Can Paper Towels Grow Microgreens Successfully? | Coco Coir vs Paper Towel
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- 🤔Can Paper Towels Grow Microgreens Successfully!? This is a question that we've received a few times, so we decided to put them to the test in this video where we grew radish microgreens using paper towels we bought from the store!
✅What makes paper towels as a grow medium so intriguing is the fact that they are so widely available and also cheap in comparison to things like soil, coco coir and grow mats. However, they do come with their own challenges when using them to grow, which is something we discuss in this video. Another thing to keep in mind with using paper towels to grow is - some brands manufacturing process includes using chemicals like bleach to "whiten" the paper towels, since they are meant to wipe stuff up with. That's why you should always make the choice for yourself as to what you feel comfortable growing with, nonetheless - growing with paper towels is a fun method to try out!
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After you harvest, do you ever grow the plants like radishes in the garden to get actual radishes? It seems like a lot of energy was spent to make the sprouts and yay turned out so well. I would just put them in the ground and grow them for a few months for a big garden.
Two recommendations:
1. Switch to brown (unbleached) paper towels. White paper products of all types undergo significant chemical treatments to break down and whiten the cellulose; the more of that you remove from the medium the healthier your plants will be. It's quite possible that the stress you were seeing in the paper towel tray sprouts was due to these chemicals.
2. Use a wool carding brush to 'pre-soften' the towels before use. The needles in the brush will effectively puncture the towels as well as break up the fibre structure, allowing much easier penetration for the young roots. Try folding the towels once or twice and then place it on a surface that will permit the needles to travel all the way through the towels; a wooden cutting or soft plastic cutting board should work. Then just 'bounce' the brush up and down across the towel a few times. It will add less than a minute of time to your medium prep, so you'll gain not only on the cost of the medium, but also on your post-harvest cleanup.
I'm enjoying your videos! Thanks for all your work!
Still would not want to grow my food in a towel that contains a soap or oil based wetting agent that most paper towels have. The wetting agent is to help it absorb water faster.
@@GEOsustainable
Unbleached natural bamboo paper towels don't have anything harmful added. Who with a proper mind uses bleached paper towels made of unknown sourced wood pulp and contain known harmful dangerous industrial chemcials such as dioxin and strange unknown dangerous toxins to grow microgreens for food? One of the reasons the microgreens grew less optimally at beginning in this video was due to the harmful chemicals in the paper towels preventing healthy growth, stunting the seeds, when the harmful chemicals in the paper towels got washed away the plants became stronger as evident in this video, nothing to do with roots not able to dig deeper.
I hope this video maker tries the same experiment with unbleached natural bamboo paper towels made without added harmful industrial chemicals in the manufacturing process, the problem was the toxic paper towels he was using in this video.
#3 Presoak the seeds...
@@drew-shourd
Small seeds especially gelatinous seeds such as flax seeds and chia seeds don't require presoaking, in fact presoaking prevents flax seeds and chia seeds from germinating!
@@Anonymous------ I guess you never had a Chia Pet but n the 70’s…we always soaked the seeds as per the company’s directions…
I have been growing microgreens long before they were called that. We just called all of them “sprouts”. 😊I have never used anything but water and a plastic container. No soil or other growth medium. Weirdly enough they all grow straight up, none fell over and they grow to 7-10 cm without any problem. The roots intertwine making their own mat of solid roots that support the stems.
I was looking at your system but noticed that the holes in the box is too large to sprout small seeds in it. Have you ever tried very fine layers of mesh on top? The seeds have something to grip on to and they won’t be floating away down the hole. I haven’t tried but guess that it will make the plant happier if it could dig itself through some layers of mesh. Won’t get the smell of rotting paper either.
Could you explain more indepth on how you grow the microgreens with just water and plastic containers?
A sprout usually means they are only grown until "seed leaves" appear, the seeds are kept on and eaten too. Sprouts only need water or moisture to grow and grow in any direction, piled on top of each other. With microgreens you do not eat the seeds, they are allowed to grow taller, until "true" leaves appear. They need some kind of support (growing medium or mesh or anything that give the roots stability) to hang on to and grow up straight (because your aim is to eat the stems and leaves that appear on top). That's the differences. You can call microgreens sprouts (I sometimes do), but it's not really correct to do so.
