Category: Microgreens growing

Everyone need to eat healthy food but sometimes people might not behaving the resources to grow their own food. Using traditional methods of growing, it cost us a lot of money and we also need a lot of space and water.

so today I here for those who does not have land but they want to want fresh vegetables.

Do you know that you can also have your own fresh supply of vegetables even if you live in a single room, the question is how?

All you need is organic seeds, water and a colander.

I know someone is saying how can that be? And what is it that I can grow?

ok, be attentive, I am about to let the cat out.

so the vegiew that you can grow are sprouts, can you imagine, they do not need light.

so let’s get in our indoor farm and let’s farm.

choose fresh organic seeds which has the highest probability of germinating we need 100% germination to avoid molds .

soak one part of sees to four parts of water overnight. Make sure your seeds are smart.

in the morning drain and rinse the swelling seeds

take a clean colander and put the seeds and cover them with a clean towel .Make sure their enough moisture.

Place the colander in a dark place, keep checking the colander and after every 8hours wash and rinse again. After 2-5 days, you will be having your supply of fresh spouts.

nb: make sure you are use fresh organic seeds and you apparatus are smart and also your water must be fresh .

I will let you know what happens if you do not do so in the next blog.

We did not have water supplies for the past three days and it is so painful to watch my vegetables succumbing to excessive heat waves currently prevailing this season.

When I woke up today, I went straight to the garden to check on my vegetables. Most of my vegetable varieties are failing to withstand the heat worse still , there is nothing that I can do, all I could do is watching them withering and wilting. My day was very bad.

Yes I know that we have been experiencing water woos for more than a decade but this problem had not directly affected my business. We are used to spend only a day without water but this week it’s the third day.

It’s now horrible to set my eyes in the garden, it’s so painful to watch my herbs which were growing vividly looking stranded and dying.

So to relieve myself, I decided to spend much of my day in the green house, everything is normal, plants are doing pretty good, they are not even worried about what is happening to their colleagues out there.

I spent more than twenty minutes gazing on my Microgreens which are doing well in a passive hydroponics environment. They seemed not to care about the heat which is outdoors. Everything is fine for them. It seems as if they are growing on minute bases.

When I got in the greenhouse in the morning, they were about 3cm tall, but when I got in again in the evening, they are more than 5cm tall.

Looking at this growth rate, I realized why people are now concentrating on indoor farming and greenhouse farming.

Everthing is just good, no need to worry about the scorching heat and water shortages.

What is happening in my area is a wake up call, it’s high Time we need to concentrate on growing Microgreens and sprouts which does not need a lot of water .

Another advantage of growing Microgreens is you enjoy a variety of vegetables even when you do not have space. The quickly mature and usually you able to move your growing kits to areas with have best growing conditions when whether changes.

Every problems gives us an opportunity to come up with new ideas. So today I spent my day thinking on how I could improve my farming technologies to suit our Zimbabwean context

Next time I will open down my innovation which correct the problem of water shortages and heat waves.

I am writing this article for people who are very lazy and those who are very smart and do not like to play around with dirty.

So today I would like to talk about passive hydroponics,

what is it?

I know you want me to get straight into it so lets go

Passive hydroponics is a simple method of growing vegetables and other crops in non circulating oxygenated water.

Its obvious that someone is asking this question, “how?”

Stay put! What you need to understand is plants need oxygen, nutrients , carbon dioxide and nutrients to survive

So how can oxygen be present in non circulating water?

Naturally water is made up of oxygen therefore, the plants can still grow with the natural oxygen within the water but for the best growth you might need an air stone and also you can add hydrogen peroxide to allow more oxygen for your plants.

From the experience that I have, here is a list of herbs that easily grow in water without any problems

• Mint
• green onions
• Chives
• leeks
• garlic leeks
• oregano
• sweet rocket
• Basil
• lemon grass
• rosemary
• Thyme

the list is endless but you can start with these ones

The most important thing is to do your best agronomy practices so that the roots won’t rot

We are now supplying amaranth microgreens in large quantities because there has been a increase in demand for this indegenous weeds.

We decided to supply amaranth in the form of microgreens so that youths can also benefits from the phytonutrients and all minerals possessed by this edible weed

Generally amaranth is consumed by people who are suffering from chronic diseases and incurable diseases like cancer and HIV. It is well known in Africa as an immune booster. So if your immune system is compromised, consider eating so few grams per week.

The most appealing way to eat amaranth is to mix it with other baby greens in your salad. This give a very appealing colour at the same time blessing you with a health life.

Hie my friends! It s been long without any interaction, My schedule has been tight, what made me to write something to you is a client that I met yesterday. She is very interested in Microgreens but since this is something which is new in my country, people are just skeptic about trying Microgreens, so she said please explain to me what microgreens are? She vividly explained to me what sprouts are and what baby greens and the next utterance was , “then explain to me why you are saying Microgreens are more beneficial than all vegetables I know.”

