Growing microgreens in an AeroGarden is one of the simplest ways to bring fresh, nutrient-rich greens into your kitchen year-round. With the AeroGarden Microgreens Kit, you can harvest flavorful sprouts like broccoli, radish, kale, and arugula in as little as 7 to 10 days.
These tiny greens are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, often containing higher nutrient levels than their mature counterparts.
Using an indoor hydroponic system also means no soil mess, faster germination, and consistent results even in small spaces.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to grow AeroGarden microgreens step by step, discover the benefits of adding them to your diet, troubleshoot common challenges, and explore easy recipes to enjoy your harvest.
Benefits of Growing Microgreens in AeroGarden
Nutrition that shows up fast
Growers consistently note that small servings of broccoli, kale, mustard, and radish greens deliver concentrated flavor and aroma within a week. These crops are harvested at the cotyledon and first true leaf stage when stored seed reserves are still present, so you get intense taste and a meaningful bump of vitamins and phytonutrients in a tiny volume. That concentrated character is why a handful can lift a smoothie or sandwich without using much space or time.
A harvest in seven to ten days
Multiple real grows reached cutting height in about a week. One spicy mix reached harvest on day seven. Another mixed tray hit about three inches by day nine. A radish run produced thick, sturdy greens in six to seven days. If you stagger the trays by three to four days as suggested in the kit booklet, you can keep a steady supply cycling through the same machine.
Clean and compact with predictable cycles
Hydroponic trays keep the process tidy. There is no potting mix to haul or dispose of and no fungus gnat pressure that sometimes comes with coco coir indoors. The built in pump floods the trays for about five minutes and then rests for roughly twenty five minutes, keeping the pads or alternative media evenly moist. The fixed light program runs about fifteen hours per day once started, so you do not need a separate timer.
Year round greens independent of weather
One grower ran the kit during a heat wave and still produced a nine day harvest. Another ran it over the New Year period and saw sprouts within hours. The enclosed reservoir, constant light, and humidity domes remove the guesswork of outdoor conditions. This is especially helpful for seedlings that prefer steady warmth and moisture to break dormancy.
Better value with smart media choices
Felt pads are convenient but they add up at a little over one dollar each. Several growers cut costs by switching to reusable window screen for small seeds or silicone dehydrator sheets for larger seeds. Others reported success with wood fiber micromats and cut to size jute. These alternatives maintained wicking and root support across a ten day grow and left trays clean after harvest, which makes the whole routine more economical over time.
Getting Started with AeroGarden Microgreens Kit
What arrives in the box
You replace the standard pod deck with a microgreens irrigation deck that accepts two shallow trays. Each tray takes a cut to fit pad. Clear humidity domes sit on top during germination. The manufacturer sells starter seed mixes such as a spicy blend with radishes and mustards and a superfood blend with broccoli, kohlrabi, arugula, red cabbage, and red Russian kale. Domes are thin and should not go through a hot dishwasher cycle.
Models and seeding rates that actually work
For the Harvest model the package guidance and grower results align at about two teaspoons of seed per tray for mixes like spicy or superfood. Some experiments deliberately used one teaspoon for comparison or one and a half teaspoons for larger radish seed. The larger Bounty uses roughly double that at about four teaspoons per side. Staying near these amounts prevents clumping, improves air flow, and reduces the risk of toppled or collapsed seedlings on crowded mats.
Assembly and first setup
Remove the standard deck and set it aside with the water level magnet tube and fill cap so you can return to regular pods later. Drop in the microgreens deck and align the pump tower and drain. Insert the two trays in their single correct orientation so the returns line up. Pre dampen the pads or your chosen alternative so seeds adhere when you sow. Fill the bowl to the line, place the domes, and raise the light to its highest stop. On Harvest Elite units set the program to the flowers profile for the preferred light ratio, then set the correct clock time so the daily cycle matches your schedule.
Water and light routines
The pump floods the trays periodically for even moisture. Some people notice the five minute trickle sounds like running water, so place the unit where the sound is not intrusive. The light runs about fifteen hours per day once started. Keep the light all the way up for microgreens. That height helps the seedlings stretch just enough for easy scissor cuts and can reduce heat stress that sometimes causes mildew if a lamp sits too close.
Nutrients and water changes
Microgreens do not require nutrients to germinate or reach harvest. Several growers completed fine seven day cycles on plain water. Others experimented with a small mid cycle feed such as one capful of the house nutrients on day five in a Harvest bowl or about one quarter teaspoon of MaxiGro dissolved well. Replace the reservoir water at least weekly. A common pattern is to dump and refill on day five during a ten day grow.
