I think this experiment confirms that the plants have everything they need to sprout from the seed. Only when they are older they start to need some other nutrient like those in the soil. Because at the end there is not a big difference between the two trays, I think that the growing solution is wasted for this purpose.

I love Tikki's videos! So much information is presented in a clear, concise manner. All her presentations are logically organized and really include everything you need to learn. I am so happy I found this channel!

This is so helpful! I just bought a whole bolt of that cheese cloth and I wasn't quite sure how to use it. I needed it for a small seeds but now I know how, thank you so much!

this is what I've been doing with amazing success. I use the 10x10 trays. I place the tray with holes inside the tray without holes. I've been buying "bamboo" paper towels....works significantly better than regular paper towels and suspect that cheesecloth and the bamboo paper towels are equivalent. the bamboo paper towels i buy can be pulled off the roll in half-sheets. I use two half-sheets and overlap in the middle in the bottom of the top tray with holes. then I have a pump sprayer with half water and half hydrogen peroxide. I super-saturate the bamboo paper towels. I spread out the broccoli seeds but leave a 3/4" gap down the middle of the tray to allow for air flow then I pour water into the bottom tray and I also place a 3rd tray without holes on top of the tray holding the bamboo paper towels with seeds to block light and provide weight for the seeds. I find I only need to add water to the bottom tray about once ever 3 or so days. after about 5 or 6 days I remove the top tray and place it under the light and just wait for them microgreens to "look right" what I just detailed is the best solution I've tried....and i've tried many.....I consistently get LOVELY broccoli microgreens ready to harvest in about 8-10 days. oh yeah....once I place them under the light, i add the hydroponic solution rather than plain water....this is known to increase the sulforaphane content in the broccoli migrogreens. I have not seen a single video that works better than the above except PERHAPS...Maybe....growing in soil however I still prefer the bamboo paper towels so I don't have to deal with the dirt.

I have been trying to do the same as you - find a food safe grade options to grow microgreens after seeing same method of growing them, either they weren't food safe, environmentally unsustainable, or both; absolutely loved the second method you came up with four layers of cheesecloth to grow healthier greens even without nutrients and without worrying if roots will get the water they need! Thanks for sharing!!

I enjoyed your microgreens growth experiment 👍 Try using "Silicone Dehydrator Sheets". They are food grade and can be cleaned and reused.

Thank you so much for this comparison. The idea came to me yesterday to try microgreens with cheesecloth rather than buying the hemp pads. Your research is very helpful, thank you!! PS. anyone wanting to know if you can rewash the cheesecloth, this is what Tikki said was her experience: "no I don't reuse the cheesecloth. The roots are really embedded into it."

What a great video! You come up with the most wonderful ideas. Thank you!

I’ve started using my wife’s old stockings that have laddered… washed of course. They work quite well.

Once again you inspire us all to give these things a try and a happy new year.

Tikki, do you wash the cheesecloth between plantings? Or always use NEW cloth? Excellent video!

I'm adding black strap molasses-just a few drops-for my "fertilizer". // I really enjoy your work, Tikki. 😄

Thanks Tikki! You're very inventive and curious. Enjoy your videos.😀

I love your videos - I'm sure I've watched them all at least once. This one is dynamite. I've been so stressed about being able to grow smaller amounts of microgreens instead of those big flat trays - and I'd wanted to do them hydroponically. This is a perfect solution!!!! I knew I had seen this video before - but couldn't find it in my Tikki file where I've bookmarked your videos. At last the lost little sheep has come home. I've bookmarked it now! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge in such a pleasant and inviting manner.

Thank you for showing the results of using cheesecloth and water versus nutrient.