@@joey-lynnewald9588I believe it can be done on a mesh (plastic or stainless steel) or open weave cloth fabric (like a tea towel). You just have to make sure the roots are not disturbed as you water them and they sprout and grow, and there is water underneath that can be pulled up into the root. It's a tray of seeds in a tray of water, called hydroponics. There are many variations. Search for "soiless" sprouting and microgreens. Microgreens are sprouts that are grown in a single layer and allowed to grow tall until true leaves appear.
Hydroponic Sprouts are the best.
I've been growing microgreens for just a few months but I started with those trays and instead of paper towels I use toilet paper which makes it much easier for the sprout roots to break through. I've also experimented with a top layer of toilet paper and no weight and it worked great. My experiments have shown that the highest yield was 20g of seeds and i got a grow ratio of 21:1. I also didn't use any lights :)
sorry correction... I used the amazon trays, they work great!
We will have to give that a try then Pat! Thank you so much for sharing! A 21:1 ratio is really amazing especially without grow lights! I assume that you are using a windowsill or outside growing right? Thank you again for sharing 🤗🌱🌱
Yes I try and make sure they get at least 4 hours of sunlight
@@OnTheGrow I could use some of your advice though when it comes to post-harvest handling. I find that I still have a lot of husks in my product, how do I take them out? Also after harvest I've noticed that the greens are still quite moist so if I put it in a container with paper towel and put it in the fridge, they still 'matte' together, get clumpy and eventually rot.
I imagine running paper towels through a shredder would work too.
The problem here is the incorrect use of the paper towel. For seeds that are bigger than the holes in the tray (for example, radishes, cilantro, chick pea, green pea etc.), just put the seeds on the tray and cover with the paper towel to keep them moist. Once the roots are grown, you don't need the paper towel and you will be as good as all other techniques.
Fascinating
Nice. If paper towels are tripled then you wouldn't need daily misting and baby sitting on the tray.
I used a paper towel because the broccoli seeds were falling through the hole
I’m glad to see you give paper towels a serious try. I use them often where I can since dirt or coco is messy and time consuming to deal with. To make it fast, I cut down an entire roll to 9” with a sharp knife. Haven’t tried an electric knife yet but it would probably work nicely. Then just roll it out on your table and cut it to 19-1/2” length with scissors (I marked my table so I don’t have to measure each time). Looks like you are using Bounty towels, as I do as well. The Bounties hold more water than the cheaper ones. The biggest problem is that it works so differently than the dirt or coco. You had to spend a lot of time getting the dirt & coco process down pat. Paper towels are a completely different learning process that has to take place to get it working properly. You just have to be willing to put in the time and fail some. The deal with the paper towels is that they need about 2 more days to get to acceptable growth. I had a customer request Dandelion, which is a very slow growing plant. I started them on dirt, they germinated then died in about a week. My second try is on paper towels, 3 layers to hold water well. I spray them lightly, sometimes skipping a day if the paper towels are still wet. They are growing nicely. Never give up after an initial fail. Thanks for your GREAT and wonderful videos!
Thanks for sharing all this! Cool to hear how you’ve made the process even more efficient by preparing the paper towels to size. Dandelions are really challenging, we failed on all our soil or coco trials with them so it’s really promising to hear you’ve got them working so far in paper towels! We are going to stick with it and see how much better we can get with them. We really appreciate your support and encouraging words! It really means a lot to us! 🌱🌱🤗
Unbleached paper towels to be considered???
I cut a roll of paper towels down to 9" with a chop saw, then put down 6 layers, then slip a plastic mesh under the top layer. Place the seeds on top and cover with a piece of black plexiglass w/ weights. I am just using a slotted plastic trey on a slight slope with 2 Drip lines feeding it (1 at the top and 1 in the middle). Using Sunflowers as an example. 1 Cup of seed takes 4 days to germinate, 2 days in Black out, & 3-4 days under light to consistently yield an average of 550 Grams. This is fed by an Auquaponics system so any excess water drains back into the system.
Have you ever tried with cheesecloth? I'm wondering if the looser weave would allow the roots to penetrate down more.
