Farming is being smart with new ideas. The name of a smart agriculture is microgreen. Although it is common to see, it is through this that the amateur farmers of the city can meet their daily demand for green food and vitamins. Even if it is not on the roof of your house or direct sunlight. All you need is a porch.
What is Microgreen?
Micro means small and green means plant here. Microgreen is basically a tray filled seedling. And these seedlings are eaten raw at the age of one or two weeks. The purpose of microgreen cultivation is to meet the demand for vitamins, not to fill up. This is because the amount of nutrients found in ordinary vegetables is several times higher than that found in microgreens. According to some people, the amount of this nutrient is 4 times more! It also adds novelty to the taste of food. And that is why it is being sold in countries like the United States or the United Kingdom at 3 to 4 thousand rupees per kg.
Specialized plastic trays for microgreens are available in some international online markets. However, it can be cultivated in any tub, tray or other container. Just as a small space is needed for a rice seedbed, a small porch is enough for a family to grow microgreens. Apart from this, a little study has to be done on seed germination and care. YouTube is at work. If you search by typing ‘How to Grow Microgreen’, you will find hundreds of tutorial videos.
‘One of the reasons why there is not much publicity about microgreen in our country is because it is considered expensive. However, many hobby farmers in the capital said that there is nothing to say about the cost of microgreen except buying seeds. And the price of that seed is not ahamri for amateur farmers. Rather it can be a great green-entertainment for urban children. Nusrat Jahan, a resident of Adabar in the capital, said that they are also interested in agriculture when they see small seedlings sprouting from seeds in trays. As a hobby, he sometimes cultivates microgreens with soil layer in trays.
Microgreen cultivation method
Not all vegetables are microgreen. Basically, the seeds of vegetables which can be eaten raw as seedlings can be used for this purpose. In this case, mustard, radish, lettuce, cabbage, red spinach, carrot, sunflower, fenugreek, beetroot, broccoli, peas, turnip, etc. are on the list of farmers’ choice. The task is to make a bunch of small seedlings in a tray with the seeds. For this you need to know how long a seed germinates and in what process. For example, if sunflower or mulberry seeds are soaked overnight, they germinate faster. The small seeds have to be carefully sprinkled on the soaked soil.
In a tray, level the soil about two inches, soak it well and sprinkle the seeds in it first. Then the seeds can be covered with another layer of soil anywhere. Light is not required before the seeds germinate. However, after germination, it has to be left in a shady place. At this time the tray can be wrapped with plastic to maintain moisture.
Microgreen is usually edible within a week or twenty days of germination. It is microgreen only when two leaves grow on the plant. If there are some vegetables bigger than this, they can no longer be eaten raw.
If you start cultivating several types of microgreen together in a few trays, you will be able to extract it after a few days. The tray will be reusable for a certain period of time. You can cut the seedlings from scratch with scissors and spread them directly in the salad bowl.
Care should be taken in watering the seedlings. Water can be poured into the tray specially made for microgreens through the bottom. If water is given directly from above, the seeds may be removed and germination may not take place. In this case, spraying water is the most effective.
Collecting seeds to make microgreens is also a big challenge. It will cost a lot to grow microgreen in the packaged seeds that are made in the retail market. In that case, those who want to cultivate it in the long run can buy more open seeds at a lower price. It would be wise to go to the seed wholesale market, especially to grow expensive micrograms like lettuce or cabbage.