So this question made me realise that I was not doing much to let my fellow Zimbabweans know what Microgreens are? This is why a Iam writing this blog. In this blog , I will let you know why Microgreens are considered to be better than mature vegetables, so let’s go!

What are Microgreens?

Microgreens are vegetables that are grown and harvested within a period of 7- 21 days depending on the seed variety being used. Microgreens are harvested when they have just developed the true leaf.

Difference between Microgreens and sprouts.

Some people are tempted to believe that Microgreens and sprouts are just the same. There is a big difference between sprouts and microgreens

• Sprouts are harvested within a period of less than a week, whilst microgreens are harvested when they are more than a week old
• The stems and leaves of microgreens are the only ones that are consumed but for sprouts everything is eaten including the roots.
• sprouts are prone to bacterial diseases such as salmonella and E coli but the chance of getting food poisoning is slim for Microgreens

Now let’s look at the difference between Microgreens and baby greens.

• baby greens are a little bit mature as compared to Microgreens usually harvested after three weeks from the day of planting but Microgreens are harvested between seven and twenty one days. Some plants cannot be eaten as baby greens because their stems can be bitter e.g. sunflower greens cannot be left to become baby greens because the stem because very bitter.

It has been researched and concluded that it more beneficial to eat Microgreens than mature vegetables. Different studies carried out in America shows that microgreens have more healthy benefits than mature vegetables. It was discovered that on average , Microgreens have a nutrient content which is at least seven times of that of mature vegetables. This the reason why many people from developed countries prefer to eat Microgreens than mature vegetables and herbs. Microgreens are great source of minerals such as potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper and other minerals. So if you have an ailment which needs these minerals then with Microgreens you will never go wrong.

Another important thing is Microgreens are packed with anti- oxidants, their nutrient content is in vitamins. A study carried out in America showed that microgreens have magnesium, vitamins and anti- oxidants which are up to 40times higher than recorded for mature vegetables. This means that microgreens are the best option for those with compromised health and vegans

Varieties

Microgreens are grown from different seed varieties of cereals, vegetables and herbs , we can have wheatgrass Microgreens which are used to make wheatgrass juice and smoothies 🥤. Microgreens can be made from legumes such as beans and chick peas and lentils. The image below shows chickpeas microgreens

We at Bono Salus we have started our own blood builders and immunity builders Microgreens using locally sourced seeds of blackjack and amaranth. This has been welcomed by many chefs who sell traditional and indigenous food sources. Our blackjack and amaranth Microgreens have helped many people with ill- health and the health conscious people who want to improve their health through plant based food. Our clients toss blackjack Microgreens in their favourite smoothies, salads and sandwiches

health benefits of microgreens

Microgreens helps in the blood building process. Those who usually buy our blackjack and amaranth Microgreens use them in place of spinach and beetroot. Nursing mothers usually blackjack Microgreens especially first 2month just after giving birth. Many people claim that it cleans their immune system and help improve their blood.

People with heart diseases, diabetes are also recommended by their doctors to consume a lot of microgreens.

How to include Microgreens in your diet?

Microgreens can be included in a variety of dishes such as sandwiches, wraps, salads, smoothies , garnish, topping etc.

So those who enjoy pizza, burgers, omelettes and curries, Microgreens are the best option.

Problems which can be expected in microgreens growing:

Microgreens are usually grown in a fairly moist environment so they are prone to salmonella and E coli, so to avoid food poisoning, you need to buy Microgreens from well experiences farmers who use quality seeds and grow media.

NB: Microgreens are not GMOs, they are organically grown using organic seeds , organic fertilisers and grow media made from naturally occurring material like coco peat and saw dust from indigenous trees.

I hope this blog will help you understand that microgreens are more valuable as compared to mature vegetables, you need to understand that many restaurants and hotels in developed countries are now opting for Microgreens because:

• they nutrient dense
• flavourful

So the bottom Line is microgreens are the best options for the health conscious community.

Our skin is a living organ that report to the outside world what is happening silently inside us. The main indicator that something is wrong is the dullness of our skins. At times we might not know what we are suffering from but our skin can report that our body needs attention. So if your skin is not glowing, here is a smoothie that you can consume religiously and everything can turn to your side.

Fruits and veggies that you need

• One cucumber 🥒 sliced
• One orange 🍊 peeled and diced
• One beetroot diced
• one carrot 🥕 diced
• one small ginger peeled and diced
• juice lemon 🍋 squzzed from one lemon
• small pineapple 🍍 peeled and cubed
• half cup of beetroot Microgreens.
• One teaspoon honey – to taste.

