So it’s -40 Below

What to do when it’s just too

cold to do anything else
by
Dan Fowler
But I prefer: -40 BELOW Gardening
Garage Gardening, what are a few of the methods:

• Aquaponics
• Hydroponics
• Aeroponics
• Container gardening (soil)
Some subsets of Hydroponic and Aquaponic
Garage Gardening:

• NFT (Nutrient Film Technique)

• Deep Water Culture
• Floating Raft
• Dutch Bucket
• Kratky Method (set-it-and- forget-it)
Microgreens:
Firstly, Micro-Greens are NOT sprouts…….
What is a microgreen and what is a sprout:

Microgreens have two fully developed cotyledon leaves and usually one pair very
small, partially developed true leaves and are approximately 1” to 1½” in height
when harvested.

Microgreens require high light levels, preferably natural sunlight with low humidity,
good air circulation and are planted with very low seed density compared to sprout
processing.

A sprout consists of the seed, root, stem and pale, underdeveloped leaves and are
harvested usually within the first week of soaking.

Sprout seed is not actually planted. Instead, a high density of seed is placed inside of
sprouting equipment or enclosed containers and they are processed in water.

Why is this important??

Sprouts can be DANGEROUS

But not these sprouts =)

Measured risk:

Bad news for Sprout growers:

The same conditions that are required for sprouts to grow (i.e. Dark, Wet & Crowded)
also allow sprout-associated illness such as Salmonella, Listeria and Escherichia coli
(E.coli) to flourish.

Fact:
There have been over 100,000+ sprout related illnesses in the U.S. in the past 18 years (*1)

Good news for Microgreen growers:

The conditions that are ideal for growing microgreens do not encourage the growth of
dangerous pathogens (i.e. light, air circulation and lower seed density).

= &
No matter what method you use, the most important tool you need in indoor
gardening is LIGHTING….
Some Choices for Indoor Gardening
are…
• HPS (High Pressure Sodium)
• MH (Metal Halide)
• LED (Light Emitting Diode)
What’s the BEST? That depends…

What are you growing???

The nice thing about Microgreens is that you do not need
To go out and spend hundred's of dollars on lighting.
 If it’s Microgreens or
other leafy greens…..

Then…
Fluorescent (T5’s or T8’s) or
LED’s
Will be your best, most economical choice producing excellent vegetative growth.
Next, start with good clean water!!

• City water will work, just remove the chlorine with an air stone.
• Some folks even use a reverse osmosis filter
• Check the PH and adjust to 6.5 (*you can use vinegar to lower the PH and baking soda
to raise, however, I have found that the professional PH up/down products available
work better)
 Substrates

• Vermiculite (non asbestos)

• Sure-to-Grow Pads
• Rockwool Slabs

Or my Favorite……………

• Soil-less Seed Starting Mix

 Soil-less Seed Starting Mix
• 3 parts sphagnum peat moss
• 1 part Perlite
• 1 part Vermiculite (asbestos free)
• Plenty of clean (ph. neutral) Water

Bonus: If you would like Potting Soil add

• 1 part composted manure
The container or tray
Any recycled container will do, however, I prefer to
use traditional seed starting trays………….
What to plant…
The joy of Microgreens
is Variety
 First thing to consider
when buying seed..
• Seek untreated seed
(Traditional gardening seed is often treated with fungicides and sometimes insecticides)

• Buy seed from a dependable source

(A good seed company will always list Date of Harvest, Germination Rate and Organic
Certification)

• Buy in bulk
(Most companies sell in very affordable 1lb packages)

• Start off with a limited variety

(Keep in mind that there are an astounding amount of seeds available for Microgreens.
You do not want to order more than you can possibly use)
Ten Microgreens (easy) for Beginners (*2)

1) Chinese Cabbage (Napa cabbage): quick, easy, beautiful, and flavorful

2) Radish (red or Daikon): quick, easy, and flavor just like the mature root crop

3) Turnip: quick, easy, and “leaf” varieties taste much like the root veggie

4) Pac Choi (Bok Choy): its many varieties all are quick and easy to grow

5) Sesame: germinates rapidly, and you likely already have it in your cupboard

6) Cress: a speedster second only to Radish, but very spicy hot

7) Lettuce: at true leaf stage, most varieties are beautiful and delectable

8) Asian Greens: especially Komatsuna, which tolerates both cold and heat

9) Endive: beautiful bouquet of leaves, grows easily, though slowly

10) Mustard (and many Mustard Greens): quick and easy, but very spicy hot
Ten varieties that are more challenging but worth the effort.. (*2)

