Microgreen FAQ

Microgreens are young vegetable greens that are usually 1-3 inches tall. They have an aromatic flavor and a rich nutrient content and come in a variety of textures and flavors. They can contain up to 4 to 40 times more nutrients than their fully-grown counterparts.

Microgreens are baby plants that fall between sprouts and baby greens. When the seed makes its first set of leaves known as cotyledons you have a microgreen.

Because of their size microgreens are mistaken for sprouts. They are not sprouts. Sprouts are germinated seeds grown in water with the seed, root, and stem attached. Microgreens are grown to the first stage of growth and harvested same as a baby green.

Studies have shown that many microgreens, such as red cabbage, broccoli, and radish often contain up to 40 times more nutrients than the mature plant. According to professor Qin Wang at the University of Maryland, microgreens are 4 to 40 fold more concentrated with nutrients. His research team tested 25 different commercially grown microgreens and consistently found high levels of nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin E, vitamin K lutein, and beta-carotene. Dr. Gene Lester, a USDA researcher, says, "All of these nutrients are extremely important for skin, eyes and fighting cancer and have all kinds of benefits associated with them. To find these high levels of nutrients, I find that quite astonishing."

Green En Vie offers 100% pure microgreens. We use a soil-less growing medium that contains peat moss and mycorrhizae, which creates a fungal network that effectively expands the plant's root system — Mycorrhiza aids in the plant's ability to intake vital nutrients. 

We are based out of Allegan, MI and serve the Southeastern region of Wisconsin. We use a "vertical rack system," which allows us to grow multiple levels of microgreens in a smaller space than a traditional one level setup. It's the same theory as a skyscraper. Build upward, and you'll have a large number of offices using a small footprint. All lighting is done using LED grow lights that use far less energy than tradition indoor horticultural high-intensity discharge lighting. Microgreens thrive in a particular temperature and humidity range so it's important to have a controlled, sterile environment for optimal microgreen growth. 

No, once the microgreens get cut, they will not grow back. However, this is great for Green En Vie because we take the leftover soil-less mix and compost it.