See the FIVE KEY STEPS here to “Get Growing“
INTERMEDIATE
System #2: Starter Set with LED Light for One Grow Tray
This is the best path for growers who want to get started but do not have a window facing south at their residence.
Weekly Harvest: 8 containers (same as System #1) of approximately 1 oz (28.35 grams) of microgreens cut from the 10” x 20” Hemp Grow Matt. The containers are 6” x 6” with a 3” height, which is the right size for the 5” x 5” sections cut from each matt and the microgreens which are typically ready to harvest at 2.5” to 3”.
The advantage of System #2 over System #1 is the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) that comes with using an LED light. With natural light (System #1) there are often overcast, rainy, or snowy days, and that does not hurt the microgreens, but it just extends the grow time before harvest. With the right LED light, you have total control over the light output for photosynthesis.
Equipment:
One (1) 10” x 20” Tray, with drainage holes: About $5
Two (2) 10” x 20” Trays, without holes: About $10
Grow Light for One (1) Tray: About $60
Total: About $75
Timer (Optional) – The key is to typically provide microgreens with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark, so that the plants can rest. You can certainly switch or unplug the light manually, and the timer is just a tool to take the “task” off of your list.
The reason to have two trays without holes is so that you can use one to catch excess water below the drainage tray, and the second one as a cover for the lower two trays when you germinate the seeds to keep them in the dark. Note: Be careful to buy the trays without holes that are slightly larger than the drainage tray, so that the drainage tray “nests” inside of the trays without holes.
Supplies:
Seeds: About $1 / Tray
Hemp Grow Matts: About $2 / Tray
Containers (to store the microgreens in the fridge): About $0.25 / container
Labels (if you would like to give some to family or friends and include information on the type of microgreens on the label): About $0.06 (6 cents) / container sticker.
Each Tray yields 8 containers, which have a market value of about $2.75 each. Spending about $5 yields about $22 of value, for each tray, each week. It’s pretty rare in commerce to generate 4 times the value in such a short period of time.
Miscellaneous Items:
These are things that you may already have at hand:
Scissors: For cutting the Hemp Grow Matts to 20” length before germination and after vegetation to fit in the containers.
Spray Bottle: For spritzing in the morning and evening.
Food Scale (Optional) to measure the seed weight per tray. You can also just use about 8 teaspoons and get to approximately 1 oz of seeds per tray.
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