How to Harvest & Store Microgreens: The Complete Guide

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Microgreens can be easy to grow for many gardeners wanting to be good stewards of the earth, both new and experienced. However, the process for harvesting and storing them can be a little more delicate or complex, depending on the age of the microgreen.

How do you harvest and store microgreens? To harvest standard microgreens (10-14 days old), cut them above the soil line (or above the mat for hydroponic growers). When storing, first wash and then keep the microgreens in a breathable plastic container in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Gardeners can undoubtedly reap the benefits of God’s work in these beautiful, life-giving plants, as long as they are harvested and stored correctly. However, to do that, gardeners first need to understand the different stages of microgreen growth; the right time to harvest will depend on what is wanted out of said microgreens.

About Microgreens

Microgreens are “young, tender, edible crops that are harvested as seedlings,” usually for the purpose of consumption with a variety of delicious cuisines. (Source: University of Kentucky)

Benefits of Microgreens

As mentioned before, microgreens take minimal time and effort to grow, but they are also very inexpensive to plant and care for since they only require the basic plant needs.
They are small and manageable enough to be grown outdoors or indoors, making them an ideal gardening project for gardeners with limited room in the home or who do not have a lot of time to tend to a full garden.
Microgreens are versatile plants. They are often grown and used in salads or sandwiches or as a garnish in many cuisines, either commercially or for personal dishes. This is due to their strong flavor profiles—they may be small plants, but they offer memorable tastes for any food you pair them with. Some people even use microgreens in nutritional shakes since they provide an abundance of healthy nutrients.

Varieties of Microgreens

A high number of vegetable, herb, and agronomic crops and their several variations can be used for microgreen production. Some popular microgreen crops include:

Amaranth
Arugula
Asian Greens
Basil
Beet
Broccoli
Buckwheat
Cabbage
Carrot
Celery
Chives
Cilantro
Collards
Cress
Dill
Fennel
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lemongrass
Mizuna
Mustard
Nasturtium
Onion
Parsley
Popcorn
Radish
Spinach
Sweet Pea
Swiss Chard
Tatsoi

This is only the beginning of the list! Gardeners can choose many more varieties to grow as microgreens. For a more extensive list, visit the Johnny’s Selected Seeds website. This will provide information on the seemingly infinite varieties available on the market today.

Microgreen Growth Stages

Microgreens are often also referred to as sprouts or baby greens or plants, but in actuality, these are terms for the different stages a microgreen plant goes through as it grows. Although these different versions of microgreens are similar as they all start as seeds, each stage offers gardeners a unique microgreen experience, as they have different looks and tastes when harvested.

	Sprouts	Microgreens	Baby Greens
Description	Sprouts are seeds that have recently germinated or are beginning to grow into a plant. With the nutrients from the seed, it develops a stem, which appears as a shoot growing from the seed.	Microgreens are the slightly older version of sprouts that have been planted in soil or a soilless medium. They are usually considered a “microgreen” once they have produced their first set of leaves.	Baby greens are essentially microgreens that are typically grown spaced apart from one another. They are leafier compared to microgreens, and are harvested right before they have reached maturation, or become a fully grown plant.
Age	Sprouts are quite young—usually around 3-5 days old.	Microgreens are typically 10-14 days old; however, slow-growing varieties may be as old as one month.	Baby greens are at least 14 days old but can be older—up to 40 days.
Growth	Sprouts thrive in a very humid, high-moisture environment, and typically do not require soil or any other type of media to germinate.	Microgreens can grow best in soilless media or solely water. At this point in the growing period, microgreens may have their first true leaf features.	Baby greens thrive in a soil or soilless mix. At this stage of growth, baby greens have definite true leaves but are technically still considered an immature plant.
Harvest	They are usually harvested to be eaten whole, rather than only its small leaves or tubers alone.	Microgreens are typically harvested by clipping the small leaves from the stems, although both parts can be used in cuisine.	True leaves and stems are mostly harvested from baby greens for consumption.