@@wjm1319 I have indeed without too much success. The problem I have with cheesecloth is it cannot retain water very well as opposed to other mediums, and water retention is important. And the roots seem to blast through the paper towels with little difficulty. I even use a layer of paper towel before adding dirt. That keeps my bottom tray free from dirt for bottom watering.
This was very interesting. A simple way to overcome the paper towel penetration issue would be, possibly, to take a thick sewing needle and just make a full set of holes 1 cm apart all the way around the roll top to bottom. will take a few minutes. the germination was great on both. penetration of the radicals was slower. The paper towel trays could have been left 2 more days and the harvest weight would have been the same. The leaf weight would have been better as well. The cost of grow medium and its availability definitely outweighs the day or two extra i would think. WDYT?
Not to mention, paper towels have a wetting agent to help soak up water faster. The wetting agent is usually detergent but can be something you don't want your food growing in.
This is also why paper towels streak glass.
Oy vey
I use 4-5 layers of paper towels, and it works just fine
I like viva paper towels they feel like cloth they are recycled bounty’s towels
Do you use any special kind of paper towel? Like non bleached? Do you have a brand you can tell me that has worked for you? Thanks 🌱
@@truueindeedi nope, nothing special.
Just ordinary paper towels
@@truueindeedi I'm in Indonesia, so I think you won't be able to find the same brand there 😂.
@@natalinegloriana3430 lol. Yeah prolly right
As you said there is a wide variation with paper towels. I use Walmart extra strength and get good root penetration. I tried dollartree brand and it was a failure. I thought being a thinner paper towel was better, but the roots had a hard time getting through. I use a potting mix, and then put the paper tucked in all 4 corners of the tray. The reason I do that is it pulls moisture from the soil and I have redworms in my trays. Usually by harvest day the worms have eaten most of the paper towel. It keeps my micros clean, but also allows me to grow organic. I have trays I have planted almost 60 times this way. Some seeds work better than others for the paper towel method. Works good for home use.
I am so curious about the setup with worms in it! That's so cool
Dude i love your channel! You motivated me to grow microgreens. Wish me luck :D
You guys make great videos. Great content, great camera work, and no annoying loop music in the background. Well done.
maybe try getting one of those metal horse combs or a wire brush and poking it through the paper towels so theres tons of mini holes.
Very informative . Thanks for sharing.
You two are great! Love this one, Its cool to see how you can grow Microgreens on more readily available mediums. Thanks for taking the time to share what you learn.
Thank you for your continued support!! We love experimenting and can’t wait to try out a lot more paper towels soon! 🤗🌱🌱
Ordered a few of your small trays today! So excited to use them with my Homestead Camp kids this year!
Palate cleanser "coffee" I LOVE IT! I think maybe if you have some kind of roller or maybe a meat tenderizer to poke tiny holes in the paper towels it would help. Just a thought.
Good idea. Perforated the paper towels somehow although in the long run not sure paper towel will give enough foundation for the roots to root and grab onto like coco or other medium unless they have enough water to root like in hydroponics
Thanks for this content! In the growing space I'm preparing I will not have space to manage the compost of Coco so I also meant to investigate paper!
Very nice demo!
Best growing video I've seen
Thank you 👍
Excellent presentation. Thank you.
Just thinking, we always snip away when harvesting so that we get the plant away from the growth medium. But with something such as paper towel where the medium is too heavy and will be left behind (as happened when you pulled a root through) Wouldnt we just be able to pluck them all out and eat the entire thing?
Nice work. Perhaps TP for bottom paper layer because it dissolves in water. Plus it is even cheaper than PT. You make me wanna try. Neat setup.
I love your exhaustive experimentation as well as your willingness to share that information. I hope to be in a similar position someday soon.
We hope so too! Start small and build up! Thank you so much for your support!!
Thank you very much!
Green horn here. Can you put plastic wrap over the seeds to keep moister in? Can you blend the paper towels or recycled paper with sterile water to make your own paper media? I would think it would have more open pores and can be fluffier for the roots to bind to and you can put the plastic wrap over that? I have filtered well water, do I have to add anything to the water? Do you test your water to see what minerals you have? Thanks
Thanks.. your videos are helpful.
