Growing microgreens is a trendy trend among fans of healthy eating. Its essence lies in the independent germination and consumption of young plant seedlings, which contain the maximum amount of valuable, biologically active substances.
One of the most popular and common is pea microgreens, which combine the crunchy structure and delicate pea microgreens taste with a huge number of useful properties.
In this article, you will learn in detail about pea microgreens and learn how to grow pea shoots at home.
Contents
Pea shoots properties
Pea microgreens also known as pea tendrilsare pea shoots grown from pea seed and have at least 2-3 true leaves. At this stage of development, the maximum amount of vitamin-mineral substances and amino acids are concentrated in them. In terms of the number of useful elements, micro greens are significantly superior to ripe peas.
Home-grown microgreens contain vitamins A, B, C, E, K, PP, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iron, zinc, proteins, and essential and non-essential amino acids.
Young, juicy pea shoots are most useful in winter when the body suffers from a deficiency of useful vitamins, and micro and macro elements.
Pea microgreens health benefits
- Has a mild diuretic effect, reduces swelling, and prevents their occurrence;
- Stimulates brain activity, and improves memory;
- Strengthens the walls of blood vessels, reducing the risk of blood clots;
- Removes toxins, toxic compounds, and salts of heavy metals from the body;
- Improves the condition of the male reproductive system and increases potency;
- Strengthens the body’s immune system.
Sprouted pea microgreens contain an increased amount of antioxidants. Due to this, regular use of a plant product reduces the risk of developing cancer.
What do you need to grow pea shoots?
Pea seeds
Seeds for obtaining young pea shoots must be chosen carefully.
Treated with fungicides and insecticides are not intended for cultivation. Select good quality pea seeds.
Containers
Use clean, sterile trays or special plastic containers. Grow pea shoots in shallow growing trays.
Growing medium
Use fine-grained soil or coco coir.
Scissors
Before using the equipment, wash thoroughly in hot soapy water.
Kitchen scissors are great for shoots.
Water for irrigation and spraying
The seedlings mustn’t be exposed to direct sunlight, as they can dry out small plants. In the future, micro greens should be moderately watered 1-2 times a day and misted with a spray bottle daily as they dry out.
Pea seed selection
Quality pea seeds are half the battle.
As a general rule, pea seed selection must meet several basic requirements – have high germination, be healthy, and not be treated with protective chemicals.
Pea seeds can be obtained in several ways:
- Buy in stores or order pea seeds of varieties specifically designed for growing pea shoots;
- Purchase seeds of fodder varieties;
- Leave from the fall the pea seeds of their collection from the garden.
In principle, all these pea seeds give approximately the same pea microgreens at an early stage of development, both in pea shoot taste and in the composition of vitamins.
Whatever pea seeds you find, you need to carefully inspect them before sowing.
Immediately discard damaged, unnatural or suspicious stains. The selected material is prepared for growing plants.
Germination
To germinate pea microgreen seeds at home, you will need to follow simple instructions. You may grow pea shoots without land and in the ground, here everyone chooses the most convenient option for himself.
For the speedy germination of greens, they must first be soaked.
So, we get the finished product much faster.
First, rinse the pea seeds in a sieve or colander to remove dust and debris. Then the peas need to be soaked in water for about a day. To make the seedlings friendly and strong, use a bio-stimulator.
It contains active substances that are safe for humans – succinic acid and fir extract, but it has a very useful effect on plants.
You can additionally treat them with disinfectants – potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide, but if the seed is of good quality, then this procedure can be abandoned.
Moreover, the period of growing pea shoots is very short and diseases, as a rule, do not have time to harm the pea sprouts. By germination in containers, they should swell well.
Landing
You may grow pea shoots in specialized soil or coconut coir. Pea microgreens grow equally well in both cases if the requirements of agricultural technology are observed.
When the pea microgreen seeds are saturated with moisture after soaking, it’s time to start choosing the substrate in which they will develop further.
You can also use as basic options:
- textile;
- linen rug;
- peat;
- paper towels;
- priming;
- coconut coir;
- different kinds of fillers.
For pea microgreens, in any case, you will need wide, but shallow containers. Ordinary plastic food containers with small drainage holes are great for this purpose.
If we use substrates, then we lay pea seeds on them very tightly.
If the peas are rarely sown, then the young plants will look unattractive in a container.
When too many pea seeds are used, then neighboring plants begin to put pressure on each other, which negatively affects the result. When the density is higher than acceptable, mold often appears.
Lay the soil in the container, moisten it, and lay it out one to one on the surface. Then sprinkle it on top with a thin layer of soil mixture or just lightly press it to the surface, and then wet it again.
With any method of germination, cover the container with glass, a transparent plastic lid, or film and put it in a dark place with a temperature of 68 °F to 77 °F. Leave the watering tray alone for 3 days! Let the seeds germinate and take deep roots. After 3-5 days, pea shoots will appear and the containers can be exposed to the light, removing the shelters.
Until this time, it is necessary to periodically visit the plantings, moisten them, and ventilate and reject pea seeds that have not hatched.
If you grow pea shoots at home, then they should be watered with a spray bottle. Such an easy-to-use tool allows you to maintain the required level of humidity and prevent waterlogging of the substrate.
