Microgreens! Yummy, nutritious, healthy microgreens...
It is super simple to grow the Hamama microgreens just the way they are designed to be used. But as a hobby gardener who loves to experiment with all kinds of growing methods, I found this fun way to grow them!
I want to share my way of producing healthy microgreens by using a simple aquaponic method. It is an ancient way of growing floating plants on the water and having fish in the water beneath. The fish fertilize the water. The roots of the plants absorb the nutrients from the fertilizer and in return filter the water for the fish. A symbiotic relationship! The Aztecs had this method perfected. My aquaponic setup is a bit simpler. No large rivers and rafts needed!😁
Here's my end product. Just look at all the healthy, white roots!
I put together an easy set up with most things I already had around the house from fishtanks I had in the past and gardening supplies I use all the time.
Here's what I am using:
2.5 gallon rectangular fishtank ($12 at Petco)
1 Betta fish
Aquarium Air pump with airstone for extra oxygen.
Tank thermometer
Seedling heat map
Grow light hanging above the tank
Hamama microgreen starter kit. (Black tray and seed mat) https://www.hamama.com
1 floating raft with holes for roots. (I used some packing material 1/2 inch thick...cut to fit where the roots will be.) This keeps the microgreen mat from becoming waterlogged and sinking.
I first clean and sanitize the raft with 10% hydrogen peroxide/water solution. (3/4 cup peroxide to 7.5 cups water.) Let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse well.
Day 1. Set up the Hamama system per the instructions.
(1. Add water to line. 2. Set the Microgreen mat in the tray)
I put the fishtank on 1/4 of the heat mat and the Hamama tray next to it. Plug in the seed mat. My fishtank stays at about 72 degrees this way...makes for a happy fish and the seedlings germinate well.
On Day 3- Peek under the Microgreen mat to see if roots are starting to come through...if yes, it's time to move to the fish tank. If not, wait another day and check again. Set the floating raft on the water first, then add the Microgreen mat on top of that. The roots will soon grow like crazy...almost 2 inches a day!
(Remove the paper cover from the microgreen plants just as you normally do.) You will have to harvest your greens at about day 6, because your fish will be swimming through nothing but roots. Fun for the whole family to watch these grow!
Love those healthy roots!
After harvesting I put the unwashed microgreens into a closed, plastic container in the fridge. They keep about a week in there. I rinse them before I use them on salads or in my morning smoothies. I suppose the roots could be cleaned and eaten as well...but, I compost them. I'm sure the worms love them as must as I do!
I have tried starting them out in the fish tank, too, (without using the black tray for germination) It works fine, but the roots got even longer so I had to harvest on day 5...which resulted in 20g less microgreens. I suppose you could let them grow to Day 7 or 8, but I felt sorry for the fish! So, for me anyway, the tray start is better for a bigger yield and happier fish.🐳
Happy Growing!🌱