You guys are great! Thank you for taking the time to do these tests! 👍
Thank you so much for your support Steph!! It really means a lot to us 🤗🌱🌱
You guys are so inspiring
Thank you so much!! Really cool to hear that!
Would love to see a video with more information on the business side of things! Such as how you find and maintain relationships with customers, how do you get product to your customers, how do you price things, what was your start up cost, etc :)
One of our local ladies has started selling at the flea markets and craft shows. She brings the whole trays and cuts to order for customers. It's been a bit of a slow start as she only started last summer but she did say it's been picking up. She was hoping to sell to restaurants but with covid and our laws here in MI its been hard. Not sure if it helps but it might help point you in the direction of starting out places.
Really interesting. Thanks
Thank you for finally explaining what you do with the left over medium. I had asked in an earlier video but don't know if I got an answer.....
Super merci pour le partage je suis a la recherche de ces bacs !!
Amei 😍😍😍 Parabéns 👏👏👏 Gratidão 🙏🙏🙏
Ur fun to watch ty!
Thanks for the education!!!!
💚 GERARDO RODRIGUEZ 😀We are so excited to announce that both our Microgreens Master Book and our first Microgreens Cookbook will be available very soon!
😃Please visit our new website at 0nthegrow.net for info and early sign up!!!
Great video. Seems like a hydrophilic mesh screen would be ideal. I'm sure many creative ways to add small holes to the paper towel. Would encourage unbleached paper towels. 2 ply towels can also be separated into single ply when dry (may be thinner than dedicated 1 ply towels). In further refining paper towel as medium, using its wicking quality may be a consideration - from bottom tray reservoir. Finally, a little stress may not be a bad thing. Xenohormesis suggests that plants produce healthy compounds as a survival mechanism. Are mildly stressed microgreens more healthy than unstressed microgreens?
Thanks for the support and the suggestions David! We totally agree that stress can actually produce a healthier crop. For example, if a plant never gets airflow, it grows much weaker than one that has to fight the wind. We tried unbleached in our first trials that failed months ago and then we moved on. I’d like to bring it back though and give it some more serious attempts. Thank you again for sharing and your support! 🤗🌱🌱
Time to do a video with 2 sets of greens, one of which is shouted at for an hour each day.
@@GaryMcKinnonUFO reminds me of Audio Adrenaline's Houseplant Song! ROFL!
9:22 "Having a top layer paper towel is gonna be the way to go!"
10:18 "I think that top paper towel is kinda useless on this tray."
That's what I call try and error :)
Nice experiment.
It's "trial and error".
@@daviedood2503 haha u got him
Nice comment tho
@@goprodude0075: Not so fast, could be Gboard error.
I feel that the radicles grow towards water. wet top paper towel confused it. may be the result would be better if you make pinholes in the single paper towel by using pinpad.
Thank you for your video ^^
I usually use plain tissue paper (facial) and had been doing it for months on my sporadic microgreens growing
Fantastic video. So much information. Look forward to which paper towel brand works best. Your set up makes me very jealous. Thank you
Good Friday evening. Anxious to hear.😊
Thank you so much for the support Carol Wilson!! We are going to be making new content soon! 😄 We are happy you are enjoying our experiments!
I like the way you cut the Radish. Pull it towards you a little and slice it shallow. Great way to do it and will try tomorrow. Parents are having a small gathering to sample some wine they have made this year and asked me to bring some greens by! Have learned a ton from you guys the last couple months, and feel confident bringing over Speckled Peas, Purple Radish, and Sunflower! Planning for a live harvest of some Purple Radish :) Thank you! Mike
That’s incredible man!! We’re so glad to hear that you’ve gotten more confident in growing! We really appreciate your support Mike! 🤗🌱🌱
You guys are great. I've been growing broccoli and radish on top of 3 plies of paper towels for a year or so. No fertilizer. I top water and pour the standing water out of the no hole tray immediately. I water twice a day.The used paper towel goes out to the chickens. I cannot seem to grow sunflowers with this method, but I'll try a paper towel cover on top. Thank you for all your efforts.
Thank you, very informational
It was a fun experiment! You never know when you will be stuck out in the middle of nowhere with limited supplies! Thank you so much for the support Michael Kwan!! We are going to be making new content soon! 😄
Very nice experiment. Appreciate your efforts and information 😃
Thank you Inztra MENTAL for the compliment! 😄
Glad to hear we're aiding in any way we can!!🙂
I loved it! thanks for sharing
Thank you for the support!!
