away. This preserves the most nutrients, no matter when you harvest your greens but is particularly beneficial when it comes to micro-greens. You’ve probably heard about these power houses of the vegetable family and may even grab them on occasion at your local farmer’s market, health food store or grocery store.
When you begin growing your own greens in salad bowls, harvesting micro-greens is another option. They make a great addition to all your salads. You may be wondering what exactly are micro-greens?
What Are Micro-greens
Green leafy plants are considered micro-greens in the stage between sprout and seedling. They are usually harvested after they’ve had their first few regular leaves. If you’ve watched a plant grow from seed you notice that a sprout appears first, then the plant develops its first two leaves. Those first leaves look different from the regular leaves of the plant. After that the next three to five leaves pop out that look like those of the grown plant. It is during this stage when the first few leaves appear that micro-greens are harvested.
You can use a variety of different plants to grow micro-greens including lettuce, kale, arugula, chard, watercress, beet and radish greens, parsley, chives, basil, and cilantro.
What are some of the Health Benefits Of Micro-greens
Micro-greens are nutritional powerhouses that are full of vitamins. The exact nutrition will depend on the types of greens you consume. To get the most out of your micro-greens, mix and match the plants you use. Nutrients include beta-carotene, iron, calcium, and lutein.
Since micro-greens are grown in soil as opposed to sprouts which are usually grown in water, they are able to absorb a lot more minerals and nutrients from the soil they are grown in. A good, rich potting soil will result in the healthiest greens. This way you can be sure to reap all the health benefits of micro-greens.
How To Grow Micro-greens
Growing your very own micro-greens is surprisingly simple. Since the plants are small, they don’t require a lot of light, making it the perfect superfood to grow on your kitchen counter. You’re also harvesting the plants when they are still small and don’t have long roots, so it doesn’t take a lot of soil to grow them.
Get a shallow container and fill it with quality organic potting soil. Sprinkle in the seeds for your favorite greens and herbs, and lightly cover them with soil. Carefully mist or lightly water them, so the seeds don’t get washed away.
Keep them well watered and in a fairly warm place, and after a few days you will start to see little sprouts appear. Keep growing them until they are large enough to harvest. Reseed and repeat.
Keep enough of them growing so you can reap the health benefits of micro-greens!
This is the 7th article in a series — if you haven’t read the previous one, click here to enjoy it!
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