The 17 Easiest Microgreens to Grow

These Are The 17 Easiest Microgreens To Grow

The seventeen microgreen varieties we introduce below are easy to grow, but you can plant the seeds and harvest the microgreens within 10 days.

In reality, a few microgreen varieties can be on your plate in as quickly as 5-days!

Grow these quick-win varieties to practice your growing skills and gain confidence. Before you know it, you’ll grow nutritious microgreens throughout the year.

When your neighbors eat week-old bagged salad in the winter, you’ll harvest and add fresh vitamin and mineral-rich microgreens to your meals. 

New to Growing Microgreens?

Microgreens are seedlings of vegetables and herbs. They can be grown inside in small trays on a window sill or in well-lit rooms all year long.

Microgreens are chock-full of nutrients, way more concentrated with nutrition than fully-grown vegetables.

Because of their concentrated nutrients, you can add a small amount of a few varieties and quickly improve your vitamin and mineral uptake.

Want to learn how to grow microgreens? Click here. 

FREE Home Microgreens Grow course that teaches you the basics of growing microgreens in your home! There are 12 video lessons (over 120 minutes), downloads, and more written information and tips!

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Our 17 Easiest Microgreens To Grow

To some extent, the microgreens on lists such as these depend on each persons growing setup, the available light intensity, and the soil media and container being used to grow microgreens.

We believe that easy-to-grow microgreens should be varieties that are easy to plant, grow quickly, and don’t have the tendency to retain seed husks or have rigid growing requirements.  

The varieties in our easiest microgreens to grow list reach harvest quickly (within 7- to 10 days), can grow in minimal light, and are easy to harvest and eat.

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The Microgreens Podcast Episode 032

I discuss why I chose these 17 microgreens as my easiest to grow in this episode of the Microgreens Podcast.

1. Radish Microgreens

Radishes have to be the easiest microgreens to grow. It’s hard, if not impossible, not to get them to grow.

Why do I think radish microgreens are the easiest to grow? 

The radish seeds are relatively large and light-colored. When you sow the seeds, they are easy to see on the darker soil. Sowing microgreens gives the beginner the most stress, so the large, easy-to-see radish seeds make planting a breeze. 

The reason we think radishes are the easiest microgreen to grow is how quickly they grow. 

At normal room temperature, radish microgreens can be harvested in as few as 7 days. Using a heat mat or elevating the room temperature, radish microgreens can be ready to harvest 5-days after planting!

Radishes are the fastest-growing microgreens and should be harvested before their first true leaves develop. A family shouldn’t have any problem using up a Home Microgreen Tray full of radish microgreens before they need to harvest and store them in the refrigerator. 

Not only are radish microgreens easy to plant and quick to grow, but they add flavor and crunch to sandwiches and salads. There are even red varieties of radish microgreens.

For all these reasons, we believe radish microgreens are the easiest to grow. Click the following link for easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions on growing radish microgreens.

Are you interested in growing radish microgreens? We sell radish microgreen seeds and kits.

2. Broccoli Microgreens

Broccoli microgreens, like radish microgreens, are quick and easy to seed, grow, and harvest. 

Other than the flavor, broccoli microgreens are very similar to radishes. Broccoli seeds are relatively large and can easily be seen and moved around on the soil.

There are a few differences between broccoli and radish microgreens, however. Broccoli grows slightly slower and doesn’t have the color varieties radishes do. 

Like radishes, you harvest broccoli microgreens in the cotyledon stage before the first true leaves form.

Broccoli microgreens taste like mild cabbage and are very nutritious. In fact, they are one of the most referenced microgreens for health benefits.

For more information, we have published an article on how to grow broccoli microgreens.

In our opinion, broccoli and radish microgreens are the two easiest microgreens to grow.

Are you interested in growing broccoli microgreens? We sell broccoli microgreen seeds and kits.

3. Cabbage Microgreens

Red Acre Cabbage microgreens, like the Vienna Kohlrabi microgreens (discussed below), are easy to grow. Although cabbage doesn’t grow as quickly as the first two microgreens discussed above, you can harvest cabbage microgreens 10 to 14 days after planting them.

Several cabbage varieties are used for microgreens. However, we prefer Red Acre because of the attractive stems and leaves.

When we give presentations on how to grow microgreens and provide microgreen kits to the attendees, Red Acre Cabbage is one of the seeds we recommend. 

