What is microgreen?
These are small stems of vegetables, which usually collect from 5 to 15 days after germination. Their size is only a few centimeters. Three nutritional components of microgreen: central trunk, cotyledon leaves (applied with sprout to the surface) and young leaves. It is important not to confuse microgreen and sprouts – (a young moist seed that begins to sprout, but leaves it still has no leaves).
Microgreen began appearing in the menu of chefs back in the 1980s, in San Francisco. At first, very few varieties were proposed: rubella, basil, beet, cabbage and a mixture called Rainbow Mix. Today, the American microgreen industry consists of various seed companies and manufacturers.

How profitable to grow microgreen? And what is the value of this product?
Microgreen in Ukraine can be bought mostly in health food stores or in specialized markets. It is less available in supermarkets.
The popularity of microgreen is growing rapidly. This is due, in particular, to the combination of a large amount of vitamins in small volumes. In addition, thanks to microgreen, you can create a fragrant and textured salad.
Until recently, microgreen in the EU countries was used by chefs in high-class restaurants. However, these small plants quickly gained popularity and began to appear in home dishes, as it is easy to find on shelves of foreign supermarkets. In Ukraine, small farmers can easily grow such a source of vitamins.

Business opportunities.
The duration of the microgreen production cycle is significantly shorter (1-2 weeks) than in adult analogs (4-6 weeks). So, until the ripening of the salad, you can make from 3 to 4 microgran outs. In addition, it does not require a large area. All that is needed is light and timely irrigation. So, small farmers can easily apply it and increase earnings.
Cultivation of microgran is not complicated. If for growth of a salad on hydroponics it is necessary start-up investments, then with microgreen it is all easier. Roughly speaking, it can be grown in a window. After a few days in the dark, he needs a lot of light, average temperature and very good air circulation. When we started a year ago, we already had hydroponic salad lines. The equipment is flexible, so you could engage in the expansion of the range and begin to grow microgreen using geotextiles and perlite. The latter serves as a substrate, it retains moisture perfectly. From the top is geotextile, which directly seeds are sown.

The huge benefits of tiny plants.
Miniature microgreen has a positive effect on human health. The study of the Maryland Agricultural and Natural Resources College (AGNR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirms that microgreen has a higher nutritional value than a mature plant. Their team conducted a study to compare the amount of vitamins C, E, K and beta-carotene in 25 types of microgreen and their adult counterparts. It has been found that microgreen holds from 4 to 40 times more nutrients than a mature plant.
Microgreen is the primary energy inherent in nature. You can reveal it without doing anything special. Simply give the seed to go away, and the plant will have enough internal capacity for up to 15 days of growth. By and large, it is the excerpt from the plant of what nature has laid it on.
Consequently, the benefit of microgran is enormous. In the green, many vitamins and trace elements, and as the plant is only in the beginning of its formation – nature gives him the maximum of necessary nutrients in high concentration.
Microgreen cleanses the body, rejuvenates the cells of the body and helps rejuvenate the skin, accelerates hair growth. It is also very useful for digestion and blood. The caloric content of the product is so low that the body spends more energy on its digestion.