Growing Micro-Leaves

Growing Micro-Leaves

You have tried ‘Sprouting Seeds’ now try their slightly older cousins the micro leaves.

Healthy eating will be helped by using your garden, greenhouse and even window box to grow micro leaves.
Micro leaves are just leaves of very young plants that you would probably eat as full grown vegetables or salad crops. The key is to pick and eat them whilst they are young tender and full of vitamins.

What Are Micro Leaves

  • Micro Leaves are salads and vegetables harvested at a very young and tender stage.
  • Usually cropped at cotyledon or first true leaf stage.
  • Think Mustard and Cress from your childhood.
  • But expect stunning colours and intense flavour.
  • Eating all the pent-up energy contained within the seed makes a health flavoursome addition to salads or sandwiches.
  • Used and eaten whole, they take almost no preparation with very little waste.
  • Generally eaten 7-15 days after sowing, but before they take on additional nutrient this fresh crop is simple to grow.
  • Sow on an inert, moisture retentive substance and bring into full light when seeds have germinated.

Seed Selection to Try as Micro-leaves

  • Celery, Rocket and a range of herbs.
  • Lettuce and salad crops including Radish
  • Basil, Broccoli even Mustard.
  • Peas for tips or micro-leaves
  • For a wider selection of crops to grow as micro leaves read this pdf
  • Read about Sprouting Seeds on Gardeners Tips

Information and Tips on Growing Micro Leaves

  • Grow the seedlings and young plants quickly. Do not let them become old, hard and leggy.
  • Pick the leaves in one – three weeks for quick micros
  • Provide warmth, humidity and moisture
  • It is generally best to pick little and often on the cut and come again varieties.
  • Eat any seedlings you pull by thinning
  • Herbs rely on essential oils for the flavour and need less watering
  • It is often practical to pinch out and eat the yound side shoots of many plants to eat as micro greens
  • Medical treatment using micro green diets is still an innovative approach.Other Comments and Ideas

    ‘Try sunflowers, snow peas (also called Chinese pea and usually grown for its edible pods), Oregon sugar pod pea, fennel, coriander, celery, Genovese basil, chervil, broccoli and rocket.
    Some are ideal for brightening up a salad, with colourful stems and leaves – try purple radish (pictured), red mustard, beetroot and the Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’, which has red, yellow, orange and purple stems.’ from The Guardian

2 thoughts on “Growing Micro-Leaves

Comments are closed.

Comments are closed.