@@OnTheGrow Thanks for the feedback! You speak with authority and assurance! Infinite like for you and your team! thank you
Great video
The first book I bought on Microgreens (over 13 years ago) used paper towels as the primary grow substrate.
That's so funny! Things have come a long way since then! pranafire Have you signed up for our Master Class yet? Please get ready to take advantage of all the information we've assembled for you!!! We are also releasing our microgreens master book very soon! 😊
Thanks so much for this test! When I first tried paper towels, it was in 5x5 trays and folded so that it was 4 thicknesses. And yes, I misted more than 2x per day, as I remember.(That was before I started a spreadsheet to keep a record of my grows.) Used broccoli. Maybe the thickness allowed both for more water retention, and therefore faster germination and more place for the radicles to attach? Didn't get much height, and used scissors to harvest after lifting the whole grow out of the trays. Am running a tiny test right now on radish and mustard on 5x5 with layers of coco and paper towels to see how the rooting compares. I'm not as worried about harvest weight because I'm just growing for my own consumption, but flavor is a value for me. You guys are the best! ♥
Hi Kathleen... please share your results here or on your channel. Thank you!
Yes please share. Sharing is caring ;)
Thanks my friend 2024
I use paper towels and cover with plastic wrap not touching the seeds (until they are germinated) and have no problems.
Greetings. I had the idea of shredding the paper towels as a growth medium. ie paper shredder. Might give the roots something to grab onto. Thank you You guys ROCK!!
Paper towels generally breakdown faster and might start smelling, leading to fungal and/or bacterial infections.
For the paper towels, maybe try poking some holes with some kind of multi tip serrated tool, or, try shredding the paper towels first to then plant in a paper confetti medium. I liked the way the paper towel ones looked, the leaves had a gradient green to yellow which was pretty.
Hello, you two are so wonderful, thank you for all educations. I did use lunch paper napkin. Just one layer. Fit well on green tray With ociansolution.I will be keep leaning from you two. Thanks again. 😊
haven't checked in in awhile -- hope all is well -- i've been sprouting in clay pot bottoms and have really good luck -- two bottoms per station - one up one down.. grows great sprouts.
What I love about this channel is how they try everything out that way I know not what to do lol. So no paper towels , check.
My paper towel sprouts did great with double paper towel and raised lid on top.
Shamwow is an interesting option for a growing medium.
Funny!! I'm sure you were joking because a seed couldn't get through that at all lol!
Have you thought about using food grade Hydrogen Peroxide diluted and sprayed over bottom water tray or directly on paper towels? This would add extra Oxygen and cut way down on molds and bacteria.
It stunts growth by burning the root hairs.
@@GEOsustainable record experiment and post results
what if you put a piece of hardware cloth on the seeds before they germinate. the plants will grow through the holes and the wire will hold down the roots.
Green Greg on utube shows dark environment growing
Plants need CO2 to grow. H2O2 produces more oxygen.
Growing mushrooms or crickets in the same room can increase net co2 and that can help growth.
Use neem oil in hot water and spray it on the paper towels to protect against mold and insects.
Hi
Or diluted food grade Hydrogen Peroxide which kills pathogens and adds oxygen ! I spray it in my nostrils to stay covid free. Check out Dr. Thomas Levy ' Rapid Virus Recovery' which shows how! Shalom to us only in Christ Yeshua.
I'd be curious to see if leaving the paper towel on top for longer and then switching to bottom watering before removing it would allow it to separate more easily. Also, multiple layers of paper towels on the bottom could allow rooting to take place quicker and help retain moisture. I might have to do a trial of my own. :-)
If you did the trial, can you share the results?
That's what I wondered, if top paper cover was allowed to dry a little would it be easier removed? Plus a small pincer clamp to hold paper to tray at starting edge for harvest, finish last row of cutting from other direction?
