Best Trays and Containers for Growing Microgreens: Complete Guide
By Bryan, Microgreens Farmer at Wind River GreensQuick answer: The best microgreen trays provide proper drainage, are 1-2 inches deep, and offer easy harvesting access. You'll want containers with built-in drainage holes or a two-tray system to maintain consistent moisture without waterlogging. Plastic trays work well for beginners due to affordability, while stainless steel options provide better durability for long-term growing.
Choosing the right trays and containers is crucial for successful microgreen cultivation. The best containers provide proper drainage, adequate growing space, and easy harvesting access while fitting your budget and growing goals.
Whether you're just starting your microgreen journey or scaling up production, the container system you choose will directly impact your harvest quality, growth speed, and overall success rate.
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Understanding Microgreen Container Requirements
Before diving into specific products, it's essential to understand what makes a great microgreen container. Unlike traditional gardening, microgreens have unique needs that require specialized growing setups.
Drainage is absolutely critical. Microgreens need consistent moisture but cannot tolerate standing water, which leads to mold and root rot. The best containers feature either built-in drainage holes or work as part of a two-tray system.
Size matters for root development. Most microgreen varieties need containers that are 1-2 inches deep. Shallow containers work perfectly since microgreens are harvested before developing extensive root systems.
Material choice affects durability and cost. Plastic trays are lightweight and affordable, while stainless steel options offer superior longevity and easier sanitization between growing cycles.
Top Tray Systems for Home Growers
Bootstrap Farmer 10x20 Growing Trays
These heavy-duty plastic trays are incredibly popular among both home growers and small commercial operations. The thick construction prevents cracking and warping, even with regular use.
What makes them special: The extra-strong ridged bottom provides excellent drainage while supporting the growing medium. They're also stackable, making storage simple when not in use.
Best for: Serious home growers who want professional-quality equipment. These trays work beautifully for larger varieties like sunflower and pea shoots that need more space to develop.
Standard 1020 Seed Starting Trays
The classic choice for beginners, these lightweight plastic trays are available at most garden centers. While not as durable as premium options, they're perfect for testing different growing methods.
Drainage considerations: Standard 1020 trays often need additional drainage holes drilled for optimal microgreen growing. Most come with minimal drainage that works fine for traditional seed starting but isn't quite enough for microgreens.
Budget-friendly approach: These trays typically cost under $2 each, making them ideal for experimenting with different varieties before investing in higher-end equipment.
Mesh Bottom Growing Trays
Some growers swear by mesh-bottom containers that allow air circulation from below while providing excellent drainage. These work especially well in greenhouse or controlled environment setups.
Airflow advantages: The mesh bottom promotes healthy root development and reduces the risk of mold issues, particularly important for dense varieties like broccoli and radish microgreens.
Professional-Grade Container Options
Stainless Steel Growing Trays
Restaurant and commercial kitchens often use stainless steel sheet pans that double perfectly as microgreen growing containers. These offer unmatched durability and are incredibly easy to sanitize.
Long-term investment: While more expensive upfront, quality stainless steel trays can last decades with proper care. They're also completely food-safe and won't retain odors or stains.
Size versatility: Available in multiple sizes from quarter-sheet to full-sheet pans, allowing you to match container size to your available space and growing goals.
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Perforated Insert Systems
Many professional growers use perforated inserts that fit inside solid trays, creating a two-level drainage system. This setup provides the ultimate control over moisture levels.
How they work: The perforated top tray holds your growing medium and seeds, while the solid bottom tray catches excess water. This prevents soggy roots while maintaining consistent moisture.
Customization benefits: You can adjust water levels in the bottom tray to fine-tune growing conditions for different microgreen varieties.
DIY Container Solutions
Repurposed Food Containers
Many successful growers start with repurposed takeout containers, yogurt cups, or other food-grade plastic containers. This approach costs almost nothing and works surprisingly well for small-scale growing.
Modification requirements: Most repurposed containers need drainage holes added. Use a heated nail or small drill bit to create 6-8 holes in the bottom.
Size limitations: Smaller containers work best for quick-growing varieties like radish and broccoli microgreens. Larger varieties like sunflower need more root space.
Aluminum Disposable Pans
Disposable aluminum pans from the grocery store make decent temporary growing containers. They're especially useful for testing new varieties or giving away starter kits to friends.
Drainage setup: Poke holes in the bottom with a skewer or knife tip. Space holes about 2 inches apart for optimal drainage.
When to use them: Perfect for one-time growing experiments or teaching children about microgreens. At Wind River Greens, we often recommend this approach for families just getting started.
Container Size Considerations
Matching Container Size to Variety
Different microgreen varieties have varying space requirements that affect container choice. Understanding these needs helps you maximize yields and plant health.
Compact varieties: Radish, broccoli, and mustard microgreens grow well in smaller containers due to their fine root systems and quick growing cycle.
Space-hungry varieties: Sunflower and pea shoots need larger containers to accommodate their more extensive root systems and taller growth habit.
Scaling for Production Goals
Consider your harvesting frequency when choosing container sizes. Larger containers produce bigger harvests but require more seeds, growing medium, and space.
Small batch approach: Multiple smaller containers let you stagger plantings for continuous harvests. This works well for home use where you want fresh microgreens available weekly.
