Choosing the right variety can make your first microgreen crop much easier. Some microgreens germinate quickly, grow vigorously and clearly show each stage of development, while others need slower germination, more precise moisture control or specialised growing techniques.
For most beginners, the best microgreens to start with are broccoli, radish, mustard, pea shoots and sunflower. These five crops cover both small and large seeds, mild and spicy flavours, and several different growing techniques without starting with more demanding herbs such as basil, coriander or parsley.
If you have never grown a tray before, start with broccoli or Daikon radish. Once you understand sowing, blackout, light and watering, move on to mustard, peas and sunflower.
For the complete tray-growing method, see our How to Grow Microgreens at Home guide.
Best Microgreens for Beginners at a Glance
| Microgreen | Approx. Seed per 25 × 50cm Tray | Pre-soak | Blackout | Harvest | Why Choose It? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | 28g | None | 2–4 days | 8–12 days | Easy, mild and reliable |
| Daikon Radish | 22–28g | None | 2–3 days | 7–10 days | Very fast and vigorous |
| Green Mustard | 24–28g | None | 2–3 days | 8–12 days | Fast with a spicy flavour |
| Pea Shoots | 240–280g* | 6–8 hours | 3–5 days | 10–14 days | Large seed and substantial shoots |
| Black Sunflower | 100–140g | Approx. 8 hours | 3–4 days weighted | 8–12 days | Crunchy and rewarding |
*Pea seeding rates can vary with seed size and batch germination. Always check the current product instructions before sowing.
These crops are all beginner-friendly, but they do not use exactly the same method. Broccoli, radish and mustard are small seeds that can be sown dry. Peas and sunflower are larger seeds that require pre-soaking and benefit from pressure during early germination.
1. Broccoli Microgreens – Best All-Round First Crop
If you want the simplest introduction to tray-grown microgreens, broccoli is one of the best places to start.
OzSprout Broccoli Microgreen Seeds require no pre-soaking, germinate quickly and produce a dense crop of bright-green cotyledons with tender stems.
The flavour is mild and fresh with a lightly peppery brassica finish, making broccoli easy to use in salads, sandwiches, wraps, bowls and eggs.
Current OzSprout Broccoli Growing Guide
- Seed rate: approximately 28g per 25 × 50cm tray
- Pre-soak: none
- Blackout: approximately 2–4 days
- Germination: approximately 2–4 days
- Temperature: approximately 18–24°C
- Harvest: approximately 8–12 days
Why Broccoli Is Good for Beginners
- No soaking step to manage
- Small seed is easy to spread evenly
- Fast germination
- Clear transition from blackout to light
- Relatively short growing cycle
- Mild flavour with broad culinary appeal
Broccoli teaches the basic microgreen cycle without introducing the additional soaking, hull-removal or weighted-germination steps needed for some larger seeds.
Beginner rating: Excellent first crop.
2. Daikon Radish Microgreens – Best for Fast Results
Radish is ideal if you want to see rapid progress.
OzSprout Daikon Radish Microgreen Seeds germinate vigorously, need no pre-soaking and can generally reach harvest within approximately 7–10 days.
The young crop develops bright-green cotyledons with crisp pale stems and the fresh peppery flavour associated with mature radish.
Current OzSprout Daikon Growing Guide
- Seed rate: approximately 22–28g per 25 × 50cm tray
- Pre-soak: none
- Blackout: approximately 2–3 days
- Germination: approximately 2–4 days
- Temperature: approximately 18–24°C
- Harvest: approximately 7–10 days
Why Radish Is Good for Beginners
- Very fast germination
- Strong early growth
- No pre-soaking
- Short blackout period
- Easy-to-recognise harvest stage
- Distinctive peppery flavour
Radish is particularly satisfying for new growers because mistakes are easier to identify quickly and the crop changes noticeably from day to day.
Once you understand Daikon, you can experiment with coloured varieties such as Purple Sango using essentially the same growing method.
For the full crop-specific method, see How to Grow Radish Microgreens at Home.
Beginner rating: Excellent first crop.
3. Green Mustard Microgreens – Best for Spicy Flavour
Mustard is a good next step for growers who enjoy stronger flavours.
OzSprout Green Mustard Microgreen Seeds are another small-seeded crop that can be sown dry without pre-soaking.
