Hi Hamama Friends!

The days are getting longer and the temperatures are getting higher.. You know what that means!? Spring is upon us and with that comes some slight changes with your growing process. Just like how your routines or habits may change during the seasonal transitions, your plants could be feeling the same way!

In this article, we’ll take a look at watering, lighting, tray placement, and will provide a few helpful tips to give your greens a healthy growing environment that they can thrive in during this Spring season 🌷☔

We all have our favorite spot in our homes and it may change depending on the season (think hanging out in your sunroom in the summer or cozying up next to your fireplace in the winter). Believe it or not, your microgreens have growing location preferences based on the season as well!

🌱 As always, you want to be sure to keep your tray indoors as that is where you will have the most predictable & constant growing environment. Harsh direct sunlight, strong wind, precipitation, temperature fluctuations, critters, etc outside will not result in predictable growth for the microgreens.

🌱 Microgreens grow perfectly fine in low light, so a location near a windowsill or on your countertop with regular indoor ceiling lighting works just fine!

🌱 Be careful not to expose the plants to direct, hot sunlight for extended periods of time as this can damage the delicate microgreens.

🌱 As for temperature, anything between 65-85 F is best for your microgreens. The warmer they are in that range, the faster they will grow on time with predictable health.

🌱 Keep your grow tray away from other plants and fruit baskets that may expel or require more water/moisture. This way the environment around your tray stays consistent and predictable! It also helps keep any small gnats, fruit flies, or common mold spores from your Seed Quilts since the springtime is when those are more likely to emerge! * Check out our tips on how to handle these small critters!

Springtime is known to be full of rain showers which in turn can increase the humidity levels in your home. This is important to keep in mind when it comes to your microgreens since they can tend to be a little sensitive to humidity levels!

🌱 Both our black plastic and white ceramic grow trays are marked for how much water should be added to initially soak your Seed Quilt. The black Grow Trays should be filled so that the water level reaches the bottom of the fill line and the ceramic tray to the indentation ridge. When filled correctly, the small ridges at the base of the tray should ideally prevent you from completely submerging the quilt while still providing an even soak.

🌱 When soaking, it is super important to soak the entire Seed Quilt long enough so every pocket turns a shade darker, but afterwards you want to be sure no extra water is left pooling on the top of the quilt. If you notice an excess of water, gently tip your quilt upwards until that extra water runs off into the tray. This ensures all seed pods have enough water to begin germination but that the top is kept dry enough to prevent an overexposure to moisture (which can suffocate those little seeds)!

🌱 After the soaking step you want to be sure your Seed Quilt is evenly propped on the tray’s bottom ribs and not dipping into the water on any edge - This will allow the Seed Quilt to drain any excess water and help in the prevention of absorbing too much water.

🌱 The water level after the initial soak should be at the top/middle of the brown coconut mat, and no higher. Pour a little water out of the tray if the water level is reaching the seeds/top paper. You don’t want the Seed Quilt to be sloshing around in the water - that’s a sign that there is too much!

🌱 Watch the humidity level - having an oscillating or ceiling fan running throughout the day can help provide airflow for the seeds.

Check your Seed Quilt - have the seeds germinated and is the top paper layer ripped / removed?

🌱 My seeds are germinated and the top is peeled - Awesome! If the water level is below the bottom of the coco mat you can add enough to bring it back up to the bottom of the cocomat. You don’t want to add any more than that.

🌱 My seeds are germinated but I haven’t peeled - In this case you will want to peel your quilt first and then you will be able to add enough water so that the water level reaches just below the coco mat.

🌱 My seeds have not germinated but I already peeled - If this is the case, it's possible the top was peeled a bit too soon! Be sure to reach out to our team of Grow Coaches here so that we can help out! In the meantime, please refrain from adding any additional water to your tray.You can also check out this resource on our blog.

🌱 My seeds have not germinated and I have not peeled - If it has been more than 4 days since you started your Seed Quilt, it's possible something went askew in your set up and you may need to “reset” your Seed Quilt. Contact our Grow Coaches here to help out! In the meantime, please refrain from adding any additional water to your tray! You can also check out this resource on our blog.

With these small adjustments in how you care for your microgreens this spring season, you will continue to have abundant and healthy harvests!  

We hope you all have a fun and enjoyable Spring! Stay safe!

Love, your Hamama Team 💚