How to use this thing....

This page holds a full FAQ with tips and tricks over how to use your microgarden system.
Most of the ideas here could be applied to growing with any hydroponics system that you can find on the market so it might be useful for you other guys too.

Want to buy another system?

How to clean them?

We’ll start with the boring — but very important — part.

The Micro Garden System is made from environmentally friendly PLA plastic. PLA is strong and safe for growing, but it does not tolerate high heat very well.

Never put the system in the dishwasher

Dishwashers often reach temperatures that can warp PLA. Even if it looks fine at first, the parts may slowly deform and affect the water flow or tray fit.

How to clean it properly

  • Use warm water (not hot — max around 40–45°C)

  • Use regular dish soap (like Yes)

  • Wash by hand only

  • Use a soft sponge or cloth

For harder-to-reach areas:

  • A bottle brush works great for the base and water chamber

  • A small brush (like a toothbrush) works well around the revolving gate

When should I clean it?

  • After every full harvest cycle

  • Immediately if you see signs of mold

  • Before switching to a different type of plant

  • If water has been standing unused for several days

  • a tip is to use a knife to cut the roots if there is a large buildup in the tray. it makes it easy to remove the rest from the top

Microgreens are sensitive to contamination, so always wash your hands before handling trays or plants. Using disposable gloves is even better.

Preventing mold and buildup

  • Empty leftover water between cycles

  • Let all parts dry completely before storing

  • Avoid letting roots rot in the tray after harvest

  • If needed, you can wipe with diluted vinegar (rinse thoroughly afterward)

Important

  • Do not use boiling water

  • Do not use bleach

  • Do not use abrasive cleaning pads

  • Do not use the washing machine on hot programs

Treat it gently and it will last a long time.

 

The multi tray, how to use it?

The Multi Tray is one of my personal favorites in the Micro Garden System, and the first tray i made!
It has 4 × 9 compartments (36 slots total), and each slot helps keep your plants separated. That separation is actually the key feature.

Why?

Because peas mold easily. And garlic cloves like to fall over. This tray solves both problems.

Growing Pea Shoots (Yellow Peas)

If you want to grow pea shoots hydroponically indoors, this tray is perfect.

Here’s how I do it:

  • Place 3 yellow peas in each compartment

  • Only water in the bottle, and no other media, no soil or anything!

  • Let the water just barely touch the peas

  • Use the lid for the first few days (they sprout better in darkness)

  • When the shoots push the lid up, remove it

  • They’ll look pale and boring at first — that’s normal

  • Within a day in light, they turn green and strong

Because the peas are separated, mold has a much harder time spreading compared to growing them in one large container.
Harvest with scissors when they reach a height you like.

Growing Garlic Greens

Garlic grows surprisingly well in this system.

  • Place one garlic clove per compartment

  • Roots down

  • Let the bottom just touch the water

  • No soaking — just contact

The compartments help keep the cloves upright while the roots develop.
Harvest when the greens are about 30–40 cm tall (3–4 dm).

The taste of garlic shoots??
Somewhere between garlic and chives. Perfect for soups, sauces, or chopped and frozen for later use.

The multi tray can be used to so much more than peas and garlic, what will you use yours for?

The rockwool tray, how to use it?

The Rockwool Tray is basically an upgraded version of the Multi Tray — but made specifically for growing things like lettuce, herbs, and other leafy greens hydroponically.

Instead of soil, this tray is designed for 25 mm rockwool cubes.

Why rockwool?

Because it replaces dirt completely.

  • No soil mess

  • No soil pests

  • Cleaner indoor growing

  • Better root control

How to grow lettuce in the Rockwool Tray

If you want to grow lettuce hydroponically indoors, here’s how I recommend doing it:

  1. Soak your rockwool cubes in water..

  2. Place one seed (or a couple) in each cube.

  3. Put the cubes into the tray.

  4. Let the water level touch the bottom of the cubes.

  5. Once roots grow through the cube, they’ll start drinking directly from the system.

Important: Use Hydroponic Nutrients

Microgreens don’t need added nutrients because the seed contains all the energy required for the first growth stage but lettuce is different .A basic hydroponic nutrient solution works perfectly.

I recomend leafy lettuse before the ones that build a big head.

How many can I grow at once?

Be careful not to overcrowd. I ursually put them siggsag, like every other or something like that. then, when they are getting to old, i can put new seeds in the ones that i did not use the first time, and when they start to grow, I cut down the old ones so i always have lettuse.

If you pick the leafs early you can grow many, but if you want larger leafs you may only fit 2–3 plants at a time comfortably.

Why I Made This Tray

I wanted a way to grow real food indoors — not just microgreens.

Rockwool makes it:

  • Cleaner than soil

  • Easier to manage pests

  • Perfect for hydroponic growing

If you want to try growing your own salad at home year-round, this is the tray for that.

