A recently published study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistryhas confirmed what dieticians and nutrition scientists have been saying for a while – microgreens pack four to forty times more nutritional punch than the mature versions of the same plant or herb.
Microgreens are seedlings of edible green vegetables or herbs typically harvested less than two weeks after germination and have traditionally been used as garnishes due to their short length.
However, while sprouts bought in stores are even younger and sold with roots, the slightly more mature microgreens are usually cut off at the stem.
Broccoli microgreens are one of the most nutritious, with up to 40 times the nutritional content of the mature broccoli plant. A single stem of broccoli microgreens can pack a punch equivalent to a full head of broccoli!
Depending on how they are grown, broccoli microgreens contain high amounts of vitamins (C, B6, B9, A, E, and K) and essential minerals (iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, and copper). They are also an excellent source of sulforaphane.
To get the maximum benefit from broccoli microgreens, you should consider growing them at home. They are one of the easiest microgreens to grow at home.
Broccoli Microgreens Profile
The table below captures the broad profile of broccoli microgreens.
ATTRIBUTE
PROFILE
Flavor
Broccoli microgreens have a fresh and mild broccoli/cabbage flavor.
Pre-Soak (Yes/No)
No.
Color
Broccoli microgreens get greener faster than other microgreens, displaying a thin white stem with a green top.
Germination Time
First germination within 2-3 days.
Harvest Time
Within 8-12 days.
Green Thumb Level (1-5)
1-2 – Easy to grow at home when following instructions.
Broccoli microgreens are easy and quick to grow at home, following some basic protocols. The fast germination and harvest time will get the crunchy greens ready for your salads in under two weeks – provided you follow the instructions and get the right kit as explained below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most common questions asked about broccoli microgreens.
Do Broccoli Microgreens Regrow After Harvesting?
Like many microgreens, broccoli microgreens are difficult to regrow after harvesting.
Unlike a few species, such as various species of peas (snow, green, field, speckled, snap peas, etc.) that may have a chance if there is a healthy leaf left on the plant to continue photosynthesis, broccoli microgreens will typically not regrow.
After harvesting, it is best to compost what remains.
How Fast Do Broccoli Microgreens Grow?
Broccoli microgreens start to germinate by Day 2 or 3 after planting and are typically ready to harvest within 8-12 days.
Equipment Needed to Grow Broccoli Microgreens
Growing broccoli microgreens should be easy with the proper equipment and materials. Not every piece of equipment and material needs to be customized, but it's important to choose the right textures of soil, the right trays, and good quality, organic brand of seed.
Starter Kits For Broccoli Microgreens
Full starter kits for broccoli microgreens are available online, such as:
USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC AND NON-GMO: This organic microgreens kit 6-grow variety pack is not treated with pesticides and is safe for consumption
NATURE'S BEST KEPT SECRET: Baby seedlings of out grow and serve microgreen kit are packed with flavour and up to 40 times the vitamins and minerals of their mature plants
MULTIPLE VARITIES OF SEEDS: The home grown indoor garden starter kit includes 6 multi-variety seed packets which includes broccoli, kale, purple kohlrabi, and red cabbage
ZERO-RISK GARDENING: Our organic microgreen starter gardening kit comes with access to the Green-Thumb Text Support which details instructions on plant growth and how to support its growth
SATISFACTION : Made in the USA and 100% to grow; If you are not satisfied, simply message us and we will send you a Back To The Roots replacement or provide a refund
Specific Equipment For Growing Broccoli Microgreens
If you buy the items separately, the main equipment required are as follows:
Growing Medium (Seed Soil): To grow broccoli microgreens in decent-sized quantities, the soil must be fine-grained (not clumped) and drain properly so the roots of the fledgling microgreens can grow without intertangling. Seed soil, such as the one shown here is a great option:
Mother Earth Coco + Perlite is a great alternative to potting soil as it enables gardeners to aggressively feed and not worry about over-watering
Use Mother Earth Coco + Perlite with indoor and outdoor container gardens
Achieve better aeration and drainage with a mix that incorporates 70% of the finest coconut coir and 30% perlite
Plant directly in Mother Earth Coco + Perlite
Coconut coir resists compaction and last longer in a container (vs traditional growing media)
Growing Tray For Soil And Seeds: Broccoli microgreen trays should be shallow, preferably with drainage holes – you often get the best results when watering from the bottom. The holes will allow water to reach the roots of the microgreen plants and prevent mold or other diseases from causing issues with your plants. Try these:
Approx: 21" by 11" (top measurement). 20" by 10" bottom of tray - See product description below for precise measurments
Accomodates 20" x 10" Sure to Grow Hydroponic Grow Pads and Micro-Mats Perfectly
Reusable - Great for Greenhouse, Seedlings, wheatgrass, microgreens and more.
