14 Common Microgreen Plants Problems: How to Fix Them, Solutions, and Treatment

Microgreens are vegetable greens harvested during the early stages of the growth cycle. Since they are harvested during the early stages of growth, Microgreens grow very fast. Some of the most popular varieties of Microgreens are ready for harvesting within two weeks of sowing seeds. Growing Microgreens is usually a simple and effective process; however, problems can arise when growing these small leafy vegetables. Let’s check out 14 common Microgreen plants problems below.

Microgreens are easy to grow. You don’t need a lot of resources, and it’s fast enough. Nevertheless, you can always get into different problems that may not make your growth as healthy as you wanted. Common problems are slow-growing, growing molds and yellow and wilting Microgreens. Preventive measures can overcome all these issues. Microgreen problems can be challenging to diagnose, but a basic understanding of common problems can provide helpful solutions.

14 common Microgreen plants problems

Microgreens grow mold

Your Microgreens suffer from the mold when you see a fine cobweb between your leaves and stem. It doesn’t have to be confused with the fine hair growing on the stems of some Microgreens. The mold is different because it shows itself so that it looks like a cobweb or silvery hair spread out of leaves. A lot of moisture mainly causes mold in your Microgreens.

Solution – You should immediately remove all the templates you can see with a soft cloth. Take a soft cloth and clean it on all Microgreens. Microgreens have many small leaves, be careful while cleaning the crop. Continue by removing all the dead and yellow leaves and cleaning the tray, so you only have healthy Microgreens left.

You can use hydrogen peroxide and a water mixture to remove the mold and spray gently on the medium. Next, mix water with a couple of teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide and add to the spray bottle. Once this happens, you have to make sure you’re not watering Microgreens much and reduce moisture in the room.

If your room is too moist to get good airflow, you can do this using a room dehumidifier. It is very important to keep the place where you grow your Microgreens in dry condition and with good airflow. If you find out that the whole crop is infected with mold, you have to get rid of it and start. Next time you know what may cause the mold and prevent it from repeating.

Microgreens are wilting

If you find out your leaves are wilting, it’s a sign that they’re either getting a little water or reaching for the overcrowded seedlings. The most common reason for wilting Microgreens is not getting enough water. When you let them dry too much, they will start to wilt and grow full-size vegetables. Therefore, microgreens must be moistened and not dried.

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Solution – One of the best Solutions is to water your Microgreens from underneath. It gives you a controlled method of keeping medium moist instead of dry or wet. To water your Microgreens from the bottom, you need to put two trays on top of each other; a tray with a hole.

Keep your medium and seeds in the top tray, which has holes. Then you put this tray inside one without a hole. Be careful when filling the bottom tray but instead, keep it under control and often add more water. After 24 hours, check your bottom tray to see whether it is completely dry or still water.

Greens start rotting

Microgreens start to rot when a seed gets too much water and sunlight. If you have extremely sunny weather, water your seed once in the morning and in the evening. If a cold front has moved, water your crop once. Another factor that can cause your Microgreen rot problem is water quality.

Solution – Municipal water can contain chlorine that your plants won’t like. The use of filtered water is a better solution to water Microgreens. Normal Microgreens prefer water with a pH level of 6.5. Watching your water’s pH level will make your Microgreens healthier and produce stronger, growing production.

Microgreens are tall and weedy

If your greens are getting tall and weedy, they’re likely not getting enough light. This is because greens grow longer to reach as much light as they are not getting enough.

Solutions – If you live in an area where natural sunlight is not enough for your greens, arrange artificial lights for your greens.

Microgreens grow slowly

You believe you’ve done it all right, and yet your Microgreens don’t grow as fast as they should be. There may be different reasons for not seeing the speed as expected.

Not enough darkness

Microgreen seeds need to be kept in the darkness to germinate. If you develop but don’t put them in a dark spot and cover them with soil (depending on the type of seed), you’ll know they can’t grow, or not so quickly and not with the same quality.

Solution – Place your container or tray in a dark closet, cover it with another tray on top, or use something else you have that allows the entire tray to cover in the dark. If you’ve kept your Microgreens in the dark and medium moist for a few days, you’ll see that the seeds have grown.

Not enough light

Like not being dark enough during the growth period, not having enough light after the blackout period is also a factor that can cause slow growth. Once the seeds grow and it’s time to get them out of the dark, they need light to get healthy.

Solution – If you can’t provide enough light in natural sunlight or the place where you grow, there are alternatives like using artificial growing lights.

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Too many seeds

Microgreens are usually planted in small boxes. Each seedling competes for resources, such as sunlight, water, and soil nutrients.

Solution – If you have planted too many seeds, you will find that they do not grow as quickly as they should. When you have too many seeds, they will not get enough air, and seeds can prevent each other from getting healthy.

Microgreens falling over

Microgreens at the center of the tray begin to bend around the tray. It could be due to a lack of water or light. Your Microgreens can sleep because they are thirsty. It is time to water them well but make sure the soil is moist and not soggy.

