How To Grow Sunflower Microgreens – Fast And Easy

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Learn all about how to grow sunflower microgreens in your own home.  These nutty and delicious microgreens are packed with nutrients and can easily be grown year-round.  Sunflower microgreens are ready to harvest just ten days after planting them and require minimal effort to grow.  Growing your own sunflower microgreens is a great way to get some nutrition from one of the planet’s healthiest superfoods without having to depend on the grocery store.

I have been growing microgreens and selling them to our local grocery stores every week for over two years now.  We grow four kinds of microgreens: sunflower, broccoli, pea and radish.  Our family enjoys eating them in soups, on our eggs, in wraps, on burgers, and in salads, or just as a healthy snack all by themselves.

What are Sunflower Microgreens?

Sunflower microgreens are young sunflower greens sometimes called sunflower shoots that are grown indoors and harvested within a week or two of planting.  Unlike sprouts, microgreens are grown on soil and under lights giving them high levels of chlorophyll & plant pigment.   Sunflower microgreens are usually harvested about 9-10 days after germination for the most tender texture and are harvested right before their true leaves emerge.  This living food is among some of the healthiest foods on the planet.  Microgreens have been heavily researched and found to be up to 40X more nutrient-dense than adult vegetables!

Why You Should Eat Sunflower Microgreens?

Sunflower microgreens are not only delicious, they are more than 40x higher in nutritional value than other adult vegetables, so you don’t have to eat very many of them to reap their nutritional benefits.

My favorite part about sunflower microgreens is how fast and easy they are to grow.  ‘Because they are grown indoors, you can easily have a continual supply of fresh greens in your own home year round with minimal effort. 

What do sunflower microgreens taste like?

Sunflower microgreens have a nutty flavor, and a crunchy texture that tastes like a carrot or maybe even a little like spinach.  They are yummy, and are fun to eat plain as a snack, or as a nutritious addition to almost any dish.

What are the health benefits of sunflower microgreens?

The potential health benefits of sunflower microgreens are they:

• Boost your immune system
• Improve cardiovascular health
• Help lower bad cholesterol
• Contain chlorophyll
• Plant-based protein
• Reduce inflammation
• Improve digestion
• High in vitamin A, C, E & B

Sunflower microgreens are a great source of iron, calcium, folate, protein, zinc, and essential amino acids.

Sunflower greens offer one of the most balanced forms of a complete plant protein in the world. They provide all the essential amino acids that the body needs and help to repair muscle tissue while supporting the enzymes of the body to do their jobs as well.

Sprouted sunflower greens, known as microgreens, also contain up to 100 times the enzymes of regular, full-grown greens. This means your body can more easily assimilate important phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals.

High levels of antioxidants in sunflower greens can aid in heart health, slow aging, and support cellular recovery. High levels of vitamin E, C and selenium can even reduce high blood pressure and improve arterial health.

Sunflower greens are packed with nutrition and have very low calories, so they are the perfect food for those who want to lose weight.

Sunflower greens contain lecithin which helps to break down fatty acids in the body. They are also an excellent source of vitamin D, A, and E as well as important minerals including calcium, copper, iron, phosphorous, magnesium and potassium.

Eating sunflower seeds or greens may help to boost your reproductive health by providing the body with ample zinc. Zinc also works with over 300 enzymes in the body to keep things running smoothly.

Sunflower greens are incredible for boosting immunity. Leafy green sprouts, especially those of the sunflower variety are essential to creating innate lymphoid cells (ILC) important immunity-boosting cells found in the lining of the digestive system that help to keep our gut bacteria healthy

Disclaimer: This website does not provide medical or nutritional advice. The information and material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek your physicians’ or qualified nutritionists’ advice before undertaking a new healthcare regimen or using any information you have read on this website to treat or prevent any condition.

How To Grow Sunflower Microgreens (A Complete Guide)

To grow sunflower microgreens you only need some seeds, a growing medium, a microgreen tray, water, and plenty of light.   

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here

Growing Supplies

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

I suggest that you grow black oil sunflower microgreen seeds from True Leaf Market.  They come in a large or small variety and either one is very tasty and easy to grow.  The large variety of sunflower seed just has slightly larger leaves than the small variety.  

You don’t want to order cheap seed or use sunflower birdseed mix for growing microgreens because it won’t have as high of a germination rate and is sometimes treated with pesticides.  True Leaf Market is the best and most reliable supplier I have found.

Growing Medium

There are many different growing medium options on the market today for growing sunflower microgreens.  The very best medium that will give you the highest and most consistent yield is just regular old potting soil.  God designed plants to grow in soil, and that is still where they seem to grow best.  It doesn’t really matter what kind of potting soil you use because the plants are harvested so young that they are not actually getting any nutritional value from the potting soil or fertilizer that might be in it.  All the nutrition and energy in the sunflower microgreens come from within the seeds themselves, which is incredible!  I suggest that you buy some organic potting soil from your local hardware store or order some from Amazon.  I have also grown microgreens on coco coir and been very successful, but the soil is the least expensive and works very well.  Whatever growing medium you choose, I know you will grow a bountiful harvest.