These trays are 20” by 10”. Some people prefer 10” by 10” instead.
Growing Trays For Bottom Watering: A second growing tray, without holes, will be needed to cover the seeds and weighed them down (see next section). Here are the trays I personally use:
【Safe Pressure Valve】The garden spraying bottle equipped with a safety pressure release valve, which allows you to control the pressure of water and automatically releases the excess pressure. The pump holds a good amount of pressure while offers a place reducing fatigue while operating the equipment.
【Adjustable Nozzle】The premium adjustable nozzle of this garden sprayer can be easily adjusted the intensity of the water from direct injection to fine mist spray as desired. Greater even coverage for a better performance.
【Durable & Easy to Clean】The pump sprayer is manufactured from PP material for excellent durability. 2L Translucent water tank can clearly show the liquid level inside so you can add more in time. It is also convenient for cleaning.
【Wide Application】This universal pressure sprayer can accommodate your daily cleaning and watering needs both indoors and outdoors . Ideal for household cleaning, watering plants and flowers, misting veggies, pet bathing, and moisturizing flowers.
【Ergonomic Handle】The pump pressure sprayer comes with an ergonomic 4-finger handle that is non-slip for effortless use and convenient to be carried anywhere. A removable long wand is good to help spray more spaces or hard-to-reach places.
You will only water using the bottom tray without holes to keep the microgreen plants moist.
Light Source: Natural light is available outdoors. If growing indoors, though, you may consider using a grow light. Natural light is typically available at certain hours and the incidence of light may be uneven. Grow lights allow the microgreens to grow uniformly and not etiolate as much. Choose one that suits your budget. Standard products such as Agrobrite T5 may be used:
Full Spectrum - Barrina LED grow lights 4ft provide indoor plants with full-spectrum sunlight replacement. It provides the most reasonable grow light wave based on the ratio of the absorption of the plants
Super Bright and Hight PPFD - Consuming only 252W with 1152 LEDS totally, replace 1400w general plant lights. Over 95% light energy can be absorbed by plants. The light efficiency can be increased by 17~20% with reflector. The shell of our light was made of 100% aluminum which provides the high-efficiency heat dissipation. Ensuring the longer service life of the led chips
Easy Installation - With included tape, clips and cable ties, you could install the lights by yourself in minutes. Plug and play, and you could link up to 6 lights in a series, saving your installation cost and time
Eyes protection - This grow light are suitable for planting plants in any indoor application. Sunlight white color makes your eyes feel comfortable. It works extremely well for your plant grow tents, plant grow shelves, seedling cultivation, succulents, hydroponic rooms, greenhouses, etc.
What You Get - 2 years warranty. 6 x Barrina LED Grow lights, 3 x Power cords with ON/OFF switch, 5 x Connecting Cords(48''), 6 x Small Connectors, 6x Installation Clips, 12 x Tapes, 24 x cable ties
No light is needed the first few days as the germination process does not require light.
(Optional) Heating Mat: This may or may not be necessary, but there are plenty of moderately priced options to choose from:
Makes a differeance in germination time, leafy greens in about 2 days and tomatoes 3-4 days for sprouts.
Try to use the seedling heat mat and heat mat thermostat to heat water in the seed container to increase humidity in your grow tent.