The dark reddish-green leaves are glossy, and the purple, pink, and reddish stems are attractive both growing and on the plate. The idea is to hook new people into growing microgreens.

Not only are microgreens great for your health and add flavor to food, but they are fun to grow and take up very little space in the home. So starting with the easiest-to-grow microgreens that are attractive, nutritious, and taste great is important. 

Red Acre Cabbage microgreens fall into this category. The seeds, unlike radish and broccoli seeds, are smaller and darker. Making them slightly harder to plant but not to the point where they are challenging to handle.

You grow Red Acre Cabbage just like you would Purple Vienna Kohlrabi, except you use fewer seeds for cabbage.

Are you interested in growing cabbage microgreens? We sell Red Acre Cabbage seeds and kits.

4. Kohlrabi Microgreens

Vienna Kohlrabi is one of my favorite microgreens.

Many people don’t know what kohlrabi is; if they do, they’re not sure what to do with the mature vegetable. 

We want to set the record straight; kohlrabi microgreens are nothing like the mature vegetable. They taste like sweet, mild cabbage and add beautiful color to salads, eggs, and other dishes.

Because people will rarely try things they don’t know, we add kohlrabi seeds to our beginner’s kits. Once people try Kohlrabi microgreens, they become repeat customers. We also use kohlrabi as an example in our presentations because it is beautiful and can be harvested as early as seven days after planting.

Kohlrabi seeds are quite small and round and love to bounce from the tray when you plant them. But that is the only problem you might have with these awesome microgreens.

For more information on how to plant and grow kohlrabi, please read our article by clicking here.

Kohlrabi microgreens are one of the easiest to grow once you get them planted.

Are you interested in growing Purple Vienna Kohlrabi microgreens? We sell Purple Vienna Kohlrabi microgreen seeds and kits.

5. Arugula Microgreens

The following two microgreens you rarely, if ever, see on any easiest microgreens to grow lists. 

However, there’s no reason for their exclusion. Both are easy to grow.

Arugula, known for its peppery flavor, is a staple microgreen here at Home Microgreens. We add it to salads, scrabbled eggs, meatloaf, hamburger mix, and sandwiches.

Arugula microgreen seeds are medium-sized and lighter in color, making them easy to sow on your soil trays. The seeds also germinate quickly, within two days at average room temperatures.

The plants grow slower than those listed above, however, keep them under intense light and moderate watering, and you can harvest your first arugula in 10 to 14 days.

Although arugula can be eaten at the cotyledon stage (like those leaves shown above), we think they taste better and have the most intense flavor when the first true leaves form. 

Arugula microgreens are best a day to two older than those shown above. 

We have found that arugula is sensitive to overcrowding, so seed density is important.

Want to Know the Ideal Seeding Density?

Go to this article with an embedded, easy-to-use microgreen seed calculator.

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Besides the fact that arugula is slightly slower growing and overcrowding makes the plants yellow out a bit, arugula is easy to grow, and there’s no reason to shy away from growing them.

Are you interested in growing arugula microgreens? We sell arugula microgreen seeds and kits.

6. Basil Microgreens

We aren’t sure why people believe basil microgreens are challenging to grow. Maybe because they’re mucilaginous seeds or because they take up to 3 weeks to mature?

Growing mucilaginous seeds isn’t difficult, and it takes some patience. If you check on mucilaginous seeds too early during the blackout period, the seeds tend to stick to the cover and disrupt the rooting.

Basil microgreens grow steadily but not quickly. The ideal temperature is slightly warmer than room temperature, and you can harvest within 14 days. 

But the best thing about basil microgreens is that you can let them grow. In fact, we think their best flavor occurs between 20 and 25 days. Again, because it’s best to let basil microgreens get larger, using the correct seeding density is essential for good results. 

We grow several different varieties of basil, and they all grow similarly. If you give basil 3 or 4 days in the blackout period to let the seedlings root and then give them plenty of light, you’ll have no problem growing basil microgreens. Like the Genovese basil shown in the photo earlier in this article or the Red Rubin Basil shown below.

You can click the following link to learn more about how to grow basil microgreens.

Are you interested in growing basil microgreens? We sell basil microgreen seeds and kits. To see more basil varieties, type in “basil” in the store search.