🌿 Recommended Microgreens Supplies |
Choosing and Using Growing Media
AeroFelt pads
These are cut to fit and very easy to use. They perform well with small seeds such as broccoli, kale, mustard, and mixes that include radish. They are not ideal for very large seeds that need to anchor deep early in life. Sunflower and wheatgrass repeatedly struggled to push roots through, which led to floating shells and drying sprouts unless someone manually poked holes and guided roots down. Pads can sometimes be cleaned after harvest by pulling out the root mesh and rinsing, which allows occasional reuse.
Window screen
A low cost reusable option that worked side by side with felt for small seeded mixes. One teaspoon per tray established evenly when the screen was cut to fit and held flat. Seeds can migrate when the pump first floods the tray, so gently redistribute in the first hours if they pool at one edge. To discourage algae before canopy closure, laying a clean cloth over the domes for a day or two can reduce stray light hitting the water through the mesh. By day nine the screen side matched felt in height and fill, roughly three inches tall.
Silicone dehydrator sheets
A strong pick for larger seed such as radish. One and a half teaspoons per tray produced thick, crunchy stems about three inches tall by day six to seven. Roots readily gripped the silicone surface and pushed through openings, avoiding the floating problem seen with huge seeds on felt. These sheets rinse clean and can be cut precisely to the tray footprint.
Micromats and jute fiber
Wood fiber micromats arrive paper thin and swell after soaking. Jute sheets can be cut to match the trays and should be rinsed since they carry dust. Both supported even germination and clean root penetration through a ten day cycle. Trays lifted cleanly with minimal residue. This makes them practical substitutes when felt is out of stock or when you want a lower cost per crop.
Coco coir when the seed demands depth
Sunflower and wheatgrass consistently outperformed the tray pads when grown in shallow bowls of hydrated coco coir placed beside the light. Pressing a lid over the seed layer for the first days gives gentle weight so roots bite deeply. Sunflower stands grew taller, greener, and stronger with uniform rooting, and wheatgrass reached about five inches by day six to eight with more than ninety percent take compared with inconsistent stands on felt. If your goal is these two crops specifically, coir is the reliable path.
Growing Cycle Day by Day
Day one to day two
Moisture and warmth trigger quick action. Several growers reported visible cracking and tiny white tips within hours. By the twenty four hour mark, both trays commonly show a carpet of swelling seed. Condensation beads on the domes confirm humidity is high. Keep domes on during this phase. If a mesh medium allows light to reach the water, cover briefly to discourage algae.
Day three to day four
Cotyledons lift, show color, and root hairs appear as a white fuzz at the base. That fuzz is normal and healthy. Many people remove domes around this time when leaves begin to touch the plastic. On alternative media like window screen, a quick mid day tidy to spread pooled seed can fix early clumping from the first flood. Root checks from below often show bright white strands threading through pads or screens by this stage.
Day five
This is a natural checkpoint. Some schedules include a full reservoir change now, especially on ten day runs. If you want to test nutrition, this is when small additions have been used successfully, such as one cap of the house nutrients in a Harvest or a quarter teaspoon of a soluble grow formula blended into the fresh water. Height is often around one inch for radish and mixed brassicas.
Day six to day nine
Most trays are ready. Radish on silicone sheets reached about three inches with thick juicy stems. A spicy mix on felt and screen hit cutting height by day seven. A mixed brassica tray on screen matched felt by day nine. If you prefer longer, leggier cuts for easier harvesting, keep the light all the way up and wait to day nine or ten. Watch for overcrowded patches that slump where seed density was excessive and thin by snipping a portion early.
Day ten and beyond
Yield can increase a little with an extra day or two, but flavor in some mixes shifts from bright to stronger brassica bite. For consistent texture and color, most people harvest by day ten. If the goal is wheatgrass, both coir and felt runs reached about five inches by day seven to eight, but the coir stand was denser and more uniform.
Harvest and Yields
How to cut and handle the crop
Lift the tray edge slightly and cut with clean scissors close to the mat or screen. Avoid digging down into wet fibers. For radish and other robust stems you can grab small handfuls and give a gentle upward pull while snipping. For delicate broccoli and mustard mixes take thinner slices to keep the cut surface clean. Rinse only if needed and spin dry before storing.
What growers actually harvested
A radish run seeded at about one and a half teaspoons per tray yielded roughly eight cups of greens by day seven. A mixed brassica tray with one teaspoon per side on screen and felt produced about four cups by day nine at roughly three inches tall. A first cut from a spicy mix after a week filled about a cup for a smoothie, and plenty of seed remained in the packet for two or three more plantings. These figures come from household bowls and measuring cups, which is the most helpful reference for home use.
