At this time of year I usually start to crave things that sprout and grow. Sprouts and microgreens grown on the windowsill are so delicious and invigorating now that we've been taking food out of the basement and freezer during the winter.
Sprouts
You can easily sprout alfalfa, fenugreek and many other seeds in a glass jar that you seal with a small piece of mosquito net attached with a rubber band. Soak the seeds overnight and then rinse two or three times a day, leaving them to drip off, for example on the sink.
I usually soak mung beans, buckwheat, beluga lentils, peas and chickpeas in a bowl and then sprout them in a sieve placed over the bowl. Don't forget to rinse at least twice a day.
Sprouts are the cheapest "superfood" – bursting with vitality and all sorts of benefits that we need at this time of year.
Microgreens
Once I've started sprouting, which is usually in mid-January, I usually long for the next step after a while. Then I grow microgreens. It's also called "sprouting.".
Yellow peas, popcorn corn, sunflower seeds (with shells) can be sown densely in about three cm of soil. Smaller seeds such as kale, arugula, cress, amaranth, mustard greens, chia etc. can be sown superficially in an even thinner layer of soil. Keep moist and bright. After one to two weeks, simply cut off with scissors and place directly on a plate or in a salad bowl.
The grower wakes up
I don't grow microgreens just because they're so delicious to eat. It feels just as important to get a soft start to the growing season. By growing microgreens, I'm starting to reconnect with myself as a grower!
Soon an intensive period will begin with many small plants to take care of and a lot of work outdoors. Then it is important that everything is in place. Now I have a reason to take inventory of the supplies of seeds, soil, pots, etc. I am preparing a proper space for the seedlings that will be needed in my south-facing window throughout the spring. The cultivation of microgreens is also a test cultivation of the soil. From the appearance of the small leaves I can evaluate whether or not I succeeded in making my own sowing soil last autumn and, if necessary, improve the soil before the more demanding long-season plants of chili and tomato are sown.
Own seeds
A fun thing about germination and sprouting is that many of the seeds we use indoors at this time of year can be produced in the garden, so it goes around!
Read more about germination and sprouting here (pdf)
Arugula, Kale in the foreground, Pea shoots and corn shoots in the background.