Microgreens, if you follow a good system, are a completely manageable, easy-to-start way to dip your toe into growing fresh food..as well as develop an essential gardening skill: growing from seed. 

Get your supplies.  

Tables of Contents 

New to microgreens? Here's a quick video overview of my process

Radish Seeds

Here's a quick overview of the planting process...this works for radish, broccoli, peas and...arugula. Of course. 

What stores have the supplies you need for microgreens?

If practical, support your local businesses: 

1. Hydroponic/aquaponic stores 
2. Local nursery 
3. Local grocery/farmer's market. 

Chains:

1. Nursery
2. Home Depot/Lowes other hardware stores with nursery section
3. Some grocery chains. 

What seeds to start with?

I'll be pretending, in this article, that you are either an absolute beginner or you're wanting a quick-&-easy success with microgreens. So I'm going to recommend the easiest microgreens I've found to grow in many different situations. 

Radish

Broccoli 

Peas (sometimes trickier)

We'll start with Radish.

So I don't really like radish root ...but I LOOOVE the microgreens! 

When I first decided to start growing radish microgreens, I didn't have high hopes. I don't like radish root very much...its kind of bitter, has a weird heat to it, bleh. I tried it anyway though...and I was totally shocked that radish Microgreens were milder in a way, really fresh tasting, paired beautifully with peas and ham and had almost a sweetness in flavor that I could quite describe. 

Then came the beautiful colors: Wow! 

Broccoli:

So if you can't handle a little heat, get some broccoli seeds. They taste JUST like broccoli, only so much easier to eat and digest and more nutritious. Wherever radish seeds are for sale, there are likely broccoli seeds as well. 

When you get the hang of it, you can tuck broccoli sprouts into your plant decor. 

Peas (slightly trickier): 

Sometimes you'll get a bad batch of peas, and they won't do as well as the vast majority. So I'll put them here as slightly trickier because there is a little difference in quality. 90% probability that you won't get that bad apple, but if you reeeeaaally want specifcally pea shoots above the others, then I recommend ordering online, or if you're in store, make sure to get a packet that says "for shoots" or "for sprouts/microgreens". 

Confession: I'm not crazy about pea shoots. I also have an easy time growing peas in my garden from September until April in Austin's mild/weird climate, so I'm able to harvest the tendrils, peas, or flowers for a good portion of the year and unlike the most other greens, that are easier and faster than growing outdoors, peas take less work for me outdoors than indoors. 

I'm mentioning them here though...because I've seen people light up as soon as I mention peas, and that might be the case for you! And you might like their flavor....especially if you're familiar with asian cooking and know how to really make them shine. I'm slightly allergic to cooking...hence fresh greens all the way. 

What kind of soil should you get? 

You'll want a sterile growing medium. Don't just get any 'ol potting soil. It might work, but if you get mold, fungus gnats, get weirded out when you realize they have mystery cow poop, etc the process might be so unpleasant that you give up and then I have to do like 500 more inspiring videos for you to, five years later, finally get around to trying it again, AND remembering what I said here. So I'm gonna be a total bossy gardenista here and say let's not shall we? 

The most eco-friendly option, as of right now, is coco coir: 

Can't find that? Then get Peat Moss: 

Hardware store w/ nursery section: 

They should have all the same things above  

Grocery store: 

It'll be a gamble if the grocery store will have the best seedling mix to start with. 

What do you use to plant the seeds in?  

Aluminum Pans to plant in and use for cover: 

You can use all kinds of stuff to plant your little microgreens in. You don't have to worry about drainage holes because the life span of microgreens, in this particular case, with THESE particular varieties I'm suggesting (radish, broccoli and peas) is so short and forgiving of over/under watering. 

I like the shallow drip pans because they use less soil so you save money...however you might find that the mini loaf pans are better for you because they hold more soil so you don't have to water as often. 

You will want two containers of the same size though, so that you can use one pan to cover the other. 

What about lights?! 

You need almost no light to grow these particular types of microgreens. They'll be covered for a few days, then exposed to whatever light you have...window light, a little plant light...put them wherever. They will turn green and grow taller in search of light...which means you have even more biomass to eat! 

Wait so, would they be better if I had a light set-up? 

If you live in a windowless room (umm yikes are you in a hostage situation?!) and you want to start expanding the variety of microgreens you grow, then you can get any 'ol shoplight and that will expand what you can grow. If you want to later get really fancy, you can specific grow lights for your situation too. I'll be covering these other options in the future, but my first goal right now is to make it easy for anyone in the world to grow their first little pan of delicious salad greens easily and quickly. 

Quick Shopping Lists

In-Stores: 

Hardware Store Shopping List:

1. Radish, Broccoli, Pea Seeds 

2. Coco Coir Seedling Mix (or peat moss if they're out of coir) 

3. Drip pans (or 2x clay saucers if they're out of drip pans)

4. Little jar to pre-soak seeds...if you don't have a single clean cup in the house. 

5. Cute spoon to spread seeds (do you seriously not have a spoon?) 

6. A bucket (if you are needing to pre-moisten your coco-coir brick)

Grocery Store Shopping List:  

1. Radish, Broccoli, Pea Seeds 

2. Coco Coir Seedling Mix (or peat moss if they're out of coir) 

3. Drip pans (or 2x mini loaf pans if they are out of drip pans)

4. Little jar to pre-soak seeds...if you don't have a single clean cup in the house. 

5. Cute spoon to spread seeds (do you seriously not have a spoon?) 

6. A bucket (if you are needing to pre-moisten your coco-coir brick)