The open tray, how to use it?

The Open Tray is made for the small seeds and microgreens!
If you want to grow microgreens indoors without soil, this is the tray you’ll probably use the most!

It’s perfect for:

  • Arugula (ruccola) seeds

  • Radish shoots

  • Chia seeds

  • Broccoli microgreens

  • Mixed microgreen blends

How to grow microgreens in the Open Tray

It’s very simple:

  1. Sprinkle your seeds evenly across the surface.

  2. Let the water level just touch the bottom of the seeds.

  3. Dont use any nutriens, you dont need it for microgreens!

  4. Do not drench them — they should be moist, not swimming.

  5. Put the lid on.

Microgreens sprout better in darkness. The lid helps create that environment.
After a few days, the sprouts will push the lid upward. That’s your signal.
Remove the lid and let them see the light.
They will look pale and a bit sad at first. Totally normal.
Within 24 hours, they turn green and strong.
In about a week (depending on the seed), you can harvest and enjoy fresh microgreens grown at home. As you have no soil, you can eat everything if you like, but some people just eat the tops.

Feeling crazy? mix your seeds!

One of the fun parts is experimenting.
You can blend different seeds in the same tray to create your own salad mixes.

Try combining:

  • Radish (spicy)

  • Arugula (peppery)

  • Broccoli (mild)

  • Mustard (sharp)

Different seeds grow at slightly different speeds, so you’ll learn what combinations work best over time.
If they grow diffrent you can put one on day 1 and wait 4 days for seed 2 and so on. just experiment! become a master!

That’s part of the fun.

Why this tray works so well

  • The small springs makes it possible to use realy small seeds in this one

  • Makes harvesting easy

  • Keeps things clean and soil-free

Simple design. and great fun!

The herb tray, how to use it?

This tray is made to give your supermarket herbs a second life.

You know those basil, parsley or coriander pots you buy at the store?
They look amazing for a few days… and then suddenly collapse.

This tray is built to fix that.

How to move store-bought herbs into the system

  1. Remove the plastic pot.

  2. Keep the soil and roots together — don’t shake it off.

  3. Place the whole root ball into the Herb Tray.

  4. Adjust the water level so it can drink properly.

  5. Open the water gate fully — these plants drink a lot of water!

  6. nutrients in the water is a must if you want them to survive more than a week.

That’s it.

The high tray, how to use it?

The High Open Tray is for when you want more space, more soil, or slightly bigger plants.
Think of it as the “freedom tray”.
While most parts of the Micro Garden System are optimized for hydroponic growing, this tray lets you:

  • Grow in soil

  • Start seedlings indoors

  • Support larger store-bought pots

  • Experiment more freely

Option 1: Grow in soil

Fill the compartments with soil and plant:

  • Lettuce

  • Stronger herbs

  • Chili seedlings (early stage)

  • Tomato seedlings (early stage)

  • Flowers

  • Or anything that needs deeper roots

Because this tray has more depth than the Low Open Tray, it supports stronger root systems.
The system waters from below, which encourages roots to grow downward and become stronger.
Just adjust the water gate so the soil stays moist — not soaked.

Option 2: Support larger store-bought pots

Just like the Herb Tray gives small supermarket herbs a second life, the High Open Tray can support slightly larger pots from the store.

Instead of removing all the soil, you can:

  1. Do not remove the plastic outer pot it will hold the plant in place in the bigger tray.

  2. Let the system provide bottom watering.

This works especially well for:

  • Basil in larger pots

  • Parsley

  • Mint

  • Small ornamental plants

Bottom watering helps prevent the plant from drying out too quickly — which is usually why store-bought herbs die, and remember herbs drinks A LOT of water!

Why bottom watering works

  • Less overwatering, but still always water

  • Stronger root development

  • Less surface mold

  • More stable moisture levels

It’s a cleaner and more controlled way to grow indoors.

When should you use this tray?

Choose the High Open Tray when:

  • You want to start plants indoors before moving them outside

  • You want to grow in soil instead of rockwool

  • You want to extend the life of larger store-bought plants

  • You want more flexibility

I designed this system to be modular — not restrictive.

Sometimes hydroponics is perfect.
Sometimes soil makes more sense.

This tray lets you choose.

The Plug Box (Sapling Tray) – How do I use it?

The Plug Box — or Sapling Tray — is made for starting plants from seed in soil.

It has 6 × 3 plugs (18 total) and a bottom plate with small pins that let you push the soil plugs out when it’s time to transplant.

This is for real plant starts.

What is it used for?