Hi Tikki, I really like your videos-Thank you! I have been using cheese cloth exactly the way you are showing with the center of the lid cut out to snap over the cheese cloth for about 3 months with nutrient in the bottom tray. The only difference is I use the tip of a pair of scissors to poke a small hole in one of the cloth corners to insert a small funnel so I can add nutrient when it gets low. I leave about a half inch space for air between the nutrient and the cloth as in the Kratky method. I also use the part of the lid cut out to cover the seeds after misting. I use the Rubbermaid Take Along containers because the part of the lid that I cut out has little extensions in each corner on the bottom that help to raise the lid up so it doesn’t touch the seeds. I have tried screen in a 10 x 20 tray and prefer hemp pads. If you want a food grade screen, see KZfaq Hydroponic Gardening & More with Brent. It is almost $4 per 10 x 20 sheet-too expensive for me. Made by McMaster Carr- Plastic mesh screen #9265T51-it has .08” x .055” openings-you can buy a 54” x 5’ sheet for $48.81 and most of that cost is for shipping. I think your idea of just putting the cheese cloth in the bottom of the tray is ingenious. Can’t wait to try it. Keep up the good work!

I only recently became interested in microgreens, Kratky, and DPS... I ordered all the supplies, seeds, shelving, grow lights, nutrients, etc. and just started my first seeds March 1... You're videos have been invaluable in my learning these methods.. I love your clearly stated and in-depth comparisons of the different experiments. Getting back to gardening this year will give me an interesting pastime after my first year of retirement...Thank you for taking the time to put these videos together and look forward to the next email notification...

Thanks a million for this! You answered so many questions I couldn't find answers to anywhere else.

I love this experiment! I just started hydroponic gardening in my basement about 10 days ago, never gardened this way before. I have just a few jars started with salad greens, romaine and grape tomatoes of which I harvested some seeds from tomatoes I purchased at Trader Joe's. Everything so far is at the tiny sprout stage. :-) Your videos are both educational and inspiring! :-)

Thank you for sharing your results with us! I'm all for growing microgreens without soil! Debbie in WA Ü

Miniature vegetables are grown with pure water, and the finished vegetables have bad taste, more fiber and poor mouthfeel. Planting with the hydroponic nutrient solution, the finished vegetable has relatively good taste, less fiber and good mouthfeel; The problem is that if the human body absorbs hydroponic nutrient solution for a long time, will it get chronic diseases? Because that growth period of the miniature vegetable is very short, the miniature vegetable can be harvest and eaten in 6 to 10 days, and the nutrient solution absorb by the plant cannot be completely absorbed and converted by the plant due to the short growth period, Therefore, the human body is indirectly "eating" the hydroponic nutrient solution! Therefore, if hydroponic nutrient solution is used for planting, it must be clear whether hydroponic nutrient solution is harmful to human body before it can be used for planting! Otherwise, long-term consumption is likely to make you sick!

mam your teaching method is too easy to understand us. thanks

I just brought the cheese cloth and those containers 4 days ago and waiting for them to be delivered from Amazon. I Was wondering to to grow, you gave me great ideas about how to grow, right now I'm using the jars. I maybe drill holes in the bottom and pour water through them, and then lift them to allow the roots to sit in water or fertilizing solution. Thank You for this video it was right on time.

Thank you for taking time to do these experiments. I love it.

This is what I have been looking for.. clean and environment friendly.. do you reuse the cheese clothes?

Tikki. I am goig to teach kids to grow food in concrete covered So. California. Your liter bottle Kratky lettuce was a hit, but I wanted somethig faster growing also without soil. The Micro greens seemed like the solution. As usual, you are a great teacher. Thank you for your inspiration.

Great presentation! I was wondering about this method too. I tried to grow broccoli sprouts on different media but never had any luck. Tikki explains everything so clearly. THANK YOU!

Tikki, you are an amazing teacher, and experimenter.

Your scientific approach together with your DYI style is just great. That's an easy "like and subscribe" for me.

Great work, thanks for sharing!

Great experiment with the cheese cloth. I dont have a compost system set up yet and I didnt want to waste a lot of soil. Will try the cheese cloth. Cool! Happy 2020 👏👍😀

You are a great teacher! Thank you for the lesson. Was there a difference in the taste of the two methods?

Any difference in taste between the two? Love your videos, my favorite Utube gardener.