(Source: Oregon State University)

How to Harvest Microgreens

When and how microgreens are harvested will depend on in which stage of growth they are collected.

Sprouts

Sprouts can be harvested within a day or two of germination. (Source: Iowa State University)

All of a sprout can be consumed, from its roots to its early growing leaves, so when it comes to harvesting, not necessarily much is needed to remove them from their container.

A key step after sprout removal is to de-hull them. In de-hulling, gardeners remove the seed hulls from the sprout; this is especially important for Brassica sprouts such as cabbage, broccoli, radish, mustard, etc. Since the hulls are large and can hold a lot of water, performing this step will allow the sprouts to have a longer storage life.

To de-hull sprouts after harvest, follow the below steps:

Place the sprouts in a large bowl filled with cold water.
Loosen the sprouts by pulling them apart with fingers or a fork while they are in the water. The hulls will float to the surface.
Skim the hulls off of the surface of the water.
Drain the sprouts, making sure to remove as much excess water as possible. (Note: A salad spinner is a helpful tool to use for this step.)

(Source: Academia)

Microgreens

After a healthy growth period of 10 to 14 days, the microgreens will be ready to harvest. A visual sign that they are ready is when the first true leaves emerge (the second set of leaves that appear), or when they are about 1.5 to 2.5 inches tall. (Source: North Carolina State University)

Gardeners usually harvest both the stems and leaves of microgreens for consumption and use in a variety of dishes, but not the roots. Since they grow in media, they are not edible like their above-soil counterparts.

When harvesting, keep these tips in mind:

The best time to harvest microgreens is usually at night or in the morning. (Source: University of Florida)
Use a clean pair of scissors to cut them above the soil line (or above the hydroponic mat if grown via the hydroponic system). Alternatively, to cut the microgreens, use a chef’s knife or mechanized shears; the latter is more common with commercial microgreen gardeners.
Compost the soil and/or dispose of the pad. Most microgreens are incapable of regrowth once they have been cut above the roots, so it is recommended to compost the mix for future garden projects.

(Source: Oregon State University)

Baby Greens

Baby greens are usually ready to harvest between 21-40 days after germination, or when they are about four to six inches tall. The harvesting process is slightly different from how one would harvest sprouts or traditional microgreens, in that there are two ways one can harvest:

Multiple Harvest – Use a clean pair of scissors to cut the greens above the soil (about an inch from the surface). After harvesting, the plants will eventually grow new leaves from their base, which can be harvested a second time after three to four weeks. Some baby green varieties allow for a third harvest in the right conditions. After the growing season has ended, use the remaining plant and soil for compost.
Leaf or Full Harvest – If baby greens are planted four to six inches apart, the option is available to harvest only the outer leaves or even the entire plant. However, in most cases, the plant will be unable to produce more leaves for additional harvest periods. It is recommended to use the remaining stems and soil for compost.

After harvest, be sure to remove any soil or grit from the plants by rinsing them under cold running water several times.

(Source: University of Maryland)

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits from your entire harvest.
Proverbs 3:9

Which Microgreen Growth Stage is Ideal for Harvesting?

The sprout, microgreen, and baby green stages are all suitable times to harvest microgreens. However, when gardeners decide to harvest will depend on what they want from the microgreens.

Sprouts are rich in essential nutrients and enzymes and are high in protein. They are also much easier to digest compared to the later microgreen forms. For these reasons, some gardeners may prefer to harvest these microgreens at a very young age.
Microgreens have been found to have almost 40 times the nutrition level of their more mature relatives, and a much stronger taste as well. It is because of this that most gardeners choose to harvest their microgreens at this stage.
Baby greens are also more nutritious as a microgreen in comparison to their mature counterparts. They are quite tender and offer a different flavor and texture that some food connoisseurs prefer over mature versions.