How to Grow Buckwheat Microgreens in 6 Easy Steps

Microgreens are trendy for a good reason: they’re incredibly healthy and easy to grow. Whether you’re a newbie to this trend or an old hand at microgreens, you’ll love learning to grow buckwheat microgreens.

All microgreens have health benefits, but buckwheat microgreens may just be the most nutritious ones out there. They’re full of protein, Vitamins B, C, and K, and fiber. Perhaps the best nutritional perk of this plant is that they’re gluten-free, making this ‘grain’ microgreen a great choice for those with allergies. 

When the plants are this young, they’re tender and easy to chew, making them perfect for salads and smoothies. Surprisingly, you’ll find that they have a mild tangy flavor with a bit of citrus. After the week or two of growing time, you’ll be creating all sorts of dishes with these healthy plants!

What You’ll Need

Buckwheat microgreens are easy to grow, and all these materials can be used later in your microgreen journey. Think of this as a starter kit for your tiny greens garden.

Seeds

Grow buckwheat seed from a reliable source. Buckwheat seeds will germinate the best if their hull is still intact, so you’ll want to get some meant for planting. If shelled seeds are all you have, they will grow but not nearly as well.

Organic seeds are a great way to start these plants. Try the common buckwheat cover crop seeds if you want to purchase online. Buckwheat is often used as a cover crop to break down quickly in the soil and add nutrients.

Containers

You’ll need at least two growing trays per crop, one with drainage holes and one without for covering. If you don’t have anything suitable, try Epic 6-Cell Seed Starting Trays and Germination Domes & Bottom Trays.

These are good choices for protecting the seeds as they grow and creating little ecosystems that improve the germination rate.

Growing Medium

The growing medium for any microgreens should be fine-grained and free of debris. This allows the seeds and sprouts to easily navigate their surroundings.

While some microgreens easily grow in a variety of growing mediums (hydroponically, for example), buckwheat microgreens do their best work in soil.

Grow Lights

Buckwheat microgreens (and most others) prefer a grow light to the actual sun.

We want the microgreens to grow in an even, dense mat, so the sunlight has to be evenly distributed. If the buckwheat microgreens were set on a sunny windowsill, they’d lean towards the sun and grow unevenly. Hanging a grow lamp directly above them keeps the buckwheat tray nice and uniform.

If you don’t already have grow lights, we recommend the Small Epic Seed Starting Grow Light or the Standard Epic Seed Starting Grow Light for growing microgreens indoors.

Extras

Shears or kitchen scissors will come in handy for the harvest, and a misting bottle is essential to keep the seedlings hydrated.

How to Grow Buckwheat Microgreens

Once you have all your equipment together and the trays are thoroughly cleaned, you can get them growing.

Step 1: Soak

The black, pyramid-like buckwheat seeds have a tough shell, so soaking definitely benefits germination. Dump the seeds in a bowl of cold water and leave them for 12-24 hours. Then, give them a good rinse and it’s on to the soil!

Step 2: Plant

Start by grabbing the tray with drainage holes and filling it three-quarters of the way full with seed-starting soil. Pour a bit of water on top and tamp down the surface so it’s even.

Next, grab your pre-soaked buckwheat seeds and densely sprinkle them across the surface. We want to grow buckwheat microgreens like a little patch of grass, so try to place the seeds close together without overlapping. Tamp the seeds down so they stay put in the tray.

Step 3: Cover

Use your misting bottle to water the seeds. Then, instead of covering the seeds with soil, place a second growing tray right on top of them. This tray will block out all the sunlight so the buckwheat seeds can germinate.

Place a small weight on top of the tray to keep it in place. When they sprout, the buckwheat plants will push the tray up. These plants are stronger than you think – they can lift up to five pounds!

The buckwheat plant takes two to four days to germinate. During that time, keep the cover and weight in place, only lifting it to check the moisture. If the soil starts to dry out, give it a good misting. Heads up, you may be misting once or twice a day.

Step 4:Grow

When the little buckwheat microgreens push up the cover, remove it and turn on the grow light. The early sprouts may be pale yellow from a lack of sunlight, but they’ll quickly turn a healthy green in the light.

It’ll be another five to ten days until the grown plants are ready to harvest. In the meantime, you’ll need to keep the soil damp. But, since the buckwheat microgreens have sprouted, they’re vulnerable to mold and bacteria. Too much humidity and water will invite this unpalatable growth, so we need to keep the soil surface as dry as possible.

To keep the greens dry and the soil moist, water from the bottom. Grab the tray you used as a cover and fill it with an inch or two of water. Then, set the growing tray inside it so the water will be absorbed through the drainage holes. Let the tray soak there for five to ten minutes before taking it out. Repeat this process as often as needed.

Step 5: Harvest

In just one to two weeks after planting, you’ll have grown enough buckwheat greens for a delicious and cost-effective meal. All we have to do now is harvest them.

Each microgreen is ready to harvest when its two cotyledons have unfolded and it has grown two to four inches tall. We want to harvest right in this window because it’s when the flavor, texture, and nutrients are supreme. Once the first true leaves grow in, the plant gets tough, bitter, and varies in health benefits.

Some of the leaves may have a seed hull clinging on. Remove them by brushing the palm of your hand across the top of the little garden you’ve grown.

Finally, you can grab your shears and start clipping. Snip each stem just above the soil level. You can harvest a portion of the grown buckwheat microgreens and save the rest for later, but keep in mind that there’s a small amount of time when they’re just right for eating.

Step 6: Store

To keep them fresh, don’t wash the microgreens until you’re about to use them. Seal your harvest in an airtight container and stick it in the fridge. To keep them fresh for longer, fold a paper towel into the container to absorb any moisture.

Like most produce, buckwheat microgreens taste best when eaten right away. However, they will stay fresh for a few days if stored correctly.

You can add these organic greens to practically any meal. Whether you prefer salad, sandwiches, stir fry, or a gluten-free garnish, the fresh taste and health benefits will be optimal!