Sprouts vs. Microgreens

When I ask people if they know what microgreens are, they look at me with a confused stare.  I usually then ask if “they know what a sprout is?”  They usually say “yes.”  Don’t ask me why this is?
 
I usually then go on to simplify what a microgreen is by saying “it is a sprout without the root.”  However, this really is a big simplification of the difference between sprouts and microgreens.
 
A sprout is a seed that is usually grown for 2-4 days from germination.  Sprouts usually include the root plus the initial green stem and maybe small cotyledon leaves.  They are usually grown in a mason jar or container.
 
Microgreens are grown for 7 – 14 days and are the stage of growth between sprouts and baby greens.  They will have formed their cotyledons and sometimes even their first set of true leaves.  Unlike sprouts, microgreens are usually grown in higher light conditions with lower humidity, either in soil or hydroponically on grow pads, like at Woodlynne Farms.

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Now here is the big difference, microgreens bigger and are cut.  They do not have the attached root.
 
Now before you feel you are somehow being shortchanged; the root is highly susceptible to bacterial contamination.  Microgreens are not soaking in water in the grow process and do not contain the roots, so they have far less issues with contamination.

​Now aren’t you glad we cut to the root of the problem!