Author: Bethania Rocha
These past couple of months, we have been trialing with different seed densities, hydroponic medias, natural and cleaning solutions. Through trial and error, we found that hemp pads are the best hydroponic medium for microgreens because they retain and evenly distribute water the best and they are 100% compostable.
These past couple of months, we have been trialing with different seed densities, hydroponic medias, natural and cleaning solutions. Through trial and error, we found that hemp pads are the best hydroponic medium for microgreens because they retain and evenly distribute water the best and they are 100% compostable.
We discovered that when seeds are too sparsely distributed, we end up wasting medium and when seeds are too crowded we experience crop failure. So finding the perfect seed density became a priority for us. We documented what we believe to be the right amount of seeds for each crop we currently grow to use as a guide sheet when planting. We wanted to come up with a natural pre preventative way to control pest, mold, and fungus to avoid the use of any harsh chemicals. We currently use nymph oil, grapefruit juice and vinegar to clean our planting station and trays and a warm vinegar solution to clean our seeds before planting. Through this process, we have been able to learn first hand the troubles of hydroponic farming and ways to get it just right. However, the biggest challenge we are facing is one we can not control which is the unpredictable and inconsistent weather. Since it has not been hot enough to turn the heater off, on those random hot days we have been having it gets up to 90 degrees in the greenhouse which is way too hot for our microgreens and so our trays and water reservoirs quickly dry up. When we have tried to turn the heat off, it gets too cold. So we have experimented and been successful with fans, and cool rooms made of thin black table cloths for the meantime.