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When's the right time to harvest salad greens?

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Sharon12

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May 1, 2025
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My first salad greens grow started out looking solid… then turned yellow, wilted, and straight-up died...I am pretty sure I waited too long to harvest and overcrowded them. I'm usin' a Zestigreens kit with hemp mats, no soil.

So I gotta ask when to harvest microgreens? Like, do y'all cut them when the first little green leaves pop, or wait until they reach a certain height? I'm trying to learn from this flop and not mess it up again.
 
General rule,harvest at the first true leaves, but salad mixes often get cut earlier before they overgrow. Sunflowers taste better just before true leaves. Wilting's usually water,yellowing post-germ is rare. Ideal harvest height 3-4" (radishes tallest).
 
Have you been giving them enough light and airflow throughout the grow, or do you think the yellowing might've started before the harvest window even came up like maybe too much moisture got trapped underneath?
 
Sharon12 said:
My first salad greens grow started out looking solid… then turned yellow, wilted, and straight-up died...I am pretty sure I waited too long to harvest and overcrowded them. I'm usin' a Zestigreens kit with hemp mats, no soil.

So I gotta ask when to harvest microgreens? Like, do y'all cut them when the first little green leaves pop, or wait until they reach a certain height? I'm trying to learn from this flop and not mess it up again.
Click to expand...
Yeah, waiting too long and overcrowding are two of the most common reasons for a crop to fail.
The key is to harvest your microgreens when they have their first true leaves, the cotyledons.
You can cut them when they're about 1 to 3 inches tall, depending on the variety, but don't wait until they're fully mature, as this is when they can start to get leggy and lose their flavor!
Also just make sure you're not planting your seeds too close together and that you're giving them enough light!
Try not to overwater them either, as this can also lead to wilting and other issues.
All the best for your next batch!
 

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