Great presentation as always! I got into microgreens thanks to your channel. I've tried a different paper towel experiment that worked well for me using the same mesh tray (though I've only tested it on pea sprouts) I put the seeds directly on the mesh tray and then paper towel on top, which I then soak and put a weight on top. The radicals mostly grow downwards and grab unto the mesh tray. I remove the paper towel after a few days when everything has germinated and start bottom watering. I mainly did this because I was inconsistent about spraying twice a day and had the tray fail on me on a prior attempt.
We’re so glad to hear that your growing successfully Steven! Yeah, we only grow our peas without medium and we have had similar issues with some spots drying out. I think it’s totally worth it to use a paper-towel and help it germinate like you said! Thanks for sharing and we’re grateful for your support! 🤗🌱🌱
nice greens
The coco fiber has it's own nutrients, more so than the bleached paper towels. I think Lou B is right to switch to brown paper towels and maybe add nutrient water a day earlier for the paper towel group. I am interested in your techniques for growing food in space where space is limited in a station.
Good vid....ty. If consider the lesser germination, time involved, and especially the greens absorbing what toxins are in the paper towels, the soil or coco is the obvious choice unless soil not available. Can the same thing be accomplished by spraying the product 2-3 times a day vs. using the mesh trays and water underneath or is it critical to have the roots get direct water? I know with fruit trees, more nutrients are absorbed via the leaves than the roots. Look forward to a response if have a moment.
Thanks for your time explaining all this :) @TheHealthyNewfie
Cant wait to start experimenting myself!
@On The Grow what ar u using for the light ?
Leg drow ligh or just led normaly ?
Tq
Nice video lovely
thanks, i wish you had tried on of the paper towel trays with nutrient solution. if paper towel can be made to produce as well as coco or soil, it would seems to be the ideal method. also, what about dehydrator mats?
I wonder if you soak the paper towels for 2 days before seeding to get a more mushy medium for the roots to dig into?
Before composting I would throw those mediums to Chickens if you have them, they will get a bit of food and scratch that up real well for you as well as drop in a few nitrogen pellets for you.
Coco coire matting seems like it may be an option, then it's a thin sheet with no mess but enough substrate for them to take root.
Hello. I like your video. I want to learn about your light sources. Do you use day light or full spectrum light for your microgreens? Thanks
I am fairly new to growing microgreens, but I am thinking I might try screen (made for food dehydrators) for structure for the roots to grab, and then maybe four layers of paper towel beneath to hold moisture.
We are actually experimenting with dehydrator mats right now and we should have a video on it for next week! It has worked really well without any paper-towels too!
I've used polyester quilt batting to grow microgreens for a bearded dragon to eat inside his terrarium. Seemed to work pretty well and he loved them, but its the only medium I've ever tried.
Have you tried ;
Charmin ( yes , toilet paper ) for medium above paper towel
To encourage roots to target the softer medium so it doesn't root upward?
We could give that a try! I think that it could have potential and is worth a shot! Thanks for the suggestion! 🤗🌱🌱
@@OnTheGrow
We use the 30ct. Egg carton paper mache' trays .
They're biodegradable and they hold enough dirt to allow a close eye on the seedlings growth .
The roots of anything we've planted in the trays have pierced the bottom of the tray.
Everything has spawned off and taken hold very quickly .
We even plant our corn in them .... Not typical peaches & cream ..... We have some upper end corn we don't want wild birds taking off with ....
awesome channel! I'm subscribing right now
thank you for this. Can you reuse the coco coir?
On The Grow, many thanks for the very useful video - i have a question when or did you turn off the light and when do you turn it on again?
🙂We run our lights on a 17hours ON and 7 hours OFF schedule and have had great success with that over the past year and a half!
EXCELLENT testing approach. I'm new and starting TODAY with growing (with seed potting soil), but curious to watch your f/u vids. A couple thoughts: 1) Tasting... you introduced a coffee beverage rinse between first and 2nd taste tests, then I think nothing introduced to "reset" your pallet with subsequent tastes. How might that change taste perception? 2) Do you have a way to test nutritional difference? Maybe it's negligible, but curious. I'd think greens grown in natural medium would be far more nutritious, but that's my assumption. NICE work!
I'm curious also. We smell plain coffee beans to erase sensory overload when comparing scented candles, etc.