That is Our 6 Easiest Microgreens to Grow

Growing any of these microgreens will give you the experience and confidence to try other varieties of microgreens.

We started with six of our favorite easy microgreens now we are going to expand the list!

We Will Show You 11 More Easy Microgreens to Grow!

Here are the next 11 easy microgreens. There are 12 more because we combine two that are very similar. 

7. Cauliflower Microgreens

Cauliflower is a member of the Brassica family, so it will be one of the healthier microgreens to grow. It is also easy to grow, maybe even more so than its family member, broccoli.

While broccoli grows quickly and then starts to fall over the edges of the tray, cauliflower grows almost as fast but stands more upright.

Use the standard blackout method; you will have no problem growing cauliflower.

Cauliflower seed will germinate in 3 days, and you can harvest the microgreens in as little as 8-days.

Cauliflower microgreens grow uniformly, forming an attractive green dome over your growing tray.

The leaves are dark green with pinkish-purple stems. 

The flavor is mild, and the leaves are thicker and more crunchy than broccoli or kale.

You will enjoy growing cauliflower microgreens. 

8. Brussel Sprouts Microgreens

Brussel Sprouts also belong to the Brassica family and provide many health benefits.

But don’t worry, the flavor of Brussel Sprout microgreens is not bitter and sulfurous like the mature vegetable. 

Brussel Sprout microgreens grow very similar to cauliflower; 3 days for the seed to germinate in a standard blackout, and is ready to harvest within ten days. 

They, too, have a thicker leaf that provides a crunch to sandwiches. Brussels sprout microgreens are great for sandwiches and can stand a bit of heat, so they can top burgers or cooked food.

We prefer to eat either Brussels sprouts or cauliflower microgreens to broccoli.

There is no trick to growing them. Spread the microgreen seed, mist the soil surface, cover them up for a few days, and stick them under the lights with occasional watering, and you will be eating microgreens in 10 days.

9. Carrot Microgreens

One doesn’t usually think about carrots as a microgreen. But you will be pleasantly surprised with the flavor of these microgreens. Carrot microgreens have so much flavor they are great to add to potato or macaroni salads.

When young, carrot microgreens have a flavor of mild sweet carrots. As they get older, the flavor intensity increases. 

Although a bit slower to germinate than many microgreens, carrots are easy to grow. Carrot microgreens will also grow back so that you will get a second cutting from one planting.

Carrot microgreen seeds take up to a week to germinate; you must be patient as they grow. Keep it watered, and in 20 to 25 days, you will have a full tray of microgreens. The microgreens will grow long in the tray, but the flavor becomes more assertive as they mature. 

When you use carrot microgreens, don’t go overboard; a little pinch packs a lot of flavors. We like to chop ours up as this increases the flavor and aroma of carrot microgreens.

Try carrot microgreens, and we know you will love them.

Here are links to the previous three microgreens.

10. Tokyo Bekana Microgreens

Unlike carrot microgreens, Tokyo Bekana grows very quickly!

What is Tokyo Bekana?

It is more commonly called Small Chinese Cabbage or Asian Greens. Interestingly, Tokyo Bekana isn’t cabbage at all. It is in the mustard family.

I know many people skip over this microgreen because they have no idea what it is or how to use it. So before we talk about growing it, let’s discuss how to use it in the kitchen and how it tastes. 

Since it’s in the mustard family, it does have a spicy bite. However, the taste doesn’t linger; it only lets you know it’s there! 

Young Tokyo Bekana is relatively mild in the cotyledon stage (seed leaves). If you want more spiciness, wait for the true leaves to form. 

The young leaves also have texture. They are juicy and plump and have crunch. The older true leaves lose the firm texture but gain more flavor. 

We like to use Tokyo Bekana microgreens rolled-up in spring rolls. The spicy flavor and crunchiness come through the rice paper wraps. The microgreens taste matches well with the other ingredients in spring rolls. Then, you can add them to salads or soup before serving.

Tokyo Bekana is one of the fastest germinating microgreens, right up there with radishes.

Seed often germinates in less than 24 hours but more frequently before the second day is up.

Not only does Bekana germinate quickly, but it also grows fast too. You can harvest microgreens in as little as 6-days after you plant them!

True leaves form in 15 to 18 days if you want the spicer version of Tokyo Bekana.

We grow them in the standard weighted blackout method and usually place them under lights on the second day. 

