Spring 2009 – This Spring Go (Micro) Green

The smallest, quickest to harvest vegetable is also easy to grow and available in a range of colors, shapes and tastes. Micro greens rule! Try growing them this spring.

The nice folks at Sunset Magazine define the ages of greens as 4″-6″ tall- teenage, 2″-4″ tall – baby, less than 2″ tall – micro. Read about them at http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/easy-grow-micro-greens-00400000016081/. They recommend seeds from www.botanicalinterests.com – a very user friendly site with interesting owners.

Food critic, David Rosengarten, thinks that there are 9 stages to the life cycle of a green as he describes at http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/gourmetguide/tuesday/rosengarten/020903_greens. Perhaps he was a rabbit in a former life.

You need macro green to buy micro greens at http://www.thenibble.com/zine/archives/mr-mcgregors-microgreens.asp#serving, so grow them yourself.

Simple straight forward growing directions can be found at http://www.gardenheights.com/growing_greens.html

Trend setting foodies take note at http://www.projo.com/garden/content/lh_kitchencrops_04-13-08_JH9BCDU_v9.1bc9b11.html

More culinary advice can be found at http://www.ifood.tv/blog/micro_greens. They like http://chefsgreens.com/green_cuisine_products.htm for seeds. Garnet Amaranth and Bulls Blood Beets are just so cool looking.

Check out 3 great recipes at:

Other seed sources include:

2009 is the Year of The Greens at the National Garden Bureau. Although small in stature, micros, babies and teenagers are part of the “Greens” family. Enjoy the “greenealogy” at http://www.ngb.org/gardening/fact_sheets/fact_details.cfm?factID=26

– Lesley Parness

Lesley Parness is Superintendent of Horticultural Education at The Morris County Park Commission. She can be reached at lparness@morrisparks.net.