āļø Sonia Pardasani, Co-founder BageechaBox | š 4 min read | Harvest Guide
Harvesting at exactly the right time makes a significant difference to taste, yield, and shelf life. Cut too early and you lose yield. Cut too late and the crop turns bitter or begins to decline. Here's how to get it right every time.
When to Harvest ā The Cotyledon Rule
Harvest microgreens when the cotyledon leaves (first seed leaves) are fully open and the tray looks full and lush ā before the true leaves (second pair) emerge. At this stage, nutrient density is at its peak and flavour is best.
Practical signs: the tray looks full, leaves are fully open and upright, colour is rich green (or red/purple for varieties like amaranth). Most varieties: Day 7ā12 from sowing.
How to Cut
- Use clean, sharp scissors ā dull scissors bruise stems and reduce shelf life
- Cut just above the cocopeat surface ā 0.5ā1cm above the medium
- Cut in one clean sweep, don't saw back and forth
- Collect into a clean, dry container
Harvesting in Batches
For larger trays, harvest in sections if you don't need the whole tray at once. The unharvested section continues growing for 1ā2 more days. After that, quality declines quickly ā better to harvest all and refrigerate.
Can You Regrow After Cutting?
No ā microgreens don't regrow after harvest the way herbs do. Once cut, the tray is done. Start your next batch as soon as you harvest the current one to maintain continuous supply.