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How to grow microgreens in a small apartment

A tray, a soilless mix, and a bright spot are enough to start. Here is the sequence extension publications describe.

By Ryan Moalemi. Updated November 9, 2026.

You can grow microgreens in a small apartment with a shallow tray, a soilless mix or mat, clean water, and a bright spot or a lamp. University of Maryland Extension describes them as closely spaced seedlings cut around the true-leaf stage, often 2 to 3 inches tall and 7 to 21 days after sowing. Penn State Extension uses a similar window, about 1.5 to 3 inches and 7 to 21 days, and says home growers can raise them on a windowsill or a deck. You are cutting the seedling, not waiting for a head of lettuce.

This method comes from those publications and from Utah State, Mississippi State, Iowa State, and an Illinois Extension tip sheet. It is not a record of a tray grown for this site. Where the sources differ, both versions stay.

Photo coming soon. A 10 by 20 inch tray of radish microgreens on a narrow apartment shelf, cut just above the growing mix.
Photo coming soon. Planned photo: a 10 by 20 inch tray of radish microgreens on a narrow apartment shelf, cut just above the mix.

What you are actually cutting

Mississippi State University Extension separates microgreens from sprouts. Sprouts germinate in a warm, humid system and are eaten whole, root and seed included. Microgreens germinate in a soilless mix or on a mat, and only the stem and leaves are cut. Iowa State says the same thing: sprouts within a day or two of germination, microgreens a bit later, near the first true leaf.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says sprouts such as alfalfa or mung bean are grown in conditions that also suit Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli, and that bacteria on the seed can multiply even in a clean kitchen. People who are pregnant, older, very young, or immunocompromised are told to avoid raw or lightly cooked sprouts. Microgreens are a different product in the extension definitions, and they are still raw produce. Wash your hands and the scissors, and rinse the cut greens. The FDA says washing under running water reduces bacteria and does not eliminate them, and it advises against soap on produce.

Storage guidance differs. Maryland says up to 10 days refrigerated, Iowa State up to a week, and a University of Vermont handout about 2 to 3 days. Penn State cites research on dark storage near 41°F for about 10 to 14 days, versus about 2 to 4 days at room temperature. Cut what you will eat soon, keep it cold, and wash before eating.

What fits, and what you need

A standard flat is about 10 by 20 inches. That is the 1020 tray in the Utah State gram chart and the Maryland sowing example. A 10 by 10, a 5 by 5, or a clean food container with holes uses the same method on a smaller footprint. Francesco Di Gioia at Penn State says recycled food packaging can work if it is food-safe, clean, and drained. One tray is a complete setup. A second tray sown a few days later is succession planting, which is how Mississippi State says you keep a supply without one oversized harvest.

Avoid pesticide-treated seed. Penn State says the seed coat can stay on the plant and be eaten. Maryland notes that a 1/32 ounce packet can cost about 30 times more per seed than a quarter-pound bag. Weigh the sowing with the seed calculator. The money side is in the kit and DIY cost guide.

Use a lightweight soilless mix, not soil from outdoors. Maryland suggests 1 to 1.5 inches and says fertilizer is unnecessary. Penn State says little or none, and that 50 to 100 ppm nitrogen is generally enough if you do feed. Utah State uses coconut coir: pre-moisten until a squeezed handful is wet but not dripping, then about 2 quarts in a 1020 with holes. Pair a drained tray with a solid tray underneath. A mist bottle covers the first days. A fan on low is the airflow tool Maryland, Utah State, and Penn State all point to, because a dense wet canopy is where damping-off shows up.

Choose a first crop

The Illinois tip sheet splits faster crops (arugula, kale, radish, broccoli, mustard, and several Asian greens) from slower ones (amaranth, beet, chard, cilantro, basil, pea, sunflower, and others). Mississippi State groups pea and radish at about 7 to 10 days, mustard, kale, and arugula at about 10 to 15, and beets, red amaranth, cilantro, and basil at about 16 to 25. Utah State's table is not identical: radish about 8 to 12 days, pea about 8 to 10. Read pea versus radish if you are choosing between those two. Do not mix species in one tray. Maryland, Iowa State, and Penn State all say they finish at different times. Mix them on the plate.

Steps

  1. Wash the trays. If you reuse them, a Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension handout mentions a 10 percent bleach solution for old seed pots. Rinse well afterward.
  2. Fill the drained tray with moist mix about 1 to 1.5 inches deep, or set a mat in it. Di Gioia wets the mix from below before sowing so small seeds stick. The coir version is in the bottom-watering guide.
  3. Weigh the seed for your tray size. Spread to the edges first, then the middle, which is the even-coverage order Penn State describes. Press the seed onto the mix so it contacts moisture.
  4. Soak large or hard seed if the crop calls for it. Utah State presoaks pea about 6 hours and sunflower about 12 hours. Maryland lists pea, sunflower, beet, chard, and cilantro among seeds that may soak 6 to 12 hours. Di Gioia suggests about 8 to 12 hours for larger seed, with a rinse. Weigh the seed dry, then soak.
  5. Cover for germination. Maryland says a few dark days can lengthen stems and make cutting easier. Utah State keeps crops dark for the covered period in its table and uses about 2 to 5 pounds of weight for the first half of that time on larger seed, so roots grow down. Di Gioia recommends weight on pea and sunflower for contact, and because it helps sunflower hulls drop. Vent the cover if the surface stays dripping.
  6. Uncover when the crop is up. Maryland suggests about 16 hours of light, with lamps about 6 to 12 inches above the leaves. Utah State uses 18 hours on and 6 off, with germination near 74°F. Penn State gives germination soil of 60 to 75°F and air of 60 to 70°F, and calls microgreens a low-light crop that can finish when light is imperfect because the cycle is short. Window limits are in the windowsill guide.
  7. Water from the bottom once roots hold the seed, then take the tray out of the reservoir. Mist only while the surface still needs it. A small fan keeps the canopy from staying wet.
  8. Cut above the mix with clean scissors when true leaves open, or a little sooner if you prefer the cotyledon stage. Utah State says harvest can start at the first true leaves, or earlier. Leave the roots. Maryland says the stubble will not regrow. Penn State prefers new mix each cycle to limit disease. Maryland allows mixing old and new media half and half after roots dry. After a moldy tray, use new mix.

When something looks wrong

Bare patches usually mean uneven seed or dry contact. A sour smell or a collapsed mat points to extra water and still air. Penn State's class saw damping-off in warm, humid trays. Empty the reservoir, add airflow, and sow the next crop in fresh mix. Stems that lean are chasing light. Rotate the tray, and add a lamp if they stay pale. Transplants are a different job: use the seed-starting guide.

FAQ

How much space does one tray need?

A 10 by 20 inch flat is the reference size in the Utah State and Maryland guides. Smaller trays work with the same steps. You need a level spot, a tray under the holes, and either a bright window or a lamp a few inches above the leaves.

Do microgreens need fertilizer?

University of Maryland Extension says no. Penn State Extension says little or none, and that 50 to 100 ppm nitrogen is generally enough if you fertilize. You harvest before a mature plant would be feeding heavily.

Can I grow them with only a window?

Often, with limits. Maryland says a sunny window may suffice and that microgreens generally do better under lights for about 16 hours. Utah State says a southern window can work. The windowsill guide is the longer answer.

Are these the same as sprouts?

No. Extension publications define sprouts as the whole germinated seed, grown wet and warm. Microgreens are cut above the mix or mat. The FDA's raw-sprout caution is about sprouts. Wash microgreens anyway. They are still fresh produce.

Sources

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