Use it when you want to:

  • Start seedlings indoors

  • Grow small plants before moving them outdoors

  • Create soil plugs for pots or garden beds

  • Prepare plants for spring season

Perfect for:

  • Tomatoes

  • Chili

  • Lettuce

  • Cabbage

  • Flowers

  • Basically anything you plan to transplant later

How to use it

  1. Fill each plug with moist soil.

  2. Add your seeds.

  3. use ”tops” that you cut one side of, and put in the 6 holes, now you can put plastic wrap over the tray until the saplings grows a little bit.

  4. Water gently.

  5. Keep moist, not soaked.

  6. Give them good light.

Once roots have filled the plug and the plant is strong enough, place the tray on the bottom plate and press the pins upward to push the soil plugs out.

No digging.
No damaged roots.
Clean transplant.

This addon makes the system useful all year round — not just for microgreens.

The lid, do I need it?

Use the lid when:

  • Growing microgreens from small seeds (radish, arugula, chia, broccoli, etc.)

  • Growing peas for pea shoots

  • Starting garlic cloves

  • Germinating seeds in rockwool

Basically: when you’re waiting for something to sprout.

What does the lid actually do?

It helps with three important things:

  1. Creates darkness (better germination)

  2. Keeps humidity stable

  3. Encourages stronger upward growth

When the sprouts are strong enough, they will physically push the lid upward.
That’s your signal.
Remove the lid and give them light.

“But they look yellow and sad…”

Yes. That’s normal.
When seeds grow without light, they are pale or yellow. This is called etiolation. The plant is searching for light.
Within 24 hours of exposure to light, they turn green and start producing chlorophyll.
Don’t panic.
It’s part of the process.

Microgreens - peas - howto?

Pea shoots are easy to grow and give a big harvest in just 7–10 days.

Use yellow dried peas and grow them in the Multi Tray. (or in the open tray if thats the only you have)
Place 3 peas in each slot and let the water just barely touch them.
Use the lid during the first few days.
When the shoots push the lid up, remove it and give them light.
Harvest with scissors when they reach the height you like.

For more detailed instructions and mold prevention tips, read the Multi Tray section above.

Microgreen - small seeds - howto?

Small seeds like radish, arugula (ruccola), broccoli or chia grow perfectly in the Open Tray.

Sprinkle the seeds evenly, let the water just touch them (don’t drench), and put the lid on during germination.
When the sprouts lift the lid, remove it and give them light.
They will turn green within a day and are usually ready to harvest in about a week.

For more detailed instructions and tips, read the Open Tray section above.

Herbs from the store, can I save them?

Yes, absolutely.

Most supermarket herbs die because they dry out too fast or are overcrowded.
With the Micro Garden System, you can give them stable bottom watering and a much longer life.

If you have the Herb tray, use that and remove the plastic pot and place the root ball into the system.
If you have the High open tray, keep the plastic pot and put the bottom in the water.

For detailed instructions, read the Herb Tray section (for smaller pots) or the High Open Tray section (for larger pots).

Do I need lights?

Short answer:
Yes. All plants need light.

Long answer:
It depends on the season and where you live.

Real sunlight is always best

Nothing, absolutely nothing beats the real sun.

If you have a sunny window (preferably south-facing), that’s your best grow light.
During spring and summer, natural daylight is usually more than enough for microgreens, herbs, and lettuce.

In fact, during summer, a small LED grow light does almost nothing compared to the sun. It’s simply too weak to compete.

What about the LED light for the system?

The LED option is mainly helpful during:

  • Autumn

  • Winter

  • Early spring

  • Dark climates

  • Rooms without good window access

It doesn’t replace the sun, but it extends the number of light hours.

More light hours = stronger growth.

Do I need a “real” grow light?

If you want maximum growth during winter, a proper grow light panel is great, but the ringlight looks sexy!

But for normal home growing:

  • A sunny window works well.

  • The LED ring light is great and helps during dark months.

Simple rule

If your plants look:

  • Thin and stretched → they need more light.

  • Strong and compact → they’re happy.

Keep it simple.

Give them as much natural light as you can.
Add artificial light when nature doesn’t provide enough, our ringlight extends the amount of hours of sun during autum and spring.

Do I need nutrition for plants ?

Short answer:

  • No for microgreens and sprouts.

  • Yes for plants that are meant to grow bigger.

Microgreens and sprouts

Microgreens, pea shoots, radish shoots and other sprouts already contain everything they need inside the seed.

The seed is basically a packed lunch.

During the first growth phase, the plant lives entirely off that stored energy.
You do not need to add any hydroponic nutrients for this stage.

Just water is enough.

Lettuce, herbs and larger plants

If you want to grow:

  • Lettuce to full size

  • Store-bought herbs long-term

  • Seedlings that will grow into real plants

Then yes — they need nutrition.

Once the plant moves past the early sprout stage, it starts depending on external nutrients to continue growing properly.

