All farm guides
Farm guides · Microgreens
Caring for your microgreens after they get home
Your greens were harvested (or are still growing) just for you. A few simple habits keep them crisp and fresh all week, whether you got them cut and packed or as a living tray.
Which one did you get?
Clamshell
Cut & packed
Already harvested and ready to eat. Treat them like fresh salad greens: cold, dry and used within the week.
Still growing
Living tray
Still rooted in soil. Give them light and a little water, and cut what you need, when you need it.
Cut & packed greens
Cut microgreens are delicate. Cold and dry are the two things that keep them fresh.
Refrigerate right away
Put them in the fridge as soon as you get home (34–40°F). Don’t leave them in a warm car or on the counter.
Keep them dry
Store them unwashed in their clamshell. Moisture is what makes greens go slimy. If you see drops inside the lid, tuck a dry paper towel in and swap it when it gets damp.
Give them room
Keep the clamshell on a shelf where nothing heavy sits on top. Crushed leaves spoil first.
Rinse just before eating
Rinse only what you’re about to eat in cool water, then pat or spin dry.
Enjoy within 5–7 days
They taste best in the first few days. Beet and amaranth are the most delicate, so eat those first.
When to toss
If leaves turn dark, slimy or smell off, compost them. Don’t try to rinse spoiled greens back to life.
Living trays
A living tray keeps growing on your counter, so you can cut it fresh for about a week.
Give it light
Set the tray in a bright window or under a grow light for 12–16 hours a day. Keep it away from hot afternoon sun, heaters and vents. Room temperature (60–75°F) is ideal.
Water from the bottom
Once a day, or when the tray feels light, pour about ½ to 1 cup of water into the bottom tray. After 15–20 minutes, pour out whatever the soil didn’t soak up. Never water over the top of the leaves.
Keep the air moving
Good airflow prevents mold. Don’t cover the tray, and a nearby fan on low helps on humid days.
Turn it now and then
If the greens lean toward the window, turn the tray around once a day so they grow straight.
Harvest as you go
Use clean scissors and cut about ½ inch above the soil, just what you need for that meal. Rinse, dry and enjoy.
Finish within about a week
Microgreens get tougher and more bitter as they grow past their prime, and most won’t regrow after cutting. Pea shoots sometimes give a smaller second cut.
- Drooping? It’s thirsty. Bottom-water and it should perk up within a few hours.
- White fuzz on the roots near the soil? That’s usually root hairs, which are normal. They look like fine cotton and disappear if you mist them.
- Gray, web-like fuzz on the leaves or a musty smell? That’s mold. Cut well above it and use the clean greens, or compost the tray if it spreads.
- Yellow leaves? They need more light. Move the tray somewhere brighter.
Bring the tray back
When you’re done, shake the soil into your compost or yard waste, give the tray a quick rinse, and bring it to your next pickup or delivery. You’ll get $10 off that order.
Ready for your next batch?
Everything is grown to order. Preorder now and we’ll start your tray from seed.