How to Grow Microgreens Indoors

Go from seed to harvest in just a handful of weeks with this guide on how to grow microgreens indoors.

Updated on January 12, 2024

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Working Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 weeks
Skill Level: Kid-friendly
Estimated Cost: $15 o $25
Yield: One tray of microgreens

Among the easiest and fastest-growing crops, microgreens offer a palette of fresh flavors, from mild to spicy, and inspire repeated plantings for an ongoing supply of fresh greens for creative uses. Learn how to grow microgreens indoors to add these tasty veggies to your recipes.

These teensy microgreen seedlings are grown for harvest at a tender stage and are perfect for a windowsill garden. They're ready for harvest and can have their stems snipped after only two to three weeks of growing. If left to grow, microgreens become young seedlings and then full-fledged plants.

To grow microgreens indoors, you'll need potting mix and bright light. Flavors range from intense, like a full-grown plant, to subtle.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

Garden trowel
Watering can

Materials

3-inch peat pots or other suitable containers
Soiless seed-starting mix
Vermiculite
Seeds
Plant labels
Plastic wrap

Instructions

How to Grow Microgreens Indoors

Dampen Soil

To get started growing microgreens indoors, remoisten the soilless seed-starting mix, a sterile medium formulated to promote seed development. Do this by sprinkling warm water onto the mixture and blending until it is thoroughly damp.

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Fill Containers

Fill each container with premoistened seed-starting mix. There's no need to pack it into place—packing the container too tight will lead to drainage issues. Set the container on a watertight drip tray or saucer.
Sprinkle Seeds

Sprinkle seeds evenly over the surface of the seed-starting mix, sowing them more thickly than you ordinarily would. Leave at least 1/4 inch of space between the seeds.

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Cover Seeds

Cover the seeds with vermiculite. This mineral-based material absorbs water and releases it slowly, keeping seeds damp but not too wet. Follow the instructions for planting depth provided on the seed packet. Some seeds should be barely covered; others need thicker covering to germinate (sprout and grow). Label plantings.
Water

Water the sown seeds with a gentle shower, soaking the vermiculite without washing away the seeds. Water lightly as needed to keep the seed-starting mix damp until the seeds germinate and green shoots sprout. If the mix is too wet, seeds can't root and fail to grow.
Cover

Cover the containers with a lightweight sheet of plastic or a doomed lid to maintain humidity and promote germination to encourage the best growth of microgreens indoors. Set the drip tray on a heat mat designed for seed starting or on a heating pad.
Care for Plants

When the seeds germinate, remove the lid and the heat source. Set the containers on a sunny windowsill to help your microgreens grow indoors. Keep the planting medium damp, and promote healthy growth by watering from the bottom. Pour water into the tray, where it will be absorbed into the soilless mix.
Harvest

To harvest the microgreens, hold a section with one hand and use the other to snip with scissors. Keep your microgreens cool and in an airtight container until you're ready to use them. Their shelf life in the refrigerator is about a week.