A great microgreen for beginners because of how fast it germinates and grows. Quick wins and success build confidence and a love of growing microgreens. 

11. Wasabina Mustard Microgreens

Let’s stick with mustards.

Wasabina mustard is a spicy microgreen. Wasabina has some kick, like all mustard microgreens, but the spiciness does not linger like hot sauce or other spicy foods. 

If you want a bit of horseradish flavor, these are your microgreens. 

They are easy to grow. Wasabina can be grown using the standard weighted method or the domed method. 

The stems of Wasabina mustard are thin, so they need to be removed from the weighted blackout soon after they have germinated and formed stems.

But besides a bit of care during germination, Wasabina mustard grows like a weed.

They can be harvested in as little as 7 days or allowed to grow and form true leaves. Let them grow for 24 or 25 days, and then harvest them if you want some spicy horseradish flavor.

All you need to do is keep them watered from the bottom, and they will give you no problems—a very easy microgreen to grow to any stage of growth. 

12. Red Russian Kale Microgreens

Red Russian Kale, or any kale, is a hardy microgreen to grow.

Most seeds will germinate in two to three days, but a few will take longer to grow. Germination appears to be time-delayed.

New growers get nervous when some seeds don’t germinate, but those that delay soon catch up.

But once the beginner learns patience, the reward is a beautiful tray of kale microgreens.

The weighted blackout method is the best way to grow Red Russian Kale. Keep the weight on for three or even four days. Don’t worry; the plants will be fine. 

Kale grows very uniformly, and the trays always look spectacular. In 8- to 12 days, the microgreens will be ready to eat!

Kale is one of the most nutritious microgreens. The flavor is a little like nutty broccoli but with more texture.

It can also take some heat, and kale microgreens can be added at the end of a stir-fry cook or float on tomato soup.

What makes Red Russian Kale easy to grow is how little care they need after germinating. Water them once or twice after the blackout period, and you will be harvesting them in no time.

13. Peas Shoots or Pea Microgreens

Pea microgreens are very easy to grow. But, in a way, too easy because it is hard to find the best way to grow them.

Peas are straightforward; many people don’t grow them on growing media. Instead, they spread the seeds on a mesh screen or damp paper towels and let them go.

However, using at least a growing mat or growing medium is best.

We have found the best way to grow peas is to soak them for at least 6 hours before planting. If six hours turn into 12 hours, that’s ok too.

At Home Microgreens, we grow all of our microgreens on a potting mix mainly containing coconut coir and some natural organic nutrients.

The nutrients in potting mix grow better greens.

For peas, we soak the pea seeds, wet the potting mix soil, and spread the seeds so they are all touching but not stacked on each other. 

Then we put them in a weighted blackout until the young shoots start to lift the weight off themselves.

Then they go under the light source and are bottom watered until they are ready to harvest 10 to 14 days later.

Peas will grow back, so harvest them higher than most and stick the tray under the lights.

For best results with pea shoots, put them close to the lights or in direct sunlight—never too much light for peas.

We have also found that in smaller trays, like the Home Microgreens Tray or even 1010 trays, the pea seeds can dry out along the edges during the blackout.

To counteract this, you can bury the seeds under a thin layer of potting mix or place a dome over the weighted tray to keep moisture levels higher. 

14. Sunflower Microgreens or Shoots

Sunflower microgreens, sunflower shoots, whichever you want to call them, are very easy to grow, but still, we don’t recommend first-time growers try sunflower microgreens out of the gate. 

We say this because sunflower seeds can be unreliable. The softer sunflower shell can hold mold spores and cause a problem.

Not usually a problem, but we want a quick win for the first-time microgreen grower. 

We also add a step that helps remove the husk from the young sunflower plants. But if you have grown a tray or two of other microgreens, sunflowers are worthwhile microgreens to grow.

Here’s how we grow sunflower shoots in a nutshell. 

We soak the seed for between 4 and 10 hours. Soaking helps the seeds germinate simultaneously.

After soaking, spread the seeds evenly on the potting mix surface. Like peas, don’t allow the seeds to stack up on the soil surface. 

Cover the seeds with another tray or piece of coroplast and put quite a bit of weight on top. For example, we use 7-½ pounds on 1010 trays, 15 pounds on 1020 trays, and 5 pounds on the Home Microgreen tray. 