I wanted to say thank you for this incredible video. Very few take the time to clearly explain the how and why. I'm guessing you must be a teacher to do this so naturally :) . To add to your video: Seeds to give the plants the nutrients they need until the first true leaves pop out. The first true leaves are what enables the plant to start producing its own food. So for microgreens, nutrients are not really needed unless you are planting things that you intend to let grow a little more past the first true first leaves (like Basil which you should leave until it produces its second set of leaves for best production and it retains its taste). Also, your method to use the lid to hold the cheesecloth is a perfect solution... the only reason your first attempt didn't go so well is because it had poor contact with the water. To solve this you can fill the bottom of the tray with Perlite (100% re-usable), pour the water until its just above the perlite and put the cheesecloth on top. Perlite soaks water and the cheesecloth wicks it from the perlite so you get an upwards motion of the water even if the plants drink the water below the cheesecloth level.

Like you, I am an experimenter. You asked if anybody had ideas about screens to grow microgreens. I recently purchased a product on Amazon called Excalibur 14" by 14" polyscreen mesh tray screen inserts (five for $19.95 I think). These are food dehydrator screens and I knew they would be what I wanted since I already have one of their dehydrators. There are a lot of different dehydrator screens when you go to Amazon, and one could choose others. (Silicone seems to be popular, but I think for this purpose they would be too "floppy.") The holes are a bit too large for small seeds for which I plan to put some cheesecloth on top of the screen to keep them from falling through. (When shopping for cheesecloth I found it comes in many grades, coarse to fine, I chose fine). I cut the screen (with scissors) to the size I want. To lift them up from the floor of whatever growing container I am using, I saw someone use plastic bottle caps as spacers under the screen which I shall try if needed. But after several days of growing, the roots themselves should push the screen up off the floor. The trick for me is knowing how much water (with or without nutrients) to apply. Too much and the roots drown, too little and they dry out. I am aiming to cover the bottom half the roots, but I am sure it will be a learning curve. I am concerned about the quality of the nutrients I use. I am trying kelp and Azomite (fertilizer from True Leaf Market). This is my first attempt, so I can't offer results. I enjoyed your video.

Your video is honest, informative, and interesting. Thanks!

Love your videos so simple and easy to follow

Wonderful videos! So much fun to watch. Can't wait to try it too! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!!

Just got trays to start microgreens and want to use water only not soil, but planted a few seeds in my garden too, to see what will grow.

Great job, thank you

Thank you for a thorough and interesting experiment

Good job! I have some cheese cloth. I might try this. I grow mostly on paper towels. I use maxigrow and I start feeding as soon as the leaves are out. I just lift up the micros using a corner of the paper towels and pour a little MG in the tray. The micros slurp it right up.Thanks. Love your videos!

Excellent Experiment Vid Tikki!

Another great learning video!

Your videos are so helpful. Thanks so very much.

I love your teaching.

This is a very interesting video, thank you! I've been studying microgreens and the various growing methods. It seems that with all the naturally concentrated nutrients in microgreens, adding nutrients would be redundant and unhealthy, unless they were organic nutrients. The appearance and size is not as important to me as the nutrient value. Selling to restaurants and stores would require different priorities to please the public though.

Excellent, well explained video. Can you please explain what the shaker is that you sprinkle the seeds with? I just couldn't catch what you called it. Thanks

Thank you for your videos. I have learned so much. They are simple methods and quite inexpensive. I am going to try it out...cheesecloth over container. Thanks again.

I love this idea! Thank you!

👍👌❤. Thank you so much for this wonderful video. I love ALL your microgreen / hydroponic videos.

I love your experiments :)

I will definitely be trying the cheesecloth!!! I don't want to use soil and I don't want to waste paper towels.....

thanks, can you wash and reuse the cheesecloth? also, is cheesecloth any better than paper towels?

Thanks for showing the way! Nice experiments! I'll have to find out the hydroponic solution option in India. Thanks again!

love! Thanks! Can the cheesecloth be reused or does it need to be composted??

I LOVE your videos! Great job!

This was very helpful, thank you!

May I ask why 4 layers of the cheese cloth?

