How many of you have asked yourself, “Does my microgreen varieties live up to it’s promise?” There are some breeds that produce beautiful flowers but after the blooms disappear you are left with dead plants. These plants have often been mistaken for weeds and discarded. When I found that this was happening to me and many other gardeners I began to research what exactly went wrong. Knowing what went wrong and how I could better care for my plants, I began to notice that I needed to make some changes. My plants and the way I took care of them were no longer matching the way I wanted them to grow.
Geraniums and Microgreens both belong to the mint family, Paeoniflorum. The micro green varieties are much like the common roses, but a deeper color is provided. Mint and geraniums are a great way to create an attractive display in your flowerbed. Many species of micro green plants will bloom year round. If you have an area that is not exposed to too much frost or has trees that have trees on them, then you might want to plant a pair or two of these lovely plants together.
I had purchased a package of geraniums that were much darker than I wanted, so I cut these two plants apart and placed them next to each other in my bed. Within a few days both plants began to bloom and create a lovely contrast between the deep colors they gave off and the lighter foliage they had. I also found that by spacing the plants next to each other and adding various types of landscape stones and rocks, that geraniums and microgreens grew much more densely.
Does My Microgreen Varieties Live Up To It’s Claim? – Geraniums are one of the few plants that can be eaten by birds. In addition, birds love to eat other forms of lettuce, so if you plant microgreens next to other plants, like a host plant or cattails, you will attract a wide variety of songbirds. I have also noticed that the birds I have feed birds tend to be more attracted to the plants that I have planted next to them. I have found that on days where I did not plant anything, I found more birds around my plants. This has been a pleasant surprise.
Does My Microgreen Variety Contain Disease resistant Roots? – Most of my varieties do. There are a couple of exceptions, but most varieties have proven very disease resistant over the years. Some of the special care varieties should be planted with other varieties of microgreen varieties to help prevent disease. You can also buy some of the specific varieties with disease resistance roots. I suggest that if you are growing any type of root system for ornamental purposes, then you should get your plant from a nursery that specializes in that type of plant.
Does My Microgreen Variety Require Much Water? – Typically, most of my plants require about an inch of water per week. Some varieties, however, grow much better when they are drought tolerant plants. I do have plants on my patio that are only two feet tall and barely need any water at all. I actually do not water them at all when I am not gardening!
What Type of Plants grows Best in My Microgreen Varieties? – There are dozens of varieties of plants that can be grown successfully in my Microgreen system. I recommend planting some variety of grasses (softy varieties are fine), annuals, perennials, and biennials if you have the space. I have also had some success growing most vegetables (except maybe cabbage). Try out different vegetables until you find one you like best.
How Hard is it to care for My Microgreen Vegetables? – Some varieties of Microgreen love lots of sunshine. Others prefer shade or a lot of watering. Most varieties will do well with a light amount of either. My favorite type of Microgreen plant is one I call the Shade Striper. It loves full sun but it does very well under partial shade as well.