As a gardener in the Northern Hemisphere, you are always looking for the perfect vegetable to grow in the winter months. My solution is snow pea shoots. I simply love this micro-green. Snow pea shoots are easy to grow, harvest happens within two weeks, and they are yummy.
Let's start with the basics. You will need:
Organic soil
Two shallow food-grade Tupperware bins
A packet of dwarf snow pea microgreens
Clippers
You can purchase microgreens at your local health food shop, but they have a short shelf life, so I recommend growing them at home in a clean environment. Please only use food-grade Tupperware for this project (plastic #5) and order your seeds from an excellent seed company.
Step 1: Soak your seeds in a bowl of cool water overnight before planting. You can use regular snow pea seeds instead of microgreen seeds, but I must warn you your shoots will be a bit tougher in taste and texture, so stick to the dwarf snow pea seeds for this indoor garden project.
Step 2: Poke a few drain holes in one of your bins. You will be using this bin for your microgreen starts, and the other bin will be used to water your microgreens from the bottom of the tray. Fill your tray with drain holes halfway with organic soil.
Step 3: Sprinkle your pre-soaked seeds onto your soil and press them firmly into the soil but DO NOT bury them in the soil. Water your tray, place your second bin without holes underneath your tray, and place the cover on top but DO NOT close all the way. Your seeds need air, and you do not want them to go bad. It's a myth that you need light to germinate your seed tray, and they will do better in a low-light area. Allow your seed tray to germinate for 4 days.
Step 4: Within 4 days, you will see your sprouts shoot up from the soil. Pour a bit of freshwater into the bottom of your drainage bin and allow your seedlings to drink from the bottom of the bin. Don't topwater, and don't overwater your microgreens. You want to avoid your microgreen roots from going bad.
Step 5: After two weeks, your greens should be ready to harvest. Snip your greens one inch from the soil line and enjoy your yummy microgreens.
Dwarf pea shoots are delicious and high in important vitamins and antioxidants. Snow Pea Shoots provides a good dose of vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K to your meal. It also has lots of nutrients to help fight off illnesses like cancer.
I like to add them to my homemade pulled noodle soups, and I also cook them with onions and apple slices as a vegetable side dish. If you never tried growing your microgreens, perhaps you should start with the magical dwarf snow pea. It's a great addition to any winter recipe, and it's good for you. I hope you enjoy this tutorial and the information about this wonderful superfood.
Happy Gardening,
SAJATA EPPS - Urban Farmer for KSBA