I wondered if the bitter tones in coffee might affect results of the taste test
Hi guys, another cool video. I was wondering if you could confirm the quantity you’re using for watering. You often bottom water with either half or a full cup of water however I’m not sure those quantities are the same as here in the UK as a half cup is just 125ml and whenever I see you guys use a half cup, it definitely looks more than 125. It might just be the shape of the jug you’re using but wanted to ask. Thanks
It might cost more for the coco coir, but after you harvest the sprouts, the coco coir can be used for bedding in a worm bin.
Would assume the same for the paper towels
Use the costco ones, they have great water retention and can store a lot more than other brands, plus they don't dissolve. Been using em with great success, only problem is that if the roots get into the towel, its easy you break em when pulling em out.
💚Dario Durà Armadans Thanks for watching. We loved testing the "paper towel" theory...we don't advocate using it for growing consumed crops. We are actively working our microgreens into amazing recipes and that doesn't insure quality and taste....check on the recipe book link!!!
Such dramatic difference in their growth pattern! Thank you for sharing these results.
Hi great to see these
Just a thought what about a paper towel on top of the coco
And another thought how would card board the flirted one like the worms like
Strip64 wonders about the chemicals used in whitening paper and such. Your idea seems even better, chemical-avoiding wise. I should work...I will try this out soonish
Could you use coffee grounds with something mixed in?
nice one
Thank you so much 🤗🌱🌱
Maybe one layer of paper towel and a layer of some kind of reusable nostick sheet like teflon baking cloth? I wonder if perforating the paper towel (drill the roll) would help penetration.
My guess is if you put like perforated plastic sheets with smaller holes size then your seeds on top instead of paper tower it could make things easier for commercial scale also try NFT spreader mat it's designed for even water flow with good Co2 ratio and it expands a little when contact with water easier for roots to get where you want them to go.
I've also used synthetic paper towels though they don't compost the radical penetration is far greater and the towel won't fall apart when wet
Hi guys, I'm trying china rose on kitchen towel and with the same green trays you are using right now. I suggest you to use another white tray (the mesh one)On top of the seeds. By doing so, for the first few days, you will be able to spray water on the seeds without lifting the white tray, and that will prevent losses on germination
What if you try paper towel on top of Soil or coco? Will it keep the finish product cleaner
Just found you two, I'm just learning about this, whom do you purchase your seeds from? Also, can you shred the paper towels?
Try commercial brown hand paper. A LOT cheaper than even paper towel. Like 3$ for 1000 feet. Also not bleached. If you run a meat tenderizer on the paper it might loosen up the fibers.
Great suggestion Ben! We will give that a shot!
On The Grow: Could you germinate smaller seeds in a jar first and then when they are big enough so they don't fall through the holes in the tray, transfer them to the tray with water underneath?
you can use the jar for the whole process
Yes, he didn’t use seedling soil on top of the paper towel. Sprouting in a jar requires a lot more maintenance as apposed to having a self-watering system where you can use to replant in hydroponics …..
What trays do you recommend? My current plant trays are 72 cell 10 by 20. But I like the open tray like that
This is what I intend to try. Two trays of a size which will slot into each other. The bottom tray with water in. The top tray with holes in bottom. A layer or two of paper towels topped off with a little vermiculite into which seeds are sown. The paper towels should act as a wick for self watering. Keep in dark until sprouting and then under growlight. I think this might work?
Hey guys, thanks for the video. I have been just thinking about light schedule for a day. Have you been trying some different kind of schedules for ligting? Like 18/16 , 16/8, 24/7, 12/12 and ohers. I have two possibilities. First is that microgreens can handle 24/7 and they do best with this kind of schedule (they grow nonstop so you shorten growing time) but second thing is, what if they would love to rest during some hours and as a result they would look better and actually grow the same time.
Have a good one!
I've wondered about how plants might respond to non 24 hour cycles. Can they be "charged up" for 3 or 4 hours and then be left in darkness for 1 hour. Then back to another "on" cycle? Would they "sense" having experienced 20 light cycles but only five 24 hour days.
I use plain old cheap paper towels from Walmart and it works just fine. I mist mine twice a day with a water bottle. I cover mine with a lid until day three or four. Then uncover and bottom water. I wash the bottom tray everytime I water. Some stress is good for plants.
Blend the paper and press the water out...it makes it easier..fluffy cloud look