It is also advised to make small drainage holes in containers. Even if it turns out that too much moisture has accumulated, all excess water will go through them.
How often are microgreens watered?
Like other microgreens, water 2-3 times a day. It is convenient to do this in the morning, in the evening, and in the middle of the day. For watering pea sprouts in the ground, a small watering can is used. Water should be poured little by little, and distributed over the entire surface of the soil in the tray.
When growing pea shoots on mats and other substrates, it is better to spray the pea shoots from the sprayer, in this case, there will be no excess moisture. If micro greens are obtained by hydroponics, watering is not needed, the pea roots are already in the water. The water in the germinator is changed 1-2 times a day so that it does not deteriorate.
How and when to cut microgreens?
If you choose to harvest pea microgreens, wait until they are 3-4 inches tall and have grown into cotyledons (about 3-5 days after germination). Green pea sprouts are cut, leaving a stump of about 1.5 cm. If pea microgreens grow in the ground, you need to act carefully so that it does not get dirty. For cutting, use a blade, sharp scissors, or a knife.
What kind of lighting is needed for growing pea microgreens?
Many people think that natural light is enough to grow pea microgreens on the windowsill, and additional lighting is not at all necessary. Indeed, the germination of sprouts to the first true leaf is effectively carried out even without lamps.
To grow microgreens efficiently, factors are hindering the quality of growth:
First, you always need to focus on the climatic features of the area. If we are talking about the northern regions, where the daylight hours are short, and cloudy days prevail over clear ones, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to grow an even, lush, beautiful product without phytolamps.
Secondly, it is necessary to assess the level of illumination of the room in which it is planned to place the trays after the pea seeds hatched. Growing pea microgreens in a room with small windows oriented to the north, pea microgreens will still have to be illuminated with phytolamps.
When should pea microgreens be exposed to light?
Immediately after growing plants, pea seed trays need light – neither natural nor artificial. At this stage, future pea microgreens need complete darkness.
Therefore, trays with sown seeds are placed on top of each other, or covered with cling film. This allows you to create environmental conditions close to natural when peas grow in open ground.
What is the blackout period for? For the seeds to hatch faster. Evaporation of moisture from the soil surface in a closed container without exposure to sunlight occurs slowly, and, on average, the first pea shoot appears in 3-4 days. This period may increase depending on the type of crop.
But sprouts with leaves are already actively in need of light.
Therefore, as soon as the seeds have sprouted, it is time to put the containers on the windowsill and, if necessary, organize additional lighting for them thanks to a phytolamp.
Storage
Once you have a crop rich in micronutrients, you need to keep pea microgreens fresh and beautiful until they are on the plate.
Storage recommendations
For the plants to remain beautiful, juicy, and edible, the following recommendations must be observed:
- Once cut, the pea microgreens are ready to eat. The remaining leaves must be carefully folded into a plastic container;
- Place the container in a dark, cool place. The best option is a refrigerator. Thus, the product will retain the benefits and richness of pea microgreens taste;
Also, you can store a container of pea microgreens in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Set aside washing your pea microgreens until you are ready to use them. Place them in an airtight container with a paper towel folded inside for long-term storage. The towel will absorb excess moisture. With this method, your pea microgreens should last at least a week, maybe more!
FAQs
What are pea microgreens good for?
Growing pea microgreens are a great source of micronutrients, which are frequently lacking in the diets of many people. They will supplement your diet with essential vitamin C and others such as A, and K as well as a small amount of protein and fiber. They’re simple to include in your diet to boost the number of nutrients.
How do you eat pea microgreens?
They make a fantastic “sweet and spice” combination when combined or served separately as a stand-alone salad. You may add in risotto, soup, and stir-fry. Use pea shoot microgreens as a salad “topper” or combine pea shoots with any salad.
What peas are best for microgreens?
It is advised to purchase organic pea seeds designed for microgreens or pea seeds. There are numerous varieties to try to grow microgreens. Pea seed packets can be purchased online, at health food stores, and garden centers.
Dwarf Gray Sugar Pea: Probably the sweetest and most tender pea seed is produced by this well-known pea.
When should I eat pea microgreens?
In 8 to 14 days, harvest pea microgreens are ready. To make certain they have enough water, you must check on them daily. If you’re unsure of when they’ll be ready, cut pea shoot microgreens each day until you discover the flavor you prefer, at which point gather them!
How long should peas be soaked for microgreens?
To grow microgreens, first, you should soak seeds for 10 to 12 hours in warm water. Because pea seed expands and absorbs a lot of water.
What flavor do pea microgreens have?
Pea microgreens have a mildly sweet flavor that is reminiscent of mature peas. The flavor of a pea shoot is comparable but slightly different.
Can you grow pea microgreens at home?
Yes, growing pea shoots is very easy, as you only need a little equipment and patience to grow them.
Final thoughts
Growing microgreens are a very popular trend in indoor plant growing. Growing pea shoots is easy and has many health benefits. Cultural care of pea seed is minimal, it is completely undemanding, and it grows at a very fast time. The product can be used as a side dish or as a decoration for dishes.
After growing microgreens, try other kinds of microgreens, for example, cereals, chard, arugula, broccoli, sunflowers, and other crops – this is a real storehouse of nutrients.