When you see the young sunflower microgreens lift the weight off the bottom tray, it’s time to remove the weight.

We now place a dark dome over the sunflower tray to retain moisture around the plants and loosen the husk. We leave this on for one or two days.

Some husks will still be on the plants, but they will mostly fall off as they grow.

Sunflower microgreens also use a lot of water. Again, we aren’t saying to overwater them, but you must check them often for watering.

In 10 days, you can harvest your beautiful sunflower shoots. If they start to grow true leaves, it is time to harvest. They become bitter once the true leaves begin to grow out. 

Sunflower microgreens are easy to grow. They have a nutty flavor, and when you grow your own microgreens, they are much cheaper than buying them from a grocery store.

The key is to buy quality seeds. 

15. Purple Top Turnip Microgreens

Purple top turnips are another microgreen that many people will not try because they dislike the mature turnip.

Turnip microgreens grow similarly to broccoli. They do have a thinner stem, more like the mustards.

The flavor is like a mix between mild cabbage and radishes without the bite that radishes possess.

Turnips also can grow well in low light.

This is an advantage if you’re starting out and unsure if you want to invest in lights or a setup to grow microgreens in your house.

To grow purple top turnips, use the Home Microgreen Seed Calculator to determine your desired seed. Next, spread the seed evenly on the soil surface. Then, mist the seeds, then cover them in a standard weighted blackout.

The seeds will germinate in 2 or 3 days. 

The turnip microgreens are ready to be bottom watered and placed in a lighted area, even a sunny windowsill. Even though turnip microgreens can grow in dim light, you will get better results with full-spectrum grow light.

Water the microgreens as they dry out, and you will be harvesting and enjoying your turnip microgreens in as little as 8 days from sowing the seed. 

16. Onion and Leek Microgreens

Onions and leeks grow similarly so we will discuss them together. Unfortunately, these two microgreens are also underutilized as a microgreen.

Onions and leek microgreens are great in a garden or cold salad, on sandwiches (especially burgers!), or chop them up and add them to the soup bowl as a flavorful garnish.

What goes unsaid is how much nutrition both of these microgreens have. They contain many vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and trace elements. 

Onion microgreens and leek microgreens will grow back after harvest, too!

It takes a bit more time to get onion microgreens to a harvestable size, but because they have so much flavor (you don’t need to use many) and will grow back, they are well worth growing.

Onion and leek microgreens are easy to grow using the standard weighted blackout method. Germination occurs in 4 days, but most likely, they should stay in the blackout for up to 6 days. 

The only trick to growing onion and leek microgreens is they do not need very much water. Unfortunately, they are susceptible to root rot. 

Only water them when the tray is very light and dry.

We water them with half as much water as the bulb part of the plant doesn’t want wet.

It will take 15 to 18 days before the onion microgreens will be ready to harvest.

Another great thing about these two microgreens is their long harvest window. So you can grow them for over a month to maybe two months and harvest them as needed.

Onions and leeks are good beginner’s microgreens as long as the grower has some patience.

Remember to reduce watering, and onion and leek microgreens are easy to grow. 

17. Mighty Micro Mix Microgreens

Last but not least is a mix or blend of microgreens seeds.

Mighty Micro Mix is a microgreen blend created by Home Microgreens. It is a very popular microgreen and a strong seller.

Many wholesale growers buy our Mighty Micro Mix to grow and sell. 

What is in the mix?

The mix contains the most nutritious microgreens, such as broccoli, red Russian kale, red cabbage, and mustard.

The nutritional value in this mix contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and all of the essential minerals.

The mix has a mild flavor, even with the mustard. 

Because the mixture contains easy-to-grow microgreens, the mix is, of course, also easy to grow.

Grow this mix using the standard weighted blackout method, and you will have nutritious microgreens ready to eat in 9 or 10 days. It’s best to wait 10 or 12 days to let the kale catch up to the other microgreens in the mix. 

But as you can see, the final product is beautiful, and you can enjoy the health benefits of several microgreens at once.

Mighty Micro Mix by Home Microgreens is one of the best because it is easy to grow and makes a wonderful microgreen for beginners. 

Below are our most popular microgreen seed blends.

Have any Questions or Comments?

If you have any questions about the information in this post or microgreens in general, please get in touch with me using the Ask a Question page. 

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