Without nutrients, plants may:

  • Stay small

  • Turn pale or yellow

  • Grow slowly

A basic hydroponic nutrient solution in the water works perfectly.

Simple rule

If you harvest within 7–10 days → no nutrients needed.
If you want a full plant → add nutrients.

How does the gate and bottle work?

This is the heart of the micro garden system!

The base connects to a regular 50cl PET bottle that acts as your water reservoir.
The revolving gate controls how deep the water level will be inside the tray.

How to set it up

  1. Take a normal PET bottle.

  2. Remove the cap.

  3. Important: Remove the small plastic “ring” left behind from the cap.
    If you don’t remove it, the gate won’t seal properly.

  4. Attach the gate to the bottle.

  5. Fill the bottle and now its time to be quick, can you get it into the system without spilling any water? congratulations, you are hudini!. seriously, it takes some practice, but its doable

  6. Turn the gate to adjust the water level.

That’s it.

How does the gate control water depth?

The gate rotates and has kind of a upside down stair look, that changes the height of the waterlevel.

Different growing stages need different water levels:

  • Seeds → water should just touch, not soak

  • Peas → barely touching

  • Garlic → just touching the roots

  • Soil → moist, not flooded

  • Larger plants → slightly higher level, they need a lot of water!

You adjust it depending on what you grow and the stage of growth.

Why did I choose PLA?

Short answer:
Because I wanted something none oil-based plastic.

PLA is a more environmentally friendly material compared to traditional petroleum plastics. It’s made primarily from renewable resources like cornstarch and sugarcane — not crude oil.

No “dino juice” 😉

Why PLA makes sense for this system

  • Made from plant-based materials

  • No heavy fumes during printing

  • Lower environmental impact than oil-based plastics

  • Print-on-demand production = less waste

Since I print these myself, it also matters what I’m breathing during production. PLA produces far fewer unpleasant fumes compared to many other plastics.

Is PLA durable enough?

Yes.

Even though PLA is biodegradable under industrial composting conditions, that does not mean it dissolves in your kitchen.
In normal indoor use, especially when filled with water and not exposed to extreme heat, the system can easily last 7–10 years or more.

The only real enemy of PLA is high heat — which is why you shouldn’t put it in the dishwasher.

Warning:
You could melt it in direct sun on a hot summer day, if its without water, I have tried it and failed, but I still think its possible if you live where its warm enough!

For me, the choice of PLA still makes sense because it is more environmentally friendly.

Is the system food safe?

Short answer:
Yes, when used as intended!

The Micro Garden System is printed in PLA, a plant-based plastic commonly used for food packaging and kitchen-related products.

But let’s clarify what that means.

What makes it safe?

  • PLA is made from renewable resources like cornstarch and sugarcane.

  • It does not contain petroleum-based “dino juice”.

  • It does not release harmful fumes during normal indoor use.

  • The system is used for growing plants — not for cooking or heating food.

Since the system operates at room temperature and only holds water, it stays well within PLA’s safe working range.

Important to know

Food safety is also about hygiene.

That means:

  • Wash the system between growing cycles.

  • Wash your hands before handling seeds.

  • Avoid letting mold develop.

  • Do not expose the system to high heat.

My philosophy

If I wouldn’t grow my own food in it, I wouldn’t sell it.

I chose PLA because it’s plant-based, durable for indoor use, and more environmentally friendly than oil-based plastics.

Used properly, it is absolutely safe for growing microgreens, herbs, lettuce, and sprouts at home.

How to prevent mold?

Mold usually happens because of contamination, too much moisture, or poor airflow.
This is some basic rules for success.

1. Start clean

Always clean the system between growing cycles.

  • Use warm water (not in dishwasher!)

  • Use regular dish soap (”Yes” works great)

  • Rinse thoroughly

  • bottle brush is great for the gate and bottle

A clean system is the biggest mold prevention step.

2. Keep your hands clean

Microgreens are sensitive in the early stages.

  • Wash your hands before handling seeds or use disposable plastic gloves

  • Avoid touching the seeds after placing them

The less contamination, the better.

3. Control the water level

Seeds should be moist, not drowning.

  • Let water just touch the seeds

  • Don’t drench them

  • Adjust the gate carefully, if needed, empty system and start again with low waterlevel

Too much water = higher mold risk.

4. Give them air and light

After germination:

  • Remove the lid

  • Make sure they get light

  • Fresh air reduces mold risk, you can lift the lid and give them some air if you like.

Extra tip (especially for peas)

Peas mold easily if packed tightly together.
That’s why the Multi Tray separates them into compartments — it reduces spread if one pea goes bad.

Did I miss something? do you have questions?

Please send me an email on zacke@evolinteractive.com and ask away!

Thank you for your time