In this article I’m going to take you step-by-step through the process of growing radish microgreens in an AeroGarden, using the AeroGarden Microgreens Kit.
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DIY Growing Medium for Growing Radish Microgreens in an AeroGarden
In previous articles, I delved into the details of using the Microgreens Kit with AeroGarden. This time, we’re switching things up a bit and trying out a new growing medium – silicone dehydrator sheets. They’re reusable and cost-effective, making them an attractive alternative to the standard felt that comes with the AeroGarden Microgreens Kit.
AeroGarden Microgreens Kit
I’ve been super pleased with the AeroGarden Microgreens Kit. It makes it super easy to grow microgreens, since after the initial set up, you don’t need to do much of anything and still get good results.
In my last experiment, I used a mesh screen, which worked excellently for smaller seeds. But radish seeds are a bit larger, so the silicone sheets seem like a better fit.
Start with Quality Radish Microgreen Seeds
The radish sprouting seeds I’m using are from True Leaf Market, a trusted supplier I’ve been purchasing from for years. Despite these radish microgreen seeds being about two years old, I’m confident these seeds will still sprout effectively.
True Leaf Market
I’ve been buying products from True Leaf Market for over 4 years now, and have been very happy with both the products as well as the service.
Planting Radish Microgreen Seeds in an AeroGarden
When dealing with smaller seeds, I usually add a teaspoon of seeds to each side of the AeroGarden Microgreens Kit. But given the larger size of radish seeds, I decided to go with a teaspoon and a half per side.
Cover with Domes and Plug in the AeroGarden
At this point you’re ready to cover the seeds with the domes that come with the AeroGarden Microgreens kit. The domes help to hold in moisture, which will help the seeds to germinate properly.
Radish Microgreens After 3 Days in the AeroGarden
Fast forward to the morning of the third day, and our radish microgreens have been growing for two full days. The results?
Absolutely promising! They had started germinating on the second day, and by day three, they really started to shape up, with tiny leaves unfurling.
By the way, if you notice some fuzz on your microgreens, don’t worry – those are just the roots!
Speaking of roots, they’re starting to develop nicely and penetrate through the silicone dehydrator sheets. I was really happy to see this, because I wasn’t sure how things would work with this growing medium, since I hadn’t used it before.
In the above photo you can also see the roots of the microgreens growing through the bottom. This is a healthy sign, and exactly what you want to have happen.
TAeroGarden Radish Microgreens, Day 4
We’re now at the morning of day four, and I must say, the radish microgreens are flourishing. They’ve grown so much that I had to remove the domes last night to give them some room to breathe.
The roots are developing beautifully, and despite a few seeds failing to germinate—which is typical—the overall germination rate has been impressive.
On the right you can see how much the radish microgreen roots have grown compared to what they looked like just a day earlier.
Changing Water and Adding Nutrients on the Morning of Day 5
On the fifth day, I decided to change the water and add some nutrients. Note that the instructions that come with the AeroGarden Microgreens kit recommends changing out the water at least once a week, and since I typically grow microgreens for around 10 days, day 5 is the halfway point, and less than a week after starting, so it seems like a good time to change the water.
While adding nutrients is optional, I find that it gives the plants a nice little boost. This is another step recommended in the instructions that come with the AeroGarden Microgreens Kit, and since it takes so little effort and expense, I figured, why not do it?
MaxiGro
I love using AeroGarden nutrients, but MaxiGro hydroponic nutrients are quite a bit cheaper than AeroGarden nutrients. It works especially well with greens of all types, and since they are so much cheaper, I recommend them when growing microgreens.
Today, I tried using about 1/4 teaspoon of Maxi Grow, a nutrient solution I’m trying for the first time. It’s not quite as convenient as the AeroGarden liquid nutrient solution, because you have to mix it up in water before adding it to your AeroGarden. It takes a bit of shaking to get it to dissolve. I chose to blend it in my little Ninja blender.
The stems are now about an inch high, and everything is progressing well.
The microgreens have filled in very nicely at this point. Look how lush and green they are!
You can see the growth of these radish microgreens a bit better, when I push them back. I estimate that they are about one inch tall at this point.
AeroGarden Radish Microgreens, Day Six: Almost Harvest Time
By day six, the radish microgreens were looking so good that I decided to harvest half of them for my tacos. Yes, you heard right—tacos! These radish microgreens have a robust radish flavor that makes them a great substitute for lettuce in dishes like tacos. They stand at about 3” tall, and are much thicker than typical microgreens.
Radish Microgreens Growing in an AeroGarden, the Morning of Day 7
And here we are on day seven. The growth is phenomenal. The radish microgreens are huge, standing tall and proud in my AeroGarden. Considering these seeds were around three years old, I’m incredibly impressed with their performance. This type of performance is typical with sprouting seeds that I’ve purchased through True Leaf Market, which is one reason I recommend them.
I generally like to let my microgreens grow for at least eight days, but since radish microgreens grow so fast, I decided to go ahead and harvest them after just six full days of growth.
I used scissors to harvest the microgreens. I find it helpful to gently pull up on the microgreens to make it easier to cut them. I cut them about a half an inch above the growing medium. If desired, you can cut them closer to the growing medium for a bit higher yield.
You can see that roots were still attached on a couple of the microgreens. This occurred because when I was gently tugging on them, they pulled all the way through. Eating the roots wouldn’t hurt anything. After all, these are radish microgreens, and radishes are root vegetables! But just to keep things need and tidy, I went ahead and used my scissors to snip off the roots.
Here is what the microgreens looked like after I finished harvesting them. You can see that especially on the left, I could have cut them much closer to the growing medium.
Radish Microgreen Yield
In spite of not cutting the microgreens too close to the growing medium, just 3 teaspoons of radish seeds yielded about eight cups of microgreens after just six full days of growth!
What I love about radish microgreens is that in addition to having a nice spicy taste, they are also much sturdier than most microgreens. The stems are thick and kind of crunchy. I love using them in salads, on sandwiches, and in wraps. Also, since they are so sturdy, they’ll hold up better if you want to use them to as a garnish on soup or another hot dish.
AeroGarden Microgreens Kit
If you want an easy way to grow microgreens, I definitely recommend using the AeroGarden Microgreens Kit.
Final Thoughts About Growing Radish Microgreens in an AeroGarden
I am thrilled with how this AeroGarden experiment turned out. The radish microgreens exceeded my expectations in every way—from germination to harvest. They’re a testament to how easy it is to grow microgreens, even with older seeds.
Remember, growing your own food is not only sustainable—it’s also incredibly satisfying. Growing microgreens is a great thing to do even if you live in a tiny apartment, and don’t have a green thumb. The AeroGarden microgreens kit makes it so easy, since you don’t need to water the microgreens, and don’t have to worry about any additional light.
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