Solution – Low light levels are one of the reasons why your Microgreens are falling on; these little greens need proper lighting to grow well.

Yellow Microgreens

All your seedlings will be yellow before taking off the dome from your Microgreen tray. It is because they have not been able to take light and start the process of photosynthesis.

Solution – Remove the dome from the first tray. Next, place the tray close to a strong light source.

Microgreens are growing unevenly

Your Microgreens are in the light but end with uneven growth. Some are tall, some small, and some seeds do not grow. When not all your seeds grow at the same speed, it is most likely due to light monitoring or uneven distribution.

Too many seeds

If you plant too many seeds on your tray, they won’t let themselves grow but will stop each other from growing because there’s not enough space. Seeds compete for air and get the right amount of light.

Solution – You can easily spread seeds evenly by using a dispensing bottle. Always pay careful attention to recommendations for seed distance while planting.

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Uneven sunlight

Once your Microgreens are ready for light, they need to reach a single part of the sunlight. The seedlings will naturally move towards the light, and if not, the whole crop will get it; only those in the light will grow.

Solution – Depending on your setup and ability to provide light, you need to rotate the tray so that they get an even amount of light. If you cannot provide natural sunlight to your Microgreens, you can work with artificial growing light.

Diseases

Damping-off

Damping-off diseases refer to the destruction of seedlings by pathogens. These bacteria are common in soils in tropical and low-lying areas, and almost all fruits, vegetables, and crops are attacked. Weather and soil conditions can also contribute to the development of the disease. There are two types of dumping off that a plant can experience.

Pre-emergence damping-off refers to the rot of seeds or seedlings sprouting before they come out of the soil. While the damping-off after appearance occurs when plants emerge from the soil, as a soft fall within the taproot or rootlets that cause the seedlings to fall.

Solution – One way to reduce the chance of infection is to lift your seedlings in a mixture of soilless pots on elevated benches. Preventing the contamination of treated soil by avoiding spraying water, using contaminated tools, or storing them in dirty areas can also help. Avoid overwatering, and don’t overcrowd your seeds. It is also recommended to treat seeds with weak solutions to hydrogen peroxide before planting.

Botrytis fungus

It is a fungus that causes a grey mold on leaf surfaces. It thrives in cold, moist weather.

Solution – Sprays that have been affected must be removed, and you should avoid water at night and not spray water on the plant. Keep the plants well airy.

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Sclerotinia

It is also known as white mold; this fungus looks like a web crawling on a growing medium.

Solution – Air circulation should be increased to reduce humidity. It is essential to clean the seed starting supplies before reusing them.

Pests

Pests can attack your garden and Microgreen setup for various reasons. This could be due to all the different reasons; too much water, too little water, light and heat, consumption of fertilizer, and more. If you are grown them in a tray separate from any other plants, pests usually do not attack Microgreen crops. However, insects can expand their habitat if you have your tray near other plants and gardening projects.

They are always easier to prevent than to eliminate pests. You rarely encounter pests when it comes to Microgreens. Always provide your Microgreens with the growing conditions they need to grow healthy. Do not keep your tray close to other household plants while growing indoors. Make sure they do not use soil that has been used before.

Aphids

Sucking green, red, black, or peach-colored pests can spread diseases when their mouth parts feed under leaves.

Solution – You can control aphids by introducing or attracting natural predators to your gardens, such as lady beetles and wasps. It is also possible to spray insecticidal soap, use a pheromone trap or wash them with a strong detergent.

Flea beetles

They are small, hopping insects that eat leaves.

Solutions – Plant a different family crop every few weeks. In addition, you can prevent damage to young leaves by using a floating row cover.

In case you missed it: Growing Microgreens in Pots, List of Microgreens

Slugs

Slugs damage leaves by eating them or creating large holes in them. They leave behind slime trails, feed at night, and are usually a problem in damp weather.

Solution – You can pick by hand at night or cornmeal or beer to attract slugs to traps. Use a cup or bowl to trap the slug; use something along the side slopes so that the slug cannot get back out after getting stuck. Pour beer into the bowl, and let it sit overnight.

The next day, you can empty the bowl of slugs submerged so that birds can eat them. You can create cornmeal traps by putting one or two tablespoons of cornmeal in a jar and placing it near the host plant. Slugs are attracted to fragrance but cannot digest it, so they die.

14 Common Microgreen Plants Problems: How to Fix Them, Solutions, and Treatment

Table of Contents

14 common Microgreen plants problems

Microgreens grow mold

Microgreens are wilting

Greens start rotting

Microgreens are tall and weedy

Microgreens grow slowly

Not enough darkness

Not enough light

Too many seeds

Microgreens falling over

Yellow Microgreens

Microgreens are growing unevenly

Too many seeds

Uneven sunlight

Diseases

Damping-off

Botrytis fungus

Sclerotinia

Aphids

Flea beetles

Slugs

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