Reuse and cleanup
Window screen and silicone sheets rinse off and go back into service immediately. Wood fiber and jute performed cleanly through a ten day cycle and left minimal debris. Felt pads can sometimes be reused if you pull the root mat away after harvest and wash thoroughly. One wheatgrass grow showed roots releasing easily and the pad returning to near new appearance.
Planting for continuous supply
If you plant the second tray three to four days after the first, the younger side is just hitting its stride as you finish the older side. That simple rhythm, plus a weekly water swap and the day five check, keeps the device humming with little effort.
A note on flavor and use
Radish greens deliver a clear radish bite and pair better with tacos, sandwiches, and savory bowls than with sweet smoothies. Spicy and superfood mixes blend well into fruit smoothies where the green note supports the fruit rather than overpowering it. Broccoli heavy mixes smell and taste like broccoli even at the seed leaf stage, which is exactly what many people want from a microgreen garnish.
Troubleshooting and Tips for AeroGarden Microgreens
Seed density and spacing
One of the most common problems is using too many seeds. Several people tried to overfill trays and found that seedlings collapsed on each other or never stood upright. For the Harvest model, two teaspoons per tray side is a solid guideline. Larger seeds like radish often did better with one and a half teaspoons, while tiny brassica seeds filled the mat evenly with just one teaspoon. Spreading seeds with a spoon or by hand after dampening the pad ensures fewer clumps and a better canopy.
Managing roots and media
Large seeds such as sunflower and wheatgrass consistently struggled on AeroFelt pads. Their roots floated on top or dried out before anchoring. Some growers poked holes into the felt to push roots down, but this was time consuming and inconsistent. Switching to coco coir bowls with a weighted lid produced uniform anchoring and tall, strong seedlings. Radish roots, on the other hand, pushed easily through silicone dehydrator sheets and screens without trouble. The lesson is to match the medium to the seed size.
Pump and water flow
The pump cycles for about five minutes every half hour. Some users noted the sound resembled a running faucet or toilet flush. While harmless, it can be distracting if the unit sits in a bedroom. Moving it to a kitchen or living room solves the problem. As for water action, the flood sometimes shifts seeds to one side during the first few hours. Gently redistributing them early prevents uneven patches later.
Nutrient use and water refresh
Microgreens grow well in plain water since their energy comes from the seed itself. Some growers experimented with feeding. One added a quarter teaspoon of soluble MaxiGro at day five, another added one capful of AeroGarden nutrients after replacing the water. Both reported healthy stands, but no nutrients at all also worked fine. A good practice is to change the reservoir water at least once per week, which for most people is at the halfway point of a ten day grow.
Recognizing normal vs. problem growth
White fuzz at the base of stems is often mistaken for mold. In most cases this is healthy root hair that increases water absorption. Mold has a gray or bluish tint and a slimy look. Keeping domes on only until seedlings press against them helps reduce excess humidity that might invite mold. Algae sometimes appears on screens where light reaches the water. Covering trays with a cloth until seedlings cover the surface prevents that.
Easy Recipes Using AeroGarden Microgreens
Smoothies with brassica blends
One grower harvested about a cup of a spicy brassica mix and blended it with strawberries, banana, peach, and pineapple. The result tasted mostly of fruit with a subtle green note that reminded them of fresh garden produce. Broccoli, kale, and mustard blends are especially good for smoothies, since they add nutrition and freshness without overpowering sweetness.
Tacos and sandwiches with radish greens
Radish microgreens develop a strong radish flavor even at six to seven days. Several growers noted that they are not ideal for sweet drinks but are perfect for savory meals. Substituting them for shredded lettuce in tacos gives a peppery bite. They also work well layered into sandwiches or wraps where a crunch is welcome.
Fresh salads with mixed greens
The superfood mix of broccoli, cabbage, arugula, and kale produces colorful trays with purple and green cotyledons. These combine easily with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, and crumbled feta for a quick salad. Their mild but distinct flavors let you skip mature greens while still enjoying variety.
Garnishes for hot dishes
Broccoli microgreens in particular smell and taste strongly like full sized broccoli. This makes them excellent garnishes for soups, pasta, and omelets. Adding a pinch at the last moment keeps their texture crisp and flavor bright. Many restaurants use microgreens this way, and having a fresh tray at home lets you do the same.
Experimenting with cooking
One grower considered stir frying radish microgreens due to their sturdy stems. While this is less common, trying a quick sauté with garlic or ginger can highlight their crunch. Wheatgrass is usually juiced rather than eaten, but cutting a few trays into a blender drink provides a classic nutrient shot.