Thank you for sharing ☺️ It's a great video

Good video! I was asked, "So you have to keep spending more money on this?" Now I know I don't have to spend money on coco coir. I heard that since you aren't growing in soil and its indoors you don't have to wash them.

thanks for the well-done clip. How do you clean the cheesecloth for reuse?

thanks

I have a question, please. Were you watering them everyday? and what method? By using the spray bottle? I wish if you included that process in the video. Thank you for your wonderful instructions and demonstrations! I am big fan of yours!!!!

I’ve been thinking about cheesecloth as an option so after googling it, up popped one of your videos! Haha. Have you ever had any issues with mold using the cheesecloth?

Thank for this informative video great for a beginner like me.

Thanks. Very good video.

Did you mist the microgreens from on top even after they were thick? I was told to water from the bottom or you risk mold

Interesting experiment, I'm inspired to have a go. Thanks! All the best steve

Very we done video! I appreciate your attention to detail.

Thank you so much!

I think the only way to see if screens are food safe is to check their chemical formulas and types of resin. I am guessing this information is not available too

I have watched a you tube video by mini gro where he cuts slots in the sides of the lid and threads his paper towels through to sit in the water underneath. This would work for chese cloth as well and provide a firm surface to cut from.

good video thanks

I would put the cheese cloth on the bottom

Great video. Not sure You can call it an experiment when you have so many variables. But definitely can collect some personal ‘data’ to use in the future.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wonderful and thorough explanation. I have cheesecloth and I will try this. Question: what did you do with the cheesecloth after growing? Did you throw it away? Compost? Or somehow re-use it? Thanks so much for the great information!

You mentioned hydroponic-are you using hydroponic lights? Dora PLPBLCI 2012 tm c pat r

Is organic liquid fertilizer the same as hydroponic nutrients solution

Thanks for this informative educational video. I wonder if cheesecloth is reusable ….?

Neat! Do you reuse the cheese cloth? How do you sterilise the cheese cloth?

This is great!! Thank you so much

That was very interesting. Given lots of "Thumbs Up" below, they have said it all.

Best I ever see thakyou

Lovely video

Great use for old damaged containers. OK you are pretty cool, I subbed.

New sub here...Great..NO...BEST tutorial video on micro greens I’ve found on YT....Thanks! (?) Can you reuse the cheesecloth? Just curious...waste not, want not... 🦋Lily🦋 NY

Really great video. I would suggest blinding the experiment (Guess its the MD in me):) You would have someone mix the hydroponic solution and have it so that you don't know which one is plain water and which one is hydroponic solution BUT it does make sense that hydroponic solution would work better. In experiments there could be some subconscious difference in how you are spraying that could affect the results.

Great experiment. Want to learn to grow some food inside my apt in case corona comes back next year. Can the cheesecloth be reused?

My water wicks off the cheesecloth onto my counter. Does that mean the seal is not tight enough on the rim that holds the cheesecloth in place.?

I would think that a few layers if cheap toilet paper in water would grow just as well as cheese cloth except when harvesting, the toilet paper would dissolve away from the roots with no need for cutting (toilet paper dissolves easily) the leaves produce their own sugar, therefore no need to fertilize until the leaves become larger.. that's when the plants need fertilizer (to grow leaves) in turn, the leaves grow bigger roots, the roots absorb fertilizer to grow bigger leaves, and so on. IMHO Thinking about 1/4 in rice filled with water, t - paper on top.. water reservoir keeps seeds moist without drowning.. keep dark hope roots grow down.

thanks for the video. so, the only liquid the seeds got were from the spray bottles, right? thanks.

Thank you Tikki. I have been wondering what type of material to use. The coconut coir pads are very expensive. I will buy some cheesecloth!!

what about the taste - size is mostly opposite of taste !

Hey great video, thanks !

Hi Tikki, Can these microgreens be transplanted from the cheesecloth to grow kratky style? Love your channel by the way… Keep up the good work. :-)

Have you tried with just regular sunlight. I have, it is very cost-effective! PLPBLCI 2012 tm cpat r

Not bad lady. Not bad at all!

How long can these be stored once harvested