Using to keep a batch of fermenting beer wort at 72F is also available
Great affordable heating solution to starting plants from seed.
If you’re doing home gardening for your seasonings, go find this seedling heat mat sets.
Heating mats are great to keep your germination rate higher. If your home is cooled below 72 degrees you should use this mat to ensure higher germination rates.
(Optional) Microgreen Planting Rack: Many growers like having a Microgreen Planter Rack, where the trays can be kept under a growing light and other conditions in a controlled space. You can customize or retrofit a simple rack with growing lights as needed:
IMPRESSIVE STORAGE CAPACITY - With six tiers of shelving, this unit boasts an enormous amount of space and shelving. It’s able to provide a great deal of additional storage without taking up too much space itself.
STURDY AND DURABLE - Constructed from heavy-duty steel wire, this shelf is durable and resistant to dirt buildup and corrosion. Each shelf has a capacity of up to 220 lbs when properly assembled, with a maximum weight capacity of 500 lbs total.
ADJUSTABILITY - You can adjust the height of the storage shelves in one-inch increments, creating a customized unit best suited for your specific storage needs.
MULTIFUNCTIONALITY - This metal shelving unit can be used virtually anywhere, in the kitchen, the bathroom, the garage, outdoor shed, and more. It’s perfect for storing tools, clothes, books, and whatever else is taking up space in your home or office. Equipped with wheels, you can transport this unit smoothly and efficiently room to room.
FAST, EASY ASSEMBLY: The shelving unit comes packaged ready to assemble, and doesn’t require any tools for installation. In just 15 minutes, your unit can be installed and ready to save space.
Other Materials Needed to Grow Broccoli Microgreens
The most important material needed to grow broccoli microgreens are the specific seeds. Any of the various types of broccoli seeds, provided they are of good quality and preferably organic, can be used to grow excellent microgreens. Here are some options from True Leaf Market:
Waltham 29 Seeds
This classic seed from the University of Massachusetts’ Waltham Lab is an industry-standard, as described here:
Below is a the step-by-step process you can follow to grow broccoli microgreens. Be sure to fully read the how to grow broccoli microgreens tutorial before you get started.
Soaking Broccoli Microgreen Seeds
Broccoli microgreen seeds do not need to be presoaked, unlike some other microgreen seeds.
Planting Your Broccoli Microgreen Seeds
In one of the videos above, the demonstrator was using 15 grams of Waltham 29 seeds for a 10” by 10” tray. If you use a larger tray, double the weight to maintain proportionality.
The first step is to prepare a tray with holes and then place it into a tray without holes. I recommend using the 20 x 10 plastic trays mentioned above, but regardless of the trays you use be sure one of them has holes and one does not.
Use growing soil or coconut coir – Fill the top tray with holes to roughly half or 3/4 of its depth with the growing medium you prefer to use, taking care to crush with your fingers to ensure that there are no clumps. Spread evenly, starting with the corners and layering up to its full depth.
Pat the surface gently to even out the spread – Use another tray or something flat to pack the soil or coco coir flat but not too hard. Just enough to flatten out the surface for even seed distribution and better germination. Now is a good time to mist water on the growing medium to ensure even seed distribution and to ensure that the soil is ready for germination.
Spread the seeds all over the surface of the growing medium – Make sure they are evenly spread to ensure that the roots have plenty of space to grow. For broccoli microgreens, I recommend using about 30 grams of seed in a 20 by 10 tray and half that for a 10 by 10.
Make sure to adequately water the seeds and growing medium – Make sure you evenly water the soil before you lay your seed, and then water the entire surface once again after spreading your seed. I use a sprayer and I spray covering the entire 20 by 10 tray three times.
Growing And Caring For Broccoli Microgreens
The growing process for microgreens begins with germination which starts in the dark. You want the seedlings to grow with long and slender stems. Exposing them to light straightaway would initiate photosynthesis, which means they would grow into healthier and thicker plants.
The idea is to let them stretch to the light pushing up the heavy tray to ensure a proper microgreen crop.
