Best Microgreens to Grow for Beginners: Our Picks

The best microgreens to grow for beginners are radish, arugula, broccoli, kale, sunflower and pea shoots. No source ranks varieties by ease, so this is our pick: we chose the varieties that are ready in about 6 to 12 days and need the shortest covered (blackout) period in Utah State University Extension’s table, and we added the tips extension sources give for each. Your first tray can go from seed to the cutting board in under two weeks, and how to grow microgreens walks through every step. Choose your sow date with the harvest planner.

Our picks, side by side

Variety	Days to harvest	Covered (blackout)	Soak	Flavor	Why it suits a first tray
Radish	8–12	1–2 days	No	Nutty, spicy	Short cover, no soak
Arugula	6–8	1–2 days	No	Peppery	Fastest of all; tolerates less-than-ideal light
Broccoli	8–12	2–4 days	No	Mild broccoli	No soak, mild taste
Kale	8–12	1–2 days	No	Strong brassica, nutty	Short cover, no soak
Sunflower	9–10	3 days	12 hours	Nutty, sweet	Quick harvest, nutty-sweet flavor
Pea shoots	8–10	3 days	6 hours	Sweet pea	Quick harvest, sweet flavor

All figures are from Utah State University Extension’s seeding table, per 10×20 tray, with the tips below from other extension sources. Ranges tell you what to expect, and your room temperature and light will move the dates a little.

Radish, arugula and kale: the quickest starts

Radish, arugula and kale share a 1 to 2 day cover and no soak. Arugula is ready in 6 to 8 days, so it gives the fastest result of any variety in our sources. Radish and kale follow at 8 to 12 days. If you want one tray to try first, we would choose radish or arugula: the steps are short and the reward is a bright, peppery or spicy topping.

Broccoli: a mild first tray

Broccoli needs no soak and a 2 to 4 day cover, and it tastes mild, which makes it an easy one to serve to people new to microgreens. Utah State’s seed rate is 28 g per 10×20 tray, ready in 8 to 12 days.

Sunflower and pea shoots: big seeds, big shoots

Both varieties have larger seed that benefits from a soak: 12 hours for sunflower and 6 hours for pea shoots in Utah State’s table. Mississippi State Extension says an overnight soak evens out germination for big seeds. Penn State advises keeping weight on pea seed while it germinates. Purdue advises harvesting sunflower early, because it turns bitter the longer it grows. Both reach harvest in 8 to 10 days.

Choosing your first tray

1. Pick for flavor. Peppery arugula, nutty and spicy radish, sweet pea shoots and nutty, sweet sunflower each suit different meals. See how to eat microgreens.
2. Pick for speed. Our fastest microgreens table ranks sourced days to harvest.
3. Pick for nutrients. Our most nutrient dense microgreens page shows which variety leads each nutrient in USDA studies.

Beginner basics from the extension sources

• Trays: shallow trays with drainage holes work best, and pie tins and takeout trays also work (Utah State).
• Medium: soilless seed-starting mix, coconut coir or a grow mat (Utah State, Penn State, University of Maryland).
• Seed: sow thickly and evenly, and use seed labeled for microgreens, untreated or organic (Penn State, Clemson).
• Start clean: use washed trays and fresh water, and a fresh medium for each crop (Penn State).
• Water from below: set the tray in shallow water until the medium is wet, then drain (Penn State).
• Light: a bright window or grow lights both work (Oregon State). Cornell says microgreens need no special light.
• Harvest: cut above the medium with clean, sharp scissors when the first true leaves show, or at 2 to 4 inches tall (Utah State, Purdue).

Second-round varieties

Once your first harvest is done, basil (12 to 16 days, intense basil flavor), beet (11 to 21 days, earthy) and cilantro (21 to 28 days) are fine next steps. University of Maryland Extension describes basil and cilantro as slow-growing, so they suit a grower who already has a quick tray cycle going. A selling guide shows how a weekly cycle can grow into a small business.