Gather all the above ingredients and blend them up until smooth and drinkable, you can jump honey if you do not want this. To get the best consistence, half a banana 🍌 is very ideal.

Drink this twice a week and enjoy the results.

Blackjack is a weed that is known to have healing powers especially in Africa. People with compromised immune systems usually feed on dried and fresh blackjack. The fun part of this is many youths in my country do not appreciate this miracle weed. So we have come up with an amazing way to allow people of all age groups to consume blackjack.

We are now doing blackjack microgreens which you can mix with other salads, this will allow you to enhance the nutrient content of your food without even realising that you are eating blackjack.

Today we want to improve your blood using blackjack and beetroot so we have decided to make a smoothie for you.

Here is how to prepare your smoothie:

fruits and veggies needed:

• one big banana chopped.
• two big plums with pith removed.
• half cup frozen raspberries
• half cup blackjack microgreens.
• half cup beetroot microgreens.
• one cup cold water.

instructions.

chop your fruits into small cubes and put everything in a blender, add half cup of cold water and blend for 3seconds, add some more water up until you reach the desired consistency.

NB: you can replace water with animal based milk or plant based milk, I usually put water because I am not a fun of animal milk which is readily available here.

When your smoothie is ready, serve immediately, anytime is smoothie time! You can drink in the morning, afternoon and evening.

Continue doing this religiously up until you get desired results.

You can also blend in seeds and nuts to fight anemia..

hey ! My friends, I hope you are well and you are in the holiday mood. This holiday, I want you to grow your microgreeens so that you enjoy fresh vegetables straight from your garden. So I want to teach you how to grow cilantro/coriander Microgreens.

So let’s go!

We are using the soil method, you need:

• 3 trays.
• water
• spray bottle.

• Put some soil in a perforated tray, make sure you leave about 2cm above soil so that you will be able to water your seeds.
• sprinkle some coriander seeds on top of the soil making sure that you create an even blanket but make sure that there are no seeds which are sitting ontop of other seeds.
• Cover your seeds with a thin layer of fertile soil
• Mist spray up until the soil is moist.
• take one of the unperforated tray and let it sit ontop of the tray with the seed
• take the trays and allow them to sit in the bottom tray, this is done so that water does not spill over
• take your trays and put in a dark room to allow germination to take place .

NB: keep checking your moisture content up until most of the seeds have germinated

I have recorded and posted videos for this process on YouTube so you can follow the steps on the video to make sure you sow your seeds correctly.

so I will write about what we will do after germination.

Here is the link for the video for tutorial:

• Link

Materials needed.

Hi my friends, I hope you had a wonderful week of learning the beginner’s guide. This week we want to look at the materials that you need to start growing Microgreens. I will give you the most important ones.

so , here we go!

1. grow room: this is where you can grow your Microgreens, you can choose any room that is at your disposal. Here is a list of places where you can grow your Microgreens.
   • greenhouse, make sure that it is well ventilated.
   • basement- this can be idle space that you can use for growing your Microgreens but you must invest in lighting and and air conditioning.
   • spare room, kitchen, lounge, dining room even window seals.

3. seeds:

one of the most important thing needed in Microgreens growing is bulk seeds which are organic, these seeds will allow you to grow as many Microgreens as you can. You have to buy seeds that are cheap and that will produce more. Why do you need to choose organic seeds? It’s because inorganic seeds will result in consumers suffering from many diseases which can be difficult to treat.

4. microgreens kits or trays.

usually microgreens are grown indoors therefore you need to grow them in kits or trays, you can grow Microgreens directly in soil but there are so many challenges that may be faced that we are going to discuss in the video that we are going to send.

5. organic fertilisers. Your microgreens can only be heathy and nutritious if they are given enough feed which comes from the organic fertilisers that we must put in the soil.

6. syringe, measuring cup. We use these. two items to measure water and liquid fertilisers that we will use.

7. water. If you are using the soil method, you are able to use tape water, but for those who use hydroponics, borehole water and pH adjusted water will be the best.

8. PH meter. This instrument is used when we are growing our Microgreens using hydroponics, the PH level for Microgreens should around 6

NB, you can grow your Microgreens without using a pH meter, you can buy the litmus paper. If your PH is not ok, it must be adjusted.

9. Mist sprayer: usually we use a mist sprayer so that our seeds do not get splashed out of the grow profile. Choose a size that is suitable for you.

10. Air conditioner , fans, dehumidifier, Usually microgreens are prone to molds, so your room should be well ventilated especially if you are growing indoors. In the event that molds are manifesting in your trays please throw away, this causes food poisoning.

So guys these are the most important tools that we can use to grow our microgreens. My pictures of the different tools are refusing to upload so, I will definitely edit this blog so that we can also use pictures to explain, so look out for our social media platforms so that you can also get the videos for this lecture.

