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Grow micro-sprouts on the window ledge
Micro-sprouts have become popular - also as winter cultivation. They garnish on an open sandwich or in a salad. They grow quickly, they are climate-friendly and can be grown on the window ledge.
Text and photo: Nanna Stærmose
Get Chinese chives - after 8 days, radishes after 7-10 days, broccoli after 8-10 days. This is what it says on the fine, brown seed bags I just got. The number of days describes when you can count on being able to harvest your micro-sprouts after sowing. I get fascinated by the thought that I can cultivate something so fast. This is the crop for the result-oriented - or just for us impatient souls.
Micro-sprouts have become popular in recent years, perhaps because it is easy and quick to get a result. But the small sprouts are also filled with vitamins and antioxidants, and so they do not require as much space. You can grow them on the window ledge, and also in the dark wintertime.
It is recommended to use a hemp grow mat for micro-sprouts. Cut the hemp grow mat so it fits the boxes and saturate them with water.
Although they are small, the taste is great. Sunflower sprouts taste a bit of nuts, Chinese chives taste of garlic, while pea sprouts taste like fresh peas. It lifts the mood, so the January depression disappears.
Micro-sprouts are also CO2 neutral to make, as they absorb CO2 and convert it into oxygen, thus contributing to a better indoor climate.
You should not grow micro-sprouts in soil. The small sprouts should not be in contact with soil that contains bacteria you are not allowed to eat, and unlike other crops, the risk of getting soil in the small sprouts when you pick them is too great. Use a hemp grow mat, it is easy to handle, and the sprouts grow well and are easy to harvest - but remember good hand hygiene when you harvest.
These sunflower sprouts and red cabbage sprouts are now ready. The seeds should just be sprinkled lightly on the wet hemp grow mat and put on a window ledge.
How to:
Spread out your hemp grow mat or use sprout glasses.
Saturate the mat with water - let it soak in water for 10 minutes before sowing.
Sprinkle your micro-sprout seeds on the mat, as if you were sprinkling salt on your food.
Place them on your window ledge - do not cover them.
Do not irrigate after you have sprinkled the seeds on the mat but keep them moist along the way. Water approximately every other day with fresh tap water - DO NOT spray with water as it may develop bacteria.
You harvest your sprouts as soon as they get leaves.
The finished sprouts can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Om Nanna Stærmose
Freelance journalist.
Nanna has a master’s in journalism and is a Danish writer of several reportages about cultivation in the windowsill and on the balcony. Furthermore, she is the author of many of the articles on the Greenhouse Forum. Nanna visits happy greenhouse owners and tells their stories about basic cultivation and their more unique stories.
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