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Post by lynnee on Feb 5, 2022 1:00:59 GMT -5
Today (2/4/22) I started growing some microgreens on cheesecloth in a Harvest Elite. The "cheesecloth method" is described in the YouTube video that campingcorgis mentioned in this post. (The link is right above the photo.) For no particular reason, I decided to try Amaranth and Swiss Chard. The cheesecloth successfully contains the tiny Amaranth seeds. However, it dries out between floodings--unlike felt or fiber mats--so I'm wondering whether that will make a difference in the way the microgreens develop.  .jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) Something that I learned yesterday, is that it's unwise to dump AG microgreens water down a bathroom sink drain. The drain was running slowly, in part, because there were a couple of sprouts in the drain!  |
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Shawn
Administrator
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Post by Shawn on Feb 5, 2022 4:04:19 GMT -5
Yikes, maybe run the water thru a cheesecloth to catch them.
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Post by lynnee on Feb 5, 2022 15:00:28 GMT -5
Yikes, maybe run the water thru a cheesecloth to catch them. I'm just putting all the used AG water down the toilet now. My bathroom sink has a small-diameter pipe that catches everything. Finding the sprouts made me think about crocodiles in the sewers, though!  |
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Post by lynnee on Feb 5, 2022 15:03:28 GMT -5
The cheesecloth in the microgreens trays is staying wet between tray floodings now. Drying out isn't going to be a oroblem after all.  |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Feb 5, 2022 19:02:49 GMT -5
Yikes, maybe run the water thru a cheesecloth to catch them. I'm just putting all the used AG water down the toilet now. My bathroom sink has a small-diameter pipe that catches everything. Finding the sprouts made me think about crocodiles in the sewers, though!  |
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Shawn
Administrator
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Post by Shawn on Feb 6, 2022 5:56:29 GMT -5
Just be careful. Even though it is going down the toilet. They can still get stuck in the main drain.
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Post by lynnee on Feb 6, 2022 11:27:38 GMT -5
Just be careful. Even though it is going down the toilet. They can still get stuck in the main drain. Will do! |
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Post by waterphoenix on Feb 6, 2022 11:32:39 GMT -5
I have not gotten into eating or growing micro greens before but I am intrigued now. It looks like they are very nutritious..
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Post by lynnee on Feb 6, 2022 12:02:27 GMT -5
I have not gotten into eating or growing micro greens before but I am intrigued now. It looks like they are very nutritious.. The knock on hydroponic microgreens is lack of flavor. Mine are kind of flavorless, even when I add the optional nutrients. I'm hoping to find a way to improve the flavor. I'm continuing to grow them because I don't eat enough veggies. Microgreens grow fast and I love them in sandwiches. |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Feb 6, 2022 14:09:40 GMT -5
lynnee, it is probably the mix you are growing.
i have a spicy mix that contains broccoli and radish seeds, along with other things. It is bold and spicy.
I also have a bland mix that is mostly alfalfa. I do not like that one.
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Post by lynnee on Feb 6, 2022 20:14:03 GMT -5
I've tried the AG Spicy and the AG Supergreens. Spicy has more flavor than Supergreens. With age I have fewer taste buds than I used to, of course.  |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Feb 7, 2022 0:49:58 GMT -5
Same here, lynnee. If I want to taste it, it needs a little added kick.  |
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Post by lynnee on Feb 8, 2022 17:57:28 GMT -5
I'm pretty much sold on using cheesecloth as a base for AG microgreens. The tiny red amaranth seeds have really taken hold, and have roots extending down through the cheesecloth. The microgreens have formed a solid mat, and can probably be harvested any time now (5th day). The Rainbow Sprinkles (beets and Swiss chard) are slower to germinate, but they are coming along. One of the Swiss chard pods in a fairly new Bounty garden turned out to be a dud, so I took three of the "Sprinkles" and put them in the pod. They're growing! Now I'm thinking that the Harvest Microgreens insert may be just the thing for starting hard-to-germinate seeds like spinach. With the paper towel method, only one of about a dozen of my spinach seeds germinated. I tried placing about half a dozen spinach seeds in the upper left corner of the Rainbow Sprinkles tray. With luck, the spinach seeds will germinate.   |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Feb 8, 2022 20:06:59 GMT -5
How cool that the Sprinkles are a great Swiss Chard incubator!
Spinach and chard are related, so that might be the magic bullet for your spinach seeds. Here's hoping!
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,267
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Post by Shawn on Feb 9, 2022 3:40:47 GMT -5
Love the name Rainbow Sprinkles
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