Thank so much my guys for making a date with us , we are looking forward to meeting you on YouTube and tiktok for the videos on this week topic, please have a blessed Sunday and stay health buy choosing to eat plant based food,

chao

Hey my friends , we are so excited to take you through a new fun and exciting journey of growing your own food at home. The main reason why we are offering this course for free is, we want people to enjoy fresh, taste and nutritious food which are organic. I know everyone knows that people’s immune systems are compromised because of the type of food they eat. In this module we want you to understand that you are the master of your own health if you can control what you can eat on daily basis. So our mission is to enhance people’s incomes, healthy and wellbeing through sustainable production and provision of plant based food.

We believe that many people do not have big spaces to do farming especially those who live in urban confined areas like the high density areas but did you know that you are able to grow your own own fruits, vegetables and herbs using urban farming and vertical farming?

I know someone is asking me this question.

What is urban farming?

This is a contemporary farming practice that is done by households and entrepreneurs who stay in urban areas in this case they grow their vegetables using their backyards, indoors, greenhouses and basements. To get the best output using small spaces, urban farmers usually do vertical farming.

So what is vertical farming?

Vertical farming is a scenario where vegetables and other crops are grown vertically , in different layers going upwards. Vertical farming enables farmers to get more than five times the yield which was supposed to be realized when crops are grown horizontally. Smart soilless farming methods like hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics are employed. Even though we can also grow crops vertically, using the soil ,it’s expensive because we need a strong supporting structure since soil is heavy. Usually quick to mature fruits and vegetables are grown in urban areas, here are some vegetables which can be grown in an urban plant based farm.

1. sprouts
2. shoots.
3. microgreens
4. baby greens.
5. mature vegetables.

As an urban farmer you choose a cheap method and cheap type of farming method to pursue, therefore we are choosing Microgreens as our starter pack. I know you are all curious to learn what Microgreens are.

Let me blow your fuse a little bit! Can you imagine! I didn’t know what Microgreens are until year 2016 when one of my brothers became visually impaired. So I am quite sure that most of you have never heard of this but let me usher you into a new Fabulous way of farming. Come on take your notebook and pen and let’s get started.

What are Microgreens?

Microgreens are very small vegetables which are grown and consumed when they are still young. They are harvested when they are between 6- 21 days old from the day of sowing seeds. The sign that your Microgreens are now mature is they must be harvested when the have developed the cotyledon and one true leaf.

Reasons for growing Microgreens

A study carried out in America shows that all Microgreens have more than double nutrient content as compared to mature vegetables. So Microgreens should take a great potion in the plate for someone who is health conscious.

• Microgreeens are also easy to grow because the production method is not labour intensive.
• Microgreens can be literally grown anywhere in including dining rooms, kitchen and sinks . The truth is with Microgreeens you can start with the simple things and seeds around.
• they are used for visual enhancement, so chefs love them for food presentation.
• Used for flavour and texture enhancement therefore they are used for soups, salads, garnishing even on sandwiches.
• they do not need much sunlight and grow very fast . For example if I am growing cabbage Microgreeens ,I need at most 12 days to harvest them but it takes me around three months to grow a mature cabbage, so you see, you are better off growing Microgreeens than mature vegetables

If you want to improve your health and wellbeing, then the best choice is Microgreeens.

Now let’s turn to who were the pioneers of microgreens growing?

Microgreens growing started in America in the late 80s and this type of farming became famous in South California and San Francisco in the mid 90s. As I am writing now the Microgreens growing industry is growing like veld fire in developed countries and it is estimated that it is quickly becoming a multi billion dollar industry in America. In Africa it’s still a new industry but countries like South Africa are taking this business seriously, so the reason I am writing this is to give you an inspiration to start something that can change your income, health and wellbeing.

As I am writing this article ,I have a feeling that you are all convinced that you can start your own simple farming even if you do not have space .

Yes , I am quite sure that you now want to start your own farm, but wait a moment! I want to tell you something that is very important.

The most important thing is to know some of the following characteristics and skills that makes people successful Microgreens growers.

1. you need to be good at organizing things. This is because all things that are required for Microgreens growing must available at the right time . You need to have a journal were you record everything that you do on daily basis so that you determine a stardard sowing and harvesting time
2. Passion and commitment.
3. will and determination.
4. patience, persistence and resilience.
5. innovative mindset
6. learning culture.

I hope you have enjoyed our first lesson and now your homework is :

examine yourself and determine whether you possess some of these skills and find a way that you can use to develop the skills. Please patience and resilience is key.

So thanks guys for reading ,I hope you enjoyed see you soon in our next lesson.

if you have questions please post them.

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