I‘m new to growing microgreens and have tried Mel‘s mix and straight vermiculite, but a neighbor suggested cheap clay cat litter, which is what he uses to start bamboo from seed. Any suggestions on a good growing medum for microgreens would be most welcome. I like the mat idea but they are expensive for a one use product in my opinion. Thanks!
No, clay cat litter is not a good choice for growing microgreens. When clay becomes saturated, it loses its pore space. Clay is the smallest part of soil. Clay particles can only be seen individually under an electron microscope. The other components to soil are silt, which are medium sized particles, and sand which are large particles. Good soil needs all three in certain amounts. This is soil science and can get pretty technical. To grow microgreens, you'd be better off with a good growing soil that holds some water but drains easily. It will have a good mineral base with a good amount of composted organic matter. The compost will supply basically all the nutrients the greens will need.