1) Sweet Basil: beautiful and delicious, though a slow and fastidious grower

2) Sorrel or Marjoram: slow leafy growth, but distinct flavors

3) Fennel or Dill: delicious herbal flavors, but difficult to germinate

4) Cilantro: delicious, though difficult to germinate

5) Carrot: almost sweet, you may never again discard carrot tops

6) Beet or Chard: some call them micro-reds for their contrasting deep red color

7) Pea: rapid high yields from multiple cuttings, but be vigilant for mold

8) Red Russian Kale: beautiful at both seed leaf and true leaf stages

9) Thai Basil: second only to Sweet Basil, but Thai seeds are expensive

Or my absolute favorite

10) Sunflower (black oil): difficult to take root, but worth its unique flavor
 Seed-Sowing

After filling your tray ½ to ¾ full with you substrate, most

seeds can be sown directly on top of the growing medium.
Others, such as Sunflower need to be “pre-sprouted”.
All seeds initially need darkness and moisture until sprouted.
This is accomplished by placing another tray over the top of the
seed until they “lift” the tray around ½ inch (approx. 2-3 days).

After the seedlings have reached this stage, the “covering” tray can be
removed and a light source provided.
Light cycles are dependent upon your preference raging from 12 hours
to constant.

Most seed needs to be watered 1 to 2 times per day using the bottom
watering technique.
Initially the leaves will appear a pale yellow or even white and you may
think that you really messed up.
However within 24 hours photosynthesis/chlorophyll will kick in and you
will go from being a failure to a master gardener.
Sunflower Microgreen Directions
• Presoak in 3-10% chlorine solution for 1-2 hours (mold prevention)
• Rinse well and soak for 8-12 hours
• Rinse and drain twice a day until sprouted (3 days or so)
• Sow on top of medium in a tray with holes and place another planter
upside down on top.
• Water 2x a day from the bottom until the seedlings lift the covering tray
1-2”
• The seedlings will be pale yellow. Place tray under florescent lighting or
in well lit window sill for 3-4 days.

Approximately 10 days from start to finish

 Finally that word we
all dread… Pests
• Monitor your airflow, watering and seed
density to control mold issues.
• Fungus Gnats can be avoided by not
bringing in contaminated soil.
• The number 1 destroyer of Microgreen
crops that cannot be controlled is….
Thank you:
Frozenfowler (on YouTube)
40 Below Gardening (on Facebook)

Dan Fowler
Also starring Regan

(*1) Chalker R, Blaser M. A review of human salmonellosis: III.

Magnitude of Salmonella infection in the United States. Rev Infect
Dis. 1988;10:111–24.

(*2) Microgreen Garden: Indoor Grower's Guide to Gourmet

Greens by Mark Mathew Braunstein

Photo submissions:
• extension.missouri.edu
• pacapride.wordpress
• repotme.com
• edenbrothers.com
• loveandcarrots.com
 Bonus Material
for
Indoor gardening
Nutrient (one size fits all?)

Of course not, they make “specialized” nutrients for every

plant you would want to grow.

However you can get close…

I personally use a blend of a commercial fertilizer (4-18-38),
Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom salt) and Calcium Nitrate (15.5-0-0).

(4-18-38 + 16-0-0 = 20n-18p-38k)

One mistake that a lot of indoor growers make is not mixing
the nutrients in order.
When you do this you can get what they call nutrient lockout.
The dissolved trace minerals will bind together becoming
solids again and lay on the bottom of your reservoir, buckets
or even clogging the feed lines, providing nothing for the
plants nutrition.

ALWAYS Mix in Order

The following is the correct ratio and order for 5 gallons of
Nutrient Solution:

• Chem-Gro (4-18-38) = 12g

• Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) = 6g
• Calcium Nitrate = 12g
TDS/PPM/EC comparison:

Tomatoes require a TDS/PPM of 1260-1960 with an EC of 1.8-2.8

Lettuce requires a TDS/PPM of 210-560 with an EC of 0.3-0.8

Aquaponics in Nature (Plitvice Croatia)
If it works here…
Here…
Here…
And...
Here...