The Best Soil To Grow Microgreens
Planting seeds to grow your microgreens and other plants imply knowing a lot about the soil where you have chosen to put them. In this post, we are going to deal with the issue of planting microgreens and talk about the most optimal soil to do so.
Planting
The verb ‘sow’ comes from Latin and means “put seeds.” In growing microgreens or even vegetables, obtaining the desired results implies dedication and sacrifice. Not only is the act of sowing or planting the seeds in the soil, but of knowing what is the right soil for it.
When you are already aware of how you can grow microgreens, be it at your home, or on a larger scale, you have to go deeper. For the roots to settle, the soil must be prepared and suitable for it. It must be nourished, loose and moldable, in order to grow the desired plants. It is also important to eliminate any obstacle that prevents proper planting, such as stones, for example. The surface must be flat to sow easily.
Many times, there are hard areas under the first layer where it will be sown, which does not allow root growth. The sowing can be in a small pot or container or in a larger place, such as the home garden.
Types of soil
For people who do some gardening or harvest for the first time, it is convenient to talk to someone who knows the subject and can give advice. The most suitable times for planting are spring and the first days of autumn. However, it is also necessary to know the type of climate of each place.
The soil is a key element; it is the basis for putting seeds and must be conveniently conditioned to put the seeds. If, on the contrary, not enough attention is paid, probably both material and your effort will have been wasted. It is important to know what it is and how to deal with it. In addition to soil with materials such as sand or clay, the composition of the soil is also based on water, air and organic matter.
The best soil: characteristics
For land to be considered suitable for planting, its depth is important. To achieve this, you can add soil which is full of vegetable nutrients and organic matter. The ideal soil for planting should conveniently retain water, so it would not be so necessary to water constantly. The drainage must also be adequate so that the water does not flood the roots and prevents the living being of plant origin from moving forward.
At first glance, a soil with many organic nutrients has a dark tone. They are suitable for the soil, but their action is slower than the chemicals. To ensure that the soil is nourished the most optimal soil will be the one where the nutrients do not get wasted. Mineral nutrients are very necessary. As for macronutrients, it must contain, among others, nitrogen, sulfur, and magnesium. Micronutrients need their contribution in copper, zinc, or iron. You can know its content in each of the elements with an analysis done in the laboratory (if you really feel like getting into the science of it).
Regarding the ph, it is necessary to check their values to understand if positive planting is possible. The best soil for planting should be found in values ranging from approximately 5.5 to 7-8. If the soil has a very acidic ph it is convenient to add lime, and if on the contrary the values of its ph make it basic, organic matter.
Not only do these characteristics suffice to designate as appropriate soil for sowing, as a gardener, you must work it with care to ensure that you grow the best lot of microgreens possible. Professionals normally treat the soil by preparing the area where the seeds will be spread by cleaning it of weeds.
The soil, analyzed, must show a clean ground, which means it shouldn’t be contaminated with mushrooms or worms. If clean soil is maintained, the appearance of other organisms will be less likely. Soil demands moisture, but you need to ensure that it is wet but not fully soaked.
Our Recommended Soil Recipe for Potting Microgreens
Although we know a lot about how soil works in growing microgreens, we thought it would be a great idea to let you know about how we believe that the ideal soil to grow microgreens should be prepared. Just remember, there is no one-size-fits-all for all types of microgreens, but yes, we have tried to create sort of a common recipe that is likely to work with all.
If you are a beginner and growing your greens for the first time, here is what we’d recommend.
This is one of the ideal compositions for creating the best possible soil for growing microgreens. But as we said before, this isn’t the only way to go about it. As you enter into this world of growing your food on your own, you will learn a lot of new tricks which will help you a lot. You will hone your skills as a gardener and a grower and figure out your own compositions that are unique and effective.
The biggest advantage, of course, is the cost-saving that self-growing brings. Learning about growing microgreens on your own can save you quite a bit of money, so we believe it’s a skill that is definitely worth having.
Have you got some ideas for creating a potting mix? Let us know below in the comments.