GROWING YOUR OWN MICROGREENS GARDEN IN 2023

to fully grown greens. Because they are small, their nutrients are compacted. Research indicates that a serving of microgreens contains up to 40% more phytochemicals than their fully grown counterparts. Nutrients include high levels of powerful vitamins, minerals, and other health-supporting components.

Vegetables grown as microgreens include broccoli, beets, carrots, cucumbers, fennel, leeks, lettuce, onions, pea shoots, red-veined sorrel, and spinach.

How To Grow Microgreens

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

 microgreen seeds (available online or at a garden store)

 growing mat

 baking dish or container for the mat

ACTIONS:

1. Soak seeds 6 to 8 hours, or according to package directions.

2. Soak the growing mat with water, and place in a baking dish or container.

3. Spread out the seeds.

4. Cover.

5. Place near a window and lightly water daily until the seeds sprout.

6. Remove lid and let grow until vibrant leaves appear in about 7 to 10 days.

More people are growing food in their own gardens. This summer you’ll see that microgreens are trending in the Hamptons. There’s nothing more satisfying than going to your outside or windowsill garden for some microgreens to build a fresh, nutrient-rich salad. Garden to table is the ultimate health hack and secret to maintaining a youthful appearance.

Microgreens

Microgreens are young plants that are about two weeks old. Unlike larger vegetables and herbs that take weeks or months to grow, microgreens can be harvested and eaten a week to 10 days after the leaves have developed. These young plants have an intense amount of nutritional value compared

My favorite thing to grow is broccoli microgreens. When I was rock bottom with my health fourteen years ago, I armed my body to defend itself using plants and particular foods. One powerful way to fight and prevent cancer is with broccoli microgreens and sprouts. Broccoli is potent in sulforaphane, containing 50 times more sulforaphane than a full head of broccoli! It’s the sulforaphane in broccoli that kills cancer cells. There are many studies on broccoli from the last 30 years, and one study showed how sulforaphane decreased human breast cancer cells in addition to other cancer-fighting benefits. And it’s not just breast cancer cells broccoli can reduce, it’s all types of cancer cells.

Gardening For Overall Health

Growing your own food is one of the healthiest hobbies. Aside from benefiting physical health, gardening is also great for mental health. A multitude of studies present results that suggest that growing your own food can improve psychological health, which can alleviate anxiety and even depression. You will really know where your food is coming from when you grow it at home. We should be interested in where and how our food is being grown. We don’t want to eat foods that are grown next to factories that produce pollutants that seep into the soil, depleting it of vital components needed to grow nutrient-giving foods. We also want the water supply that irrigates the crops to be clean and uncontaminated by industrial runoff. Soil throughout the United States has become contaminated with pesticides and other toxic chemicals. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been found in soils that grow foods. PAHs are byproducts of forest fires and volcanic action. But most are emitted by coal gasification plants, smokehouses, motor vehicle exhaust (less in diesel), burning refuse, used tires, municipal incinerators, and some aluminum production facilities — in facilities that are part of industries which produce or use coal tar, coke, or bitumen (asphalt).

The food grown in these soils is extremely poor and carcinogenic as well as a possible cause of anxiety and depression. Eliminating from our diets foods grown in poor soil will lead to important health improvements and longevity.

Now is the best time to start your indoor and outdoor gardens in the Hamptons!

Start With Plants Easy To Grow

I recommend starting with the popular foods listed below if these are things you like to eat. It’s easiest to grow romaine, mint, thyme, oregano, parsley, cilantro, and sage. If you’re adventurous, grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, snap peas, chilies, broccoli, green onions, spinach, and potatoes.

The key is to grow foods you especially like. If it’s your first garden, start with one to three plants. Then you’re more likely to want to watch it grow, water it daily, and enjoy eating it when it’s ready.

u Liana Werner-Gray is a nutritionist, natural food chef, and best-selling author of The Earth Diet, Cancer Free with Food and Anxiety-Free with Food. She is the founder of Liana’s Organics: Anxiety-Free Supplements.

lianawernergray.com | @lianawernergray