Efficiency considerations: Larger containers reduce the number of individual plantings you need to manage, making them ideal when growing for farmers markets or restaurants.
Drainage Systems Explained
Bottom-Watering vs Top-Watering Setup
Your container choice affects watering methods, which significantly impacts growing success. Understanding these relationships helps you choose the right system.
Bottom-watering benefits: Prevents seed displacement and reduces mold risk by keeping foliage dry. Requires containers that can sit in water trays without becoming waterlogged.
Top-watering considerations: More traditional but requires careful technique to avoid overwatering. Works with any container that has proper drainage holes.
Creating Effective Drainage
Proper drainage prevents the most common microgreen growing problems. Even the best containers need attention to drainage details.
Hole size and spacing: Drainage holes should be large enough to prevent clogging but small enough to retain growing medium. Quarter-inch holes spaced 2-3 inches apart work well for most situations.
Elevation techniques: Raising containers slightly off flat surfaces improves drainage and air circulation. Simple jar lids or cork coasters work perfectly for this purpose.
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Material Comparisons
Plastic vs Metal vs Glass
Each material offers distinct advantages depending on your growing situation, budget, and long-term goals.
Plastic advantages: Lightweight, affordable, and available in many sizes. Modern food-grade plastics are safe and durable enough for years of use.
Metal benefits: Superior durability and heat conduction can actually benefit some growing situations. Stainless steel is completely food-safe and incredibly easy to clean.
Glass considerations: While beautiful and completely inert, glass containers are heavy, breakable, and expensive. Better suited for decorative growing than production.
Food Safety Considerations
Using food-grade containers is essential when growing microgreens for consumption. This becomes especially important if you're considering selling your harvest.
Certification importance: Look for containers marked as food-grade or FDA-approved. Avoid containers that previously held non-food items, even if thoroughly cleaned.
Chemical concerns: Some recycled plastics may contain chemicals that leach into growing mediums. When in doubt, stick with containers specifically designed for food production.
Budget-Friendly Starter Setups
Under $20 Complete Systems
Getting started with microgreen growing doesn't require expensive equipment. Many successful growers begin with simple, affordable container systems.
Basic two-tray system: One solid tray for water collection and one perforated tray for growing. Total cost under $15 for a system that grows enough microgreens for a family.
Repurposed container approach: Free containers from your kitchen plus a $5 bag of growing medium gets you started immediately.
When to Upgrade Equipment
Starting simple makes sense, but knowing when to invest in better containers improves your growing experience and results.
Volume indicators: If you're growing more than 2-3 trays per week consistently, upgrading to professional equipment often pays for itself in improved efficiency.
Quality improvements: Better containers reduce crop losses from drainage problems and make harvesting easier and more pleasant.
Maintenance and Longevity
Cleaning Between Growing Cycles
Proper container maintenance prevents disease buildup and extends equipment life. Different materials require different cleaning approaches.
Plastic container care: Wash with warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Occasional disinfecting with diluted bleach solution prevents bacterial buildup.
Metal container maintenance: Stainless steel handles stronger cleaning agents and high temperatures. Dishwasher cleaning works perfectly for most metal containers.
Storage Solutions
When not actively growing, proper storage keeps containers in good condition and ready for use.
Space-saving tips: Stackable containers reduce storage space requirements. Nesting designs work even better for long-term storage.
Organization benefits: Keeping containers clean and organized makes starting new growing cycles faster and more enjoyable.
Container Size Planning for Different Growing Scales
Your container choice should match your household's microgreen consumption and available growing space. A family of four typically consumes 2-3 trays of microgreens per week, assuming daily salad additions and occasional garnish use.
Small-scale home growing (1-4 trays): Standard 10x20 inch trays work perfectly. You can fit four trays on a typical kitchen counter or single grow light setup. This size produces roughly 3-4 ounces of microgreens per tray.
Medium-scale operations (5-12 trays): Consider investing in restaurant-grade aluminum trays or heavy-duty plastic systems. At this scale, you'll want containers that can handle frequent washing and won't crack after 20-30 growing cycles.
Space-efficient alternatives: Vertical growing systems using smaller 5x5 inch containers maximize production in tight spaces. These work especially well for quick-growing varieties like radish and arugula that are ready in 7-10 days.
Material Durability and Longevity Factors
Container material directly impacts your long-term growing costs and success rates. Each material has specific advantages that matter for different growing situations.
Plastic trays typically last 15-25 growing cycles before developing cracks or permanent stains. Food-grade polypropylene handles temperature changes better than standard plastics and resists cracking when you're washing with hot water.
Stainless steel containers cost 3-4 times more initially but can last for years of regular use. They're essential if you're growing for sale or feeding a large family, as they maintain their shape and don't retain odors or stains.
Sanitization Requirements by Material
Different materials require specific cleaning approaches to prevent contamination between growing cycles:
- Plastic trays: Wash with 10% bleach solution and rinse thoroughly. Avoid abrasive scrubbing that creates scratches where bacteria can hide.
- Stainless steel: Can handle stronger sanitizing solutions and high-heat cleaning. Steam cleaning works excellently for commercial-scale operations.
- Ceramic containers: Perfect for small-batch specialty varieties but require gentle handling. They retain moisture well but can crack if dropped.
Common