Here are a few tips and tricks on when to harvest microgreens:
- With microgreens, timing is fairly important. You don’t want to harvest too soon and risk the chance of missing the fully formed cotyledons. (In case you’re not familiar, cotyledons are the seed leaves, or the very first set of leaves of the plant). These seed leaves are chock-full of nutrients.
- On the other hand, waiting too long often results in leaves that are tough and stringy rather than tender and sweet. A batch of microgreens that are left growing for too long tend to look more stringy, less vibrant, and overall—less appetizing. You may also begin to encounter issues with mold or disease (sometime we all wish to avoid!).
- While different types of microgreens have different recommended harvesting times, most microgreens are ready to harvest between 7–14 days from sowing. Microgreens generally reach a height between 2–3 inches (5–8 centimeters).
- There are some slow-pokes in the crowd. Some slower growing varieties of microgreens include: amaranth, basil, beets, carrots, chard, cilantro, dill, lemon balm, and orach to name a few. Slow growing microgreens may be harvested between 16–25 days.
- List of slow-growing microgreens from Johnny’s Selected Seeds: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/vegetables/microgreens/microgreens-slow-growing-comparison-chart.html