The young greens develop quickly and provide a crisp, peppery mustard flavour with more heat than broccoli.
Current OzSprout Green Mustard Growing Guide
- Seed rate: approximately 24–28g per 25 × 50cm tray
- Pre-soak: none
- Blackout: approximately 2–3 days
- Germination: approximately 2–4 days
- Temperature: approximately 18–24°C
- Harvest: approximately 8–12 days
Why Mustard Is Good for Beginners
- No soaking required
- Fast germination
- Short blackout period
- Strong visible growth
- Distinctive flavour even in small quantities
Mustard uses a growing method similar to broccoli and radish, so it is an easy way to expand your range without learning an entirely different system.
Beginner rating: Very easy.
4. Pea Shoots – Best Large-Seed Beginner Crop
Pea shoots introduce a different style of microgreen growing.
OzSprout Pea Shoot Microgreen Seeds are much larger than broccoli, radish or mustard seed and need to be soaked before sowing.
The resulting crop is also much more substantial, producing crisp green stems, leafy growth and a mild, sweet garden-pea flavour.
Current OzSprout Pea Shoot Growing Guide
- Seed rate: approximately 240–280g per 25 × 50cm tray for the current Maple pea batch
- Pre-soak: approximately 6–8 hours
- Blackout: approximately 3–5 days
- Germination: approximately 2–4 days
- Temperature: approximately 15–22°C
- Harvest: approximately 10–14 days
Why Pea Shoots Are Good for Beginners
- Large seeds are easy to handle.
- The growth process is easy to observe.
- The finished shoots are substantial.
- The flavour is familiar and widely appealing.
- They teach soaking and large-seed growing techniques.
Peas are slightly more involved than broccoli or radish because they need soaking and benefit from firm seed-to-medium contact during germination.
The current Maple pea batch also uses a relatively heavy seeding rate, so follow the product-specific instructions rather than assuming the same number of grams will apply indefinitely to every pea seed lot.
For the complete method, see How to Grow Pea Shoots at Home.
Beginner rating: Easy, with one extra soaking step.
5. Sunflower Microgreens – Best for Crunch & Texture
Sunflower takes a little more preparation, but it is one of the most rewarding early crops to learn.
OzSprout Black Sunflower Microgreen Seeds produce thick pale-green stems and broad green cotyledons with a mild, fresh and slightly sweet nutty flavour.
The large black seed needs pre-soaking and benefits from light-to-moderate weight during early germination.
Current OzSprout Sunflower Growing Guide
- Seed rate: approximately 100–140g per 25 × 50cm tray
- Pre-soak: approximately 8 hours
- Blackout: approximately 3–4 days under light-to-moderate weight
- Germination: approximately 2–5 days after soaking
- Temperature: approximately 18–24°C
- Harvest: approximately 8–12 days
Why Sunflower Is Worth Growing Early
- Large seed is easy to measure and handle.
- The crop develops thick, substantial shoots.
- It introduces weighted germination.
- It teaches seed-hull management.
- The harvested shoots have a noticeably different texture from small brassica microgreens.
Sunflower is not the crop I would choose for your very first tray because the seed hulls and weighted germination add extra steps.
Once you have successfully grown broccoli or radish, however, sunflower is an excellent second or third crop.
See How to Grow Sunflower Microgreens at Home for the full method.
Beginner rating: Easy to moderate.
Which Microgreen Should You Grow First?
If you are choosing only one variety, use this simple guide:
| If You Want... | Start With... |
|---|---|
| The simplest overall first crop | Broccoli |
| The fastest visible results | Daikon Radish |
| A spicy crop | Green Mustard |
| Large, sweet leafy shoots | Pea Shoots |
| Crunchy, nutty shoots | Sunflower |
For an absolute beginner, my first two choices are broccoli and Daikon radish.
They eliminate the pre-soaking step, germinate quickly and clearly demonstrate the main microgreen stages: sowing, covered germination, introduction to light, bottom watering and harvest.
Which Microgreens Should Beginners Leave Until Later?
There is nothing wrong with starting with a speciality crop, but slower or unusual seeds can make it harder to tell whether your first tray is progressing normally.
