Ready to harvest in 3 weeks
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CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Allow a full three weeks growing time for Microgreen Basil to unfurl its cotelydon and first true leaf. These little greens have all the flavour of mature basil, with a pleasingly crunchy texture. They add a delicious herbal note to salads and sandwiches, and make an elegant topping for pastas and soups. Add right before serving so they can maintain their raw, fresh qualities. Sow densely over moist soil and provide bright light and bottom heat to speed germination.
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General
General
Microgreens are baby salad greens, a little bit like sprouts, but grown in soil. While sprouting seeds need to germinate quickly so the seeds don’t rot, microgreens can be planted just like any other herb or vegetable seeds. That means that seeds with longer germination requirements can still be grown as microgreens. Think of basil, carrots, spinach, and any other edible greens. It’s useful to learn how to grow microgreens, because you can grow them indoors all winter for a nutritious source of fresh vegetables.
Difficulty
Difficulty
Easy
We Recommend: If we have to make one recommendation, it has to be Sunflower Microgreens (MG435). They’re just so unusual, with a delicious flavour you would never expect without trying them. Unlike many other types of microgreens, these are large and substantial, and they work really well with any kind of dressing.
For Urban Gardeners
For Urban Gardeners: Microgreens are all about down-sizing, so they can be grown just about anywhere. Instead of recommending a specific seed, we recommend the Growlight Garden (ZHG289A), which can be used to produce masses of microgreens on a continuous basis in only 2 x 3 feet!
Season & Zone
Season & Zone
Microgreens can be grown at any time of the year as long as you can supply enough light.
Timing
Timing
Timing microgreens depends on the individual kinds of greens you will be growing. Cress grows really fast, and can be harvested a few days after sowing. Carrot seeds can take as long as 2 to 3 weeks to germinate, so you should expect to allow extra time.
Starting
Starting
Follow the planting instructions for each variety of seeds. For instance, some seeds prefer to be sown on the surface of the soil, while others need to be covered. We recommend using sterilized seed starting soil in shallow trays that have drainage holes at the bottom. You could try growing microgreens in 12-cell plug inserts that have been inserted into seedling germination trays. You can also grow microgreens in recycled plastic containers or clamshell packaging, as long as you poke some drainage holes in the bottom. Using a seedling warmer will increase the speed of germination, but it is not strictly necessary.
Spread the sterilized soil to a depth of only 2-3 inches. You’ll be harvesting the baby seedlings, so they don’t need a lot of room to grow roots.
Sow microgreen seeds fairly densely, a little less dense for large seeds like sunflowers or Swiss chard. Once your microgreen seeds have been planted, mist the whole area. You want to keep the soil moist like a wrung out sponge, but not sitting in water. Keep your mist sprayer handy, and spritz the soil regularly. The nice thing about using seedling germination trays is that you can take a second tray and invert it over the planted tray. This traps moisture inside, and prevents rapid evaporation.
Growing
Growing
As soon as the first sprout is visible above the soil, remove the tray from the seedling warmer (if using), and remove the cover (if using). Bright light is essential for growing microgreens. From late spring to early autumn, microgreens can be grown outdoors under daylight conditions. But indoors, you will need to provide some kind of supplemental light, particularly in the short, dim days of winter. The Growlight Garden is one of the best microgreen growing systems we have found. It even has a self-watering mechanism, which makes the whole process much easier. But any way you can provide light from T5 fluourescent tubes or other grow lights will work. Aim for full spectrum lights.
This bright light will help keep your microgreens short and stout. When light is insufficient, the sprouts will grow long and spindly.
Harvest
Harvest
Microgreens can be pulled from the soil and rinsed until all the soil particles have washed away. They can be enjoyed whole, roots and all. Or simply trim them with scissors and dispose of the used soil in your compost.
Microgreens are intended to be harvested when the first leaf pair (the cotyledon, or seed leaf) opens fully and turns green. This is the point at which your microgreens will be richest in nutrients. However, you can also let the seedlings continue to grow and harvest them as needed. Be aware that the longer they are left to grow the more roots will also develop in the soil.
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
We’re a values-based business that has blossomed into a lifestyle ethos, with products that support seeders, feeders, keepers, and the tiniest of creepers. Our mission? To mobilize the next generation of gardeners with products that nourish soil and grow vigorous, sustainable gardens. We believe all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals, and that the seeds we supply are an important component of regenerative gardening.
We don’t just offer seeds, we offer experience, insight, and understanding. From timeless garden wisdom to new tech know-how, this is learning on the job: knowledge gleaned not from the pages of a book but from burying our fingers in the soil. We test, experiment, observe and adapt, never happier than when we get to share what we’ve learned with others.
Gardens don’t just grow seeds. They grow minds and imaginations, people and communities. Our vision encompasses both the micro and the macro. We eat locally, protect pollinators, teach people to grow from seed, and support regional biodiversity. We think big but act small and deliver unexpected impact — always with community and purpose.
At West Coast Seeds we believe in the power of small and that little can be large. Like the tiniest seed germinates to evoke incremental change with massive potential, so to can our community of gardeners and growers together. Gardeners are the earth’s stewards, planting seeds of creative declaration. The soil provides the canvas, we provide the seeds.
Basil grows well in containers indoors at any time of year provided you can supply enough light. For outdoor growing, sow basil seeds throughout late spring for transplanting to the garden after the summer solstice. Or direct sow in early summer, once the soil has warmed up. Basil requires warm soil and full sun. Optimal temperature for germination: 21°C (70°F). Seeds should sprout in 5-10 days.
Sow seeds 1cm (½”) deep in sterilized seed starting mix. Basil is prone to damping off, so once seeds sprout, make sure they are adequately ventilated, and kept under very bright light. Thin to 20-25cm (8-10″) apart. Using bottom heat speeds germination.
Use any rich, loose, well drained soil. Once plants are 15cm (6″) tall, pinch out the growing tips to encourage really bushy growth prior to harvest. Watch for signs of flower buds forming in mid-summer, and pinch these off to promote more foliage.
Usual seed life: 3 years.
Frequent harvesting will prolong the life of the plant. Basil leaves have the best flavour just before the plant flowers, and if you plan to preserve some of your basil or make a big batch of pesto, this is the best time to harvest. Flowering can be delayed by pinching or clipping off new flower buds.
Tear basil rather than chop with a knife because chopping tends to bruise the leaves. Add basil to food just before serving so as to get the full aroma and effect. Cooking for any length tends to make the minty side of basil come to the forefront.
Basil is best fresh, but can be preserved by drying or by freezing. To freeze, tear the leaves into small pieces and freeze small batches of them, with water, in ice cube trays. Once frozen, the cubes can be saved in zip-lock type bags and labeled for later use. This will preserve the fresh flavour of basil for up to four months.
