Microgreens: What are micronutrients and how are they grown?

Microgreens are all these plant species of vegetables, legumes and grains, which are grown for a very short time (up to 15 days) until the cotyledons grow. Then the whole aboveground part is harvested and consumed. The cultivation of small vegetables is not done in the soil, but in pots for sowing and growth of plants and is often done indoors. They can be grown successfully outdoors as well as in need of sunlight. They are grown in sowing pots with soil or other soil substrate.

Microgreens – often called Vegetables, Micro-Salads, Micro-aromatics, while in English they are often called “vegetable confetti”. A similar term exists for herbs and spices produced by a similar method called Microherbs.

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So small vegetables are the normal vegetables we grow. They are planted with their seed in seed containers of sufficient density in the soil mixture. The duration of cultivation lasts from 7-15 days depending on the vegetable, legume or grain. They are ready for harvest when they have developed their cotyledons (before the growth of the first true leaves).

Then the aboveground part of the small vegetables is cut, which is consumed whole. It is used in restaurant dishes both for decorating the dish, but also because they give special flavors. Now the use of small vegetables in the diet has expanded and they are used in salads, fruit juices, smoothies, sweets and more. There are other categories of vegetable cultivation (besides the conventional ones) such as baby leaves (they grow like microgreens, but are cut after they have developed their first leaves) and sprouts, which differ in both the way of cultivation and the time of plant growth. and harvesting them from microgreens and baby leaf.

How are small vegetables used in cooking?

Microgreens are items of high nutritional value and are mainly used as ingredients for salads that give the dish aromas, colors and good texture.

Various chefs choose the microgreens that they will use based on criteria such as:

The aesthetic value (positive upgrade) of the dish they create.
Adding flavors to their dish
And upgrading the smell of the dish they make

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Advantages of growing microgreens

The advantages of growing small vegetables can be summarized below: Production in a very short time Low production costs.

Large variety of production
Very high nutritional
value of products produced
The cultivation method can be characterized as organic as the use of fertilizers and plant protection
products (pesticides) is not required to treat diseases.
Easy packaging and storage.
Easy cultivation as it does not require production in the field.
It is considered urban cultivation (urban vegetable – urban gardening)
Traditional varieties can be utilized for this use of increasing the cultivated area without further reducing the agricultural land

How many microgreens are there?

There are about 100 species of plants grown as small vegetables and baby vegetables.

Small vegetables include most vegetables (leafy and non-leafy) as well as several aromatic and medicinal plants (microherbs).

Unlike full-grown vegetables, the aroma of vegetable microgreens is more intense. In cereals and legumes and legumes, where in full growth the whole plant is not edible, new distinct flavors appear to consumers.