I have bought and used many trays for microgreens and I have found that I tend to use the same ones again and again because they are easy to handle and overall better than the rest.
The goal of this article is to show you the best trays for microgreens but also share with you some trays I really like for my microgreen growing setup.
All of the mentioned trays can be used with any of your favorite types of microgreens. I personally recommend a setup with two 10 by 10 shallow trays with holes and one 10 by 20 tray without holes but I love that mesh 10 by 20 tray so you can also use that and grow two separate crops on this tray.
Here is the best starter tray for beginner microgreen growers:
I recommend buying about 5 to 10 at a time to ensure you have enough for what you want to grow.
The 10 x 10 shallow tray with holes is the tray used to hole your soil or growing medium as well as the home for your microgreens.
This tray is very important in the process of growing microgreens.
The 10 x 10 shallow tray without holes will be your bottom tray. You can also use one 20 x 10 to hold two 10 x 10 trays which are great for easier access to the bottom tray for watering and inspection.
The next product will show you the 20 x 10 which can be used as a bottom watering tray for two 10 x 10 trays.
This tray is perfect for bottom watering. You can use another 20x10 tray with mesh holes or two 10x10 trays to set on top of this microgreen tray allowing for easier access and bottom watering.
I absolutely love the mesh hole microgreen trays because they allow the roots better access to nutrient filled water from the bottom watering tray. This is a perfect tray for any home microgreen grower and one that I personally use the most.
You do not need a deep tray to grow microgreens. Shallow trays offer more control of your microgreen crop but also save money on soil or growing medium.
You use less soil or growing medium when you opt to use a shallow microgreen tray compared to a deeper tray.
Deeper trays are good for larger crops that might need more depth when planting the seeds.
The recommended seed density is 5 to 10 seeds per square inch for smaller seeds and 3 to 5 seeds per square inch for larger seeds. You can go as high as 12 seeds per square inch for smaller seeds and 8 seeds per square inch for larger seeds. Use your best judgement when trying to spread out your seeds.
You do not want to overcrowd your seeds. This causes lower germination rates, rotting, mold and other issues related to growing microgreens.
Each of our specific microgreens profile pages will list out the recommended density.
It is important to shield your germinating microgreens from light. This helps them grow properly for easier harvest later.
You will use a tray without holes to cover the microgreens and the bottom of the tray will rest on top of the seeds or soil pushing the root into the soil. Add a 5 pound weight to help the process.
As the microgreens germinate they will push up the tray in search of light to start the photosynthesis process.
When they start to push up the tray you can flip the tray over to shield from light another day or two so that they grow upward which is the way we want them to grow for better harvest. They will otherwise grow over the tray sides.