Chia instructions
How to Grow Chia Microgreens
- Soak: No, it’s not necessary to soak the seeds before planting.
- Rinse/drain: No, the soil needs to be kept moist while they germinate.
- Time to germinate: Signs should be visible in 2-3 days.
- Time to harvest: Between 8-12 days, when the shoots fall over.
Follow this step by step guide for how to grow chia microgreens and you’ll be enjoying their taste in less than 2 weeks!
Step1 – Prepare Your Grow Area
You’ll need a growing tray of some description, a 10×20 tray is a good starting point. It will then be important to choose your growing media. Chia sits on top of this media, not in it. This means it needs to be able to retain moisture without drowning the seeds.
The best growing medium is a soil mix or even a paper towel (folded over 3 times).
Once you’ve chosen the medium and placed it in your tray, you can sprinkle your seeds across it. Approximately 4 tablespoons, evenly spread, should suffice. Mist the seeds after you have sprinkled them in the tray. Cover it with a lid to retain moisture. You can place them in a dark place but you don’t need to. Having them in a darker place while germinating will create higher stems.
Step 2 – Watering
The seeds will start to germinate within the first 2-3 days. During this stage it is important to keep the soil moist without creating pools of water, a spray bottle is the best solution for this.
After they have germinated you can continue to spray the tray daily, poling water is less of an issue at this stage.
Step 3 – Growing
Your plants will now grow and should show their first shoots within 4-5 days. As soon as they reach ¾ inch high they will be unable to support their own weight, they’ll fall over.
This shows they are ready to harvest.
Step 4 – Harvesting
Simply cut the stalks as near to the growing medium as possible and take your chia microgreens inside. It is a good idea to rinse them lightly in cold water before immediately serving.
If you’re planning to store these microgreens you must minimize their water intake for 8-12 hours before you harvest them. The dryer they are the better they will store.