I would generally gain experience with several fast crops before moving to varieties such as:
- Basil
- Parsley
- Coriander
- Mint
- Shiso
- Sorrel
- Watercress
- Very fine seeds
- Mucilaginous seeds that develop a gel coating when wet
These can produce excellent microgreens, but they often need more patience or a different approach to moisture and germination.
What Do Beginners Need to Grow Microgreens?
A basic microgreen setup does not need to be complicated.
You will generally need:
- A shallow grow tray with drainage
- A solid lower tray for bottom watering
- A suitable growing medium such as coco coir or fine seed-raising mix
- Microgreen seed
- Clean drinking-quality water
- A second tray or suitable cover for germination
- Bright natural light or a suitable grow light
- Clean scissors or a harvesting knife
Start with a simple system and learn how one crop behaves before adding more equipment or growing several unfamiliar varieties simultaneously.
Common Beginner Microgreen Mistakes
Starting with Too Many Varieties
Growing five trays at once can make it difficult to understand what each crop needs.
Start with one or two varieties and learn their normal growth cycle first.
Assuming Every Seed Needs Soaking
Broccoli, Daikon radish and Green Mustard should be sown dry using the current OzSprout method.
Pea and sunflower seed need pre-soaking.
Using the Same Seed Quantity for Every Crop
Seed size varies enormously. A tray of broccoli may use around 28g of seed while a pea-shoot tray can require hundreds of grams.
Always use the rate for the particular crop.
Overwatering
The growing medium should remain consistently moist, but microgreen roots also need oxygen.
More water does not automatically mean faster growth.
Leaving Crops in Blackout Too Long
Blackout helps germination and establishment, but established seedlings eventually need light.
Leaving them covered for too long can produce weak, excessively stretched growth.
Mistaking Root Hairs for Mould
Fine white root hairs are common on crops such as radish and broccoli.
Healthy root hairs generally form directly around individual roots, while irregular spreading growth accompanied by slime, deterioration or unpleasant odours is more concerning.
Detailed Growing Guides
Once you have chosen your first variety, use the crop-specific instructions rather than relying on one universal microgreen recipe:
For broccoli, mustard and the general tray-growing process, use our complete guide to growing microgreens at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest microgreen for a complete beginner?
Broccoli and Daikon radish are the two crops I would recommend first. Neither requires pre-soaking, both germinate quickly and both have relatively short growing cycles.
What is the fastest beginner microgreen?
Daikon radish is one of the fastest current OzSprout options, with a typical harvest window of approximately 7–10 days.
Which beginner microgreen has the mildest flavour?
Broccoli has a mild fresh brassica flavour and is generally less spicy than radish or mustard.
Which beginner microgreen is the spiciest?
Green Mustard and radish both provide noticeable heat. Mustard has a distinctly mustard-like spicy finish, while radish has a crisp peppery bite.
Do all microgreen seeds need soaking?
No. Broccoli, Daikon radish and Green Mustard are sown dry using the current OzSprout growing methods. Pea shoots and Black Sunflower require pre-soaking.
Do all microgreens need blackout?
No single blackout period applies to every crop. Current OzSprout guidance ranges from approximately 2–3 days for radish and mustard to 3–5 days for pea shoots.
Do I need a grow light?
Not always. Bright natural light can work in a suitable position, but grow lights provide more consistent light when natural conditions are weak or uneven.
Can I grow different microgreens together in one tray?
It is usually easier for beginners to grow varieties separately because seed size, soaking, blackout and harvest requirements differ.
Are pea shoots easy for beginners?
Yes, but they are slightly more involved than broccoli or radish because the large seeds require soaking and a longer covered establishment period.
Are sunflower microgreens difficult?
No, but sunflower requires pre-soaking, weighted germination and some seed-hull management. It is better as a second or third crop than as your first tray.
Best Microgreens for Beginners: The Bottom Line
You do not need to begin with complicated speciality crops.
Start with microgreens that germinate quickly and clearly demonstrate the basic growing process:
- Broccoli – best all-round first crop
- Daikon Radish – best for fast results
- Green Mustard – best for spicy flavour
- Pea Shoots – best introduction to large seeds
- Black Sunflower – best for crunch and texture
If this is your first attempt, choose broccoli or Daikon radish and concentrate on growing one good tray. Once you understand moisture, blackout, light and harvest timing, moving into peas, sunflower and more specialised varieties becomes considerably easier.