Be sure to water daily by misting with a spray bottle during the germination stage. This is the first few days and the only time you will water from the top.
PRO TIP: Be sure to have plenty of air circulation. Do not blow air directly on your microgreen plants but circulate the air to ensure a quality crop.
Put the tray with no drain holes on top and weigh down with a brick – Put the second tray on top of the seeds and soil and put one or two bricks on top to seal off adequately. Do not worry this will not hurt your seeds or prevent germination. This will allow the seeds to properly root into the soil or growing medium. The weight forces them to shoot their roots downward.
After the 2nd day, raise up the cover to ensure that the seeds are sprouting – The cotyledons should be coming out at this stage, prior to the roots beginning to drop. The sprouts will be pale in color, except for a few around the edges of your tray due to the darkness. Put the covering tray back on.
By Day 3 or 4, the seeds should have germinated fully – Take off the top tray to ensure even growth across the surface of the growing medium. Add some more water to the tray below but not too much. I usually pour in 1 cup of water twice daily and sometimes just 1 cup per day depending on how dry the soil is. We bottom water our microgreens to ensure they grow healthy without mold or disease from the damp conditions caused by watering the microgreens from the top.
Remove the top tray to place under lights – On day 4 it is time for the microgreens to start the process of photosynthesis. Within a day or so, the microgreens should start to turn green, a sign that the growth is proceeding as planned.
Over Days 5 through 8, continue monitoring and adding water – Check for even growth and feel between the plants to make sure they are filling out. Add between ½ and ¾ cup of water per day, depending on the amount of water your microgreens are using.
By Day 8, the leaves should have opened out – This is the stage where you can harvest. This process sometimes takes up to 10 or 12 days, but the goal is to harvest broccoli before the true leaves start to grow. You will notice a third leaf popping out through the middle of the main two leaves. The warmer your growing room the faster your broccoli microgreens will grow.
Harvesting Broccoli Microgreens
As mentioned below, broccoli greens should be harvested when the leaves have fully come out, this will typically happen between Days 8 through 12. To be on the safe side, choose to harvest between Days 12 to 14.
Harvest above the roots – Using a sharp knife, cut off the tops of the broccoli microgreens just above the soil. This is the healthiest part of the microgreens, with not much risk of mold and other problems. I allow about an inch of waste from the soil to my cut. It is also best to sharpen your knife before you cut the microgreens. This will allow for a better cut and prevent bruising where the cut was made.
Clean in cool (not icy water – Place the harvested microgreens in a bowl. Prepare a clean bowl to wrinse your broccoli microgreens. Dry them by laying them on a clean towell and fan to circulate air around them.
Your microgreen yield will depend on the density of the seed you planted and the germination rate of the seeds. It is best to purchase quality seeds from a quality provider. That is why we use TrueLeafMarket.com for all our seeds.
The soil and roots cannot be reused, unfortunately, as broccoli microgreens do not regrow. You can place the soil leftovers along with roots and cut plants into compost for later use.
Storing (and Shipping) Broccoli Microgreens
The best way to store microgreens is by putting them in an airtight zip lock or air-sealed bag and placing them in the fridge. They should last for roughly a week without any problems. Keep them cold and covered till you are ready to eat them.
If you are selling broccoli microgreens, they keep well for short trips in plastic bags, trays or clamshells. Shipping may require you to find moderately priced, lightweight plastic containers, which can be customized with some attractive packaging if you choose to do so.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Broccoli microgreens are among the most nutritious foods that you can eat. Plus, they are delicious. Unlike some other microgreens, they are robust and easy to grow at home – either indoors or outdoors.
Besides seed and soil, the other equipment needed to grow microgreens may require an investment of a few hundred dollars depending on the tools you purchase, but you will soon reap the benefits in terms of great salads and garnishes fresh to your plate.
I have been growing microgreens for myself and others for quite some time now and I absolutely love the process.
Even more I love spreading awareness of an amazing crop that has so many nutritional benefits for our bodies which improve our overall health and wellbeing.
