Beetroot and chard seeds are some of our most popular microgreen seeds. This is not surprising since they have stunning colours which make any dish ‘pop’. These microgreens also have a milder flavour than spicy brassica microgreens (e.g. broccoli, kale & radish).
You’ll find these seeds a little harder to grow than brassica seeds. They are an advanced microgreen grower seed. In this email, I’ll tell you how to grow beet and chard microgreens. Before you know it, you’ll also be an expert grower!
Cover Your Seeds with Soil
If you want to skip all the instructions, remember the #1 tip: Cover your seeds with a layer of soil.
The reason for this is that beet and chard seeds are an abnormal shape. They have lots of little crevices and bumps. You need to make sure that the growing medium completely covers the seeds during the germination period.
Growing Instructions
Ideal growing temperature: 18 – 24 °C.
Seeding rate: 40 grams of seeds for a 10 x 20″ tray (25 x 50 cm). For a standard 30 x 35 cm tray, reduce this quantity to approx. 28 grams of seeds.
Pre-soak: Pre-soak seeds for 4 – 8 hours in cold water.
Growing medium: Soil (avoid hydroponic & coir peat mediums).
Tray preparation: Fill your tray with approximately 3 – 4 cm of soil. Flatten soil with a small block of wood. Lightly moisten soil with water. Sprinkle seeds evenly across the surface of the seeds. Ensure that the seeds are not too cramped or overlapping, as this may lead to mould and growing problems. Cover seeds with a light layer of soil. Lightly water with a spray mister bottle. Cover tray with another growing tray to block out light.
Blackout period: Store your trays in a cool and well-ventilated position. Keep the seeds in blockout for 6 – 8 days. Lightly water seeds twice daily.
Germination time: 3 – 4 days.
Estimated time to harvest: 12 – 24 days.