Growing Trays

I highly suggest that you invest in some heavy duty shallow microgreen growing trays from True Leaf Market. I have grown microgreens constantly in these trays for the last two years, and they have held up really well.  For each tray of greens you want to grow, you will need a shallow microgreen tray without drainage holes, and a shallow microgreen tray with drainage holes.  You will nest the tray with holes inside the tray without holes so they will be easy to water without making a mess.

It’s important to use these shallow trays because it allows more air flow to the plants as they are growing which reduces the chances of mold growth.  They are also much easier to harvest in these shallow trays.  

Light

You don’t need a special grow light for growing microgreens.  A regular LED shop light will work just fine.  You can also grow them in a sunny window if you’re not growing that many and you’re getting at least 12 hours of daylight.  However, if you’re interested in having a steady supply of microgreens year-round, then I suggest investing in my DIY indoor seed starting setup.  This is what I use to grow all of my microgreens and to start all my vegetable and flower seeds in the spring. 

Steps for Growing Sunflower Microgreens

1. Measure 125 grams (a little less than 1/4 cup) of sunflower seeds into a bowl
2. Soak seeds in water overnight.  Sunflower seeds like to float in water, so It’s best if you put them in a mesh bag so you can easily put something on top of them so they stay under the water.
3. Place the microgreen tray with drainage holes inside the tray without drainage holes.
4. Add soil to the microgreen tray until your soil line is even with the edge of the tray.  I use about 14 cups of soil per tray.  Use another tray to press the soil down, which will help them to grow evenly.
5. Sprinkle the soaked seeds evenly over the soil surface in the tray.
6. Water evenly.  I used the spray nozzle on my sink faucet.  
7. Place another empty tray on top of the seeded tray and place a 15 lb. weight on it.  I use a 5 gallon bucket, but a paving stone works well also.
8. Leave it alone until you see the sunflower shoots starting to push up on the weight.  This is the germination phase.  If you leave it too long it will actually push up on the weighted tray until it falls off the top.  This usually takes about 2-3 days.  You do not need to water them or do anything with them while they are sitting under the weighted tray in germination.
9. Take the weighted tray off the top and sprinkle them with water.  Again, I just use the spray function on the faucet in my sink.
10. Place them under the LED lights on your plant rack.  Leave the lights on during the day, and turn them off at night.  It’s best if they get 12-16 hours of daylight per day.  If you need them to grow faster you can leave the lights on 24 hours a day, but typically I shut them off at night.
11. Water once per day by spraying the top of the greens with water from your faucet.  Sunflower microgreens are the only variety I grow that needs to be top watered, instead of bottom watered.
12. Immediately after watering, brush your hand back and forth gently across the greens to loosen the sunflower hulls from the greens.  You can do this more vigorously the closer you get to harvest as the greens will be bigger.  You might want to take the tray outside to do this, otherwise there will be a lot of little sunflower hulls all over the floor.
13. On day 9 or 10, the first true leaves should be almost ready to emerge.  This is when you want to harvest.  To harvest, grab a handful of greens with one hand, and cut them off close to the soil with a sharp knife in your other hand.  I do not recommend cutting them with scissors as it can crimp the stem of the greens which will shorten their shelf life. It’s also best to stop watering the greens 12 hours before harvesting, so they will be dry and last longer.
14. Sunflower microgreens will keep in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks if kept in an airtight container.  The smaller the container the better, as the extra air in the container can tend to dry them out.
15. Enjoy in salads, wraps, on egg dishes, on top of soup or anywhere you can add them to a meal.  Your body will thank you for the extra nutrition and boost to your immune system, especially in the winter.

Sunflower Microgreen FAQs

How Do You Eat Sunflower Microgreens?

• 1.  Eat them plain as a snack
• 2.  Anytime you make a salad, add some in with the lettuce
• 3.  Replace lettuce with microgreens in any sandwich, burrito, wrap, burger or taco
• 4.  Put them on top of eggs or steak
• 5.  Garnish your bowls of soup, or noodles with microgreens
• 6.  Add them to smoothies

What is the best way to water sunflower microgreen trays?

Sunflower microgreens are the only microgreens that do best being top watered instead of bottom watered.  It is best to spray them with water from the top as it loosens the hulls.

How can I get all the hulls off the seeds?

If brushing them vigorously after top watering doesn’t loosen all of the hulls, you can put a clear dome tray over them for about 20 minutes after watering, and it will soften a bunch more of the hulls allowing them to be brushed off.  You can also try growing them an extra day to see if the rest of the hulls loosen and give way.  Otherwise, just harvest carefully, and sort out the few shoots that still have hulls.  They are so yummy, that it’s worth the extra trouble!

What is the white mold like substance on the seeds when they come out of germination?

Most likely it is root hair, not mold.  Just top water lightly and they will grow just fine.  If you do run into issues with mold, be sure you are sanitizing your trays with a diluted bleach solution before planting.  This will kill any mold spores that might be present from the wet soil during the previous growing period.

How long does it take to harvest sunflower microgreens?

It takes longer to harvest sunflower microgreens than any of the other greens that I grow because of having to sort out the occasional hull.  I can still harvest a full 10” x 20” tray in about 5-10 minutes.

Can you grow sunflower microgreens without soil?

Yes, you can grow sunflower microgreens without soil.  You can order these really neat soil pucks made out of coco coir that simply expand when you get them wet, or get a growing mat for growing them without soil.  However, I have found that the simplest, easiest and least expensive way to grow microgreens of any kind is on soil.

What does it cost to grow sunflower microgreens?

It depends on what you get for soil of course, but the seeds cost about $1.14 per tray, and the soil costs about $0.65 per tray, so your total cost per tray is approximately $1.79.  That is not including the initial investment of your microgreen trays and plant rack setup.

How many microgreens do you harvest off of each tray?

I usually get about 13-15 oz. of sunflower microgreens from each tray.

What is the retail value of microgreens?  

Microgreens are usually priced by the ounce for retail.  Depending on the variety, they are usually priced at a minimum of $2.00 per oz.  This will vary based on market location, variety of microgreens and type of packaging, etc.  

Are sunflower microgreens hard to grow?

No, sunflower microgreens are not hard to grow.  They are just a bit different because you have to work on getting the sunflower seed hulls off each time you water them.  This isn’t hard, it’s just an extra step.

What do I do with the soil and root mass that is left after harvesting microgreens?

I always put the leftover soil and root mass in my compost pile. It breaks down and makes excellent compost for use on my garden.

Will microgreens regrow after harvesting?

No. Usually the energy that was in the seed is used up, so they will not re-grow after harvesting.

How Do You Know When Sunflower Microgreens Are Ready To Come Out Of Germination?

Sunflower microgreens are ready to come out of germination and be put under lights when the seeds have sprouted and started to push up on the weighted tray above them. They will look like this:

Are sunflower microgreens good for you?

Yes, sunflower microgreens are known for being one of the planets healthiest superfoods with up to 40X higher nutrients than regular vegetables.  They are even used as medicine in other parts of the world. 

Are microgreens and sprouts the same?

No, microgreens and sprouts are different.  Sprouts are grown by rinsing seeds in water twice a day and just letting the seeds “sprout”.  They are harvested 3-4 days after first starting to germinate.  Microgreens are grown on soil and under lights and are harvested at the small seedling stage, about 7-12 days after germination.  Microgreens are actually a baby plant that has all the nutrients and energy that is found in the seed, along with the chlorophyll and plant pigment that comes from being grown under lights.  Also, when you eat sprouts, you are eating the seed and the sprout, but with microgreens you cut the seed part off and leave it with the roots in the soil.

Microgreen Growing Tips

Don’t Overwater

The #1 tip for growing successful microgreens is not to over water them.  Over time you will get a feel for about how much water to give them based on the growing medium you choose, and the humidity and temperature of your growing environment. I usually give them about a quart of water per day. 

What kind of environment is best for growing sunflower microgreens?

The ideal environment is one with low humidity and cool growing temperatures of around 68 to 72 degrees.  A lot of professional microgreen growers have dehumidifiers and other special equipment to regulate the environment in their growing area.  I do not get too technical on the specifics of my growing environment, because I am growing my microgreens in my basement and I only have so many options for controlling the humidity etc..  They seem to grow just fine and be fairly adaptable.

Lighting

I use two LED lights per rack because I have it set up that way for starting my vegetable seeds, but you only really need one LED light for microgreens.  It also doesn’t matter if the lights are several inches away from the plants because you actually want microgreens to stretch and grow.  It doesn’t matter if they start to get “leggy”, which is something you want to avoid with vegetable seedlings you are growing for the garden.

Plan A Regular Seeding Day and Harvest Day    

In order to have a continual supply of microgreens always available to eat, I suggest that you have a consistent schedule for seeding and harvest.  I like to soak my seeds on a Monday evening, seed my microgreens on Tuesday morning and harvest the following Thursday (9 days later).  You can adjust this based on your exact growing environment, but this will give you an idea of how to set up your schedule.  It takes me about 15 minutes to seed 10 trays of greens for the week, and about an hour to harvest and package them for the grocery store.  If you’re growing them for home use, you can always just set a tray of mature microgreens on your counter, and harvest them right as you are ready to eat them.  Living superfood at it’s finest!

And that’s it!  Growing microgreens is a very simple and easy process, and it is very rewarding!  With just a small investment in a seed starting setup and some trays, you can be growing and enjoying these nutritious superfoods all year long!

Learn More About The Other Microgreens We Grow

To learn more about the other microgreens we grow, click here.

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Plant Rack

LED Shop Lights

S hooks for attaching lights to plant rack

Microgreen Tray Without Drainage Holes

Microgreen Tray With Drainage Holes

Soil or other growing medium

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

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