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The First Harvest
Congratulations! If you made it this far, I hope it is because you have successfully grown three trays of Microgreens. This might be the very first time you have ever grown Microgreens, or maybe you have done this many times before but are trying to narrow in your skills by following the course. In either case, you should have a nice tray of Mustard, Radish and a basic salad mix ready to harvest.
When To Harvest
When to harvest your Microgreens will depend on the crop, client and personal preference. For this section I will explain when the 3 trays we grew are ideal for harvesting, other crops will be covered in following sections.
Radish: Radish are ready for harvest when they have all sprouted and are of similar size (Typically 2" tall). The leaves are full and enlarged thought he first true leaves are not yet showing (Radish greens are still good as a baby green, so growing a little longer will not ruin the Microgreen but they will begin to loose their tenderness and the color also will fade). Radish does not have to be harvested at a given point and can usually go a day or so beyond when you think they are best.
Mustard: Every Mustard I have grown gets better with time, to a limit. The first true leaves of Mustard and be very beautiful and increase the value of the crop. Though if grown for too long they may begin to yellow from being crowded in the tray and lacking nutrients. The less dense you plant Mustard the longer you can grow it for. I like to plant Mustard knowing I can harvest it in 10 days or keep it around for 3 weeks if I don't need it at the time. Mustard needs a lot of air flow to minimize the chance of damp sprouts growing under the canopy of the larger greens causing rot.
Basic Salad Mix: The varieties of the Basic Salad Mix will sprout at different times. The Arugula will be first, sprouting after just one day and the Cabbage may take 3 days. I find it takes about 10 days for all the varieties in the mix to have reached a reasonable potential to harvest. Like the Mustard, the mix needs a lot of air circulation and can be grown longer if planted less densely.
Prepping
Before harvesting your beautiful Microgreens, lets take a moment to go over some basic sanitary practices. Bleach is a great way of sanitizing anything that will come in contact with the Microgreens. I use a spay bottle with 50% household bleach like Clorox to 50% water. Using the spray bottle, wash down the bench or table you will be harvesting on. Spray your scissor or other harvesting device and rinse it thoroughly. Wash your hands either with the bleach or a anti bacterial soap (My skin is not sensitive to bleach but your might be). Clean your scale and anything else that will come in contact with the Microgreens or the packaging. Keep some paper towels or a clean cloth nearby that you will use to periodically wipe of your cutting utensil, especially if they accidentally come in contact with soil. Use of disposable gloves is recommended when handling the Microgreens.
Cutting
There are several ways you can harvest your Microgreens. Personally I use scissors as you can see in the video, you can also use a very sharp knife or mechanical means of cutting the Microgreens.. The trays you received in the course are considered deep trays at right around 2 - 2.5" deep. We only used 1/2" to 3/4" of soil so our Microgreens are quite a bit below the top of the tray. You will need to angle your scissors down into a corner of the tray to get started, attempting to harvest about 1/4" above the soil line. Once you have cleared a little area of the Microgreens out cutting will become much easier.
Weighing
How you weigh and then market the Microgreens is very important to the to your business. Not only is it illegal to sell produce mislabeled for weight in most states, it also can harm your reputation. Always remember that a good reputation is difficult and time consuming to build but takes very little time to destroy. It is recommended to use a certified scale, some farmers markets require the use of such a scale. The scale I use in the video is not certified thought I do periodically check it with calibrated weights to ensure it is accurate. Always use an empty package to zero out your scale before weighing the Microgreens. The weight of the package itself should not be included in the weight of the product it contains. It is always a good idea to package a little more than what you are selling the Microgreens at, in the video my packages weighed 2.6 - 2.15 ounces and are sold as 2 ounce packages. Always ensure you are providing a good value, its good business to do so and doesn't cost you much at all.
