GrowLog
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Spicy and Alfalfa Microgreens in an AeroGarden Harvest Elite

Grow log by campingcorgis · Original thread

3 visual updates6 photos26 replies
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CropMicrogreens, alfalfa
VarietyAeroGarden Spicy Microgreens Mix, True Leaf Alfalfa
MethodAeroGarden microgreens hydroponics
EquipmentAeroGarden Harvest Elite, AeroGarden microgreens setup, AeroFelt or equivalent growing mat
Plants-
AudienceBeginners

What you can learnUseful beginner example of comparing two microgreen mixes, harvesting within days, and obtaining limited continued growth after the first cutting.

Actions:1 Planting1 Harvest
Useful practices
  • grow two seed mixes side by side
  • harvest larger shoots first so smaller shoots receive light
  • use cheesecloth as a reusable mat alternative
  • harvest microgreens continuously over several days
Problems encountered
  • touch controls required a very light press
  • standard microgreen mats may shift or disintegrate during harvest
  • alfalfa was less preferred than the spicy mix

*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.

Day 9
UPDATE#3
Grower update

Update #3

Actions taken

HarvestHarvested and used some microgreens in a salad.

C By campingcorgis

After using some for DH's salad, a couple of days back...(along side of a bowl of Sher's Black-eye Peas...It seems one can get a second harvest of the AG Spicy Microgreens. While it isn't a traditional cut & come again, it does seem to let the smaller sprouts get light and continue to grow...
Conversation
L
lynnee

Who'd've thought that cut & come again would work with AG Spicy! This is why I love this group. Your black-eyed peas and salad look fabulous!

C
campingcorgis

Day 13: Will likely harvest the rest of this today and then end and restart this with SOS (Some Other Seeds )

C
campingcorgis

Ended this one today. It was time. The microgreens were yummy. I think we prefer the AG Spicy mix over the Alfalfa, but I try them each again, in the future. Getting lots of Seed Catalogs these days. Looking at their selections for microgreens...and contemplating what to buy. I'm thinking beets for sure...

S
Shawn

Looking forward to seeing whats next

S
swimmom500

Has anyone tried using felt you would buy at a fabric store for their Microgreens kit? I set mine up in my harvest but they only include 4 pieces of felt in the kit and additional felt seems to be expensive at AG. Mine are growing great but I really think next time I will start one side at a time. I have a huge amount that is all ready to harvest at once.

S
Shawn

I have only grown a couple of microgreens and not using hte AG so I am of no help, sorry. Someone should be able to help. campingcorgis?

C
campingcorgis

I've not used felt, but I have used Cheese Cloth. Others have too. You just drape the cloth, you don't need to be fussy with cutting it to fit. I think it works better than the AG supplied mats as it doesn't disintegrate when you harvest the microgreens. You might try staggering the start of each side? I just let it grow and keep harvesting, day by day.

P
patlab

I like to use the hydroponic mats from True Leaf market. You can cut to size and they are compostable.

C
campingcorgis

I tried those. For me, they were a step up, but not anywhere near as good as just plain old cheesecloth. But thanks for the input!

Day 6
UPDATE#2
Grower update

Update #2

C By campingcorgis

24 hours:48 hours:96 hours:They will go into a salad tonight or tomorrow.
Conversation
L
lynnee

Aren't they amazing, campingcorgis? Please report on how they taste!

S
Sher

A superb salad is about to happen!!!

M
maskedsonnet

Amazing!!!

S
Shawn

That was fast!

W
waterphoenix

They look so good. I'm interested in how the spicies taste.

C
campingcorgis

DH had some of each on his dinner salad. He liked them and said that they go best with an oil & vinegar dressing.

C
campingcorgis

I stand by my original comment. Some microgreens can be harvested using the Cut & Come Again method. DH did as much, following the growing directions, when he was growing Wheat Grass. Ultimately, he decided to end the garden because the TrueLeaf Hydroponic Kit became stinky and too much bother! A few days back, he asked if "they had this system" when he was growing Wheat Grass!

L
lynnee

campingcorgis, what does wheatgrass taste like? I've never tried wheatgrass. How is it used?

C
campingcorgis

I have no idea. Mikey grew it for the dogs hoping it would give them what they are seeking when they eat grass in our side field. Lots of people juice it and that's what DH did and then froze it in ice cube trays to use as needed.

Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update

Update #1

Actions taken

PlantingStarted the microgreens garden with spicy mix on the left and alfalfa on the right.

C By campingcorgis

I started a Microgreens garden in the new Harvest Elite. It was a bit of a challenge for a few minutes, but that was 100% ME, not the AG. It takes a very delicate touch on the setup buttons. I tend to press with my nail, and it didn't like that. I figured it out when I kept accidentally turning the light off. So, keep in mind LESS is more with this AG! Anyway, I put the AG Spicy Microgreens mix (from old Bounty order) in the left-hand side and I put some TrueLeaf Alfalfa Sprouts seeds in the right-hand side...ta-da! Let's see what we get this week and next. Things tend to move pretty quickly with sprouts. I do have some Mung Bean seeds from TrueLeaf that I want to try, but not this time. Oh...and I watched this video about an alternative to the AeroFelt...I may give it a try as I like that it will stay in place when you harvest! Here's the YouTube link.
Conversation
L
lynnee

campingcorgis, it took me forever to figure out how the buttons worked on the new Harvest Elite! You have to touch the Leaf button, then wait for it to start offering choices, then hit the Leaf button again to "select" the thing you want to set, and then finally you touch the Scroll buttons. I set the Clock about a million times before I hit on this, because the Display tells you to use the Scroll buttons for choices (or something like that), and I was trying to use them to make "selections". I thought that I had received a defective unit with pushbuttons that weren't working!Love that video with the cheesecloth suggestion. I bought microgreens felt online from TrueLeaf, but it comes in a confusing variety of weights. The lightweight felt that I tried first wasn't very satisfactory, because the fibers pulled up with the microgreens roots when I harvested them. The cheesecloth looks like it will work for everything, and I like the way he avoids having to cut it to fit the trays.Your photo of your setup looks terrific!

C
campingcorgis

Thanks for the input on your experience, lynnee! I'm glad it wasn't just me! DH walked in when I was messing with it & made a comment about it being the reason it was returned before. Clearly, it was not. It may have been returned, but it was evident that it had never been set up.I do think the cheesecloth is worth a try. And, I usually have a good selection of that in the kitchen as I use it for a number of things, especially when making ricotta! I had a similar experience with the Trueleaf felt too. Not fun trying to pick it out of the greens.

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waterphoenix

Looking forward to seeing how these turn out!

W
waterphoenix

Are these cut and come again? Or do you reseed in the same unit? I’ve never grown microgreens before. Now I’m reading about them and the differences in flavors sound interesting.

C
campingcorgis

I believe there are some that can be cut and come again...like wheat grass, but these will not. At least, that's my understanding. They grow so fast...I have to upload some pictures later today, and then post them.

L
lynnee

Microgreens are generally a "one and done" crop. They grow so fast--harvest in a week or less--you can easily grow as much as you need in a Harvest. I had too many to use when I was growing them in a Bounty.

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