Friday, January 7, 2011

Micro Green Production at Herban Gardens in Fort Myers, FL

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Herban Gardens in Fort Myers, FL is operated by Ken Ryan in his very own backyard. The landscape is covered with trays filled with various micro greens that he hand packages for restaurants. The micro greens receive special attention to insure they retain their full flavor and vigor. The greens are popular for use as garnishes on salads and have a lot of nutrition packaged in their tiny leaves.

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Micro greens are very colorful making them a popular choice for fine dining restaurants.

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Micro greens need low humidity and good air circulation to thrive. The shade cloth above provides protection from the harsh Florida sun to give the greens a chance to survive. Micro greens can be harvested in as little as 4 to 14 days depending on the growing conditions and plant species. Micro greens criteria include greens, lettuces, and herbs harvested when quite young. This harvest usually occurs after the plants have produced their first true set of leaves.

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Micro greens are sown very close together. The seeds can be scattered 1/8 to 1/4 inches apart. When they are ready to harvest, The greens are snipped at soil level. Then it is off to the restaurant and onto the consumer’s table.

Special thanks to Ken Ryan for giving a tour of Herban Gardens.

3 comments:

  1. What an exciting experience!/Hilarious! Delightful! True!/wonderful stuff! thank you!
    Kitchen Garden

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  2. Hello,

    I am growing microgreens for my family and a few friends. The process is going great, but I find the washing and drying process extremely slow and time consuming. I currently use salad bowl spinners, have you found a more efficient way to wash and dry the microgreens?

    Thanks!
    Jake

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    Replies
    1. Jake, Ken Ryan is the man who grows the micro greens. I just went for a tour. I read that another way is to wash them and then just dry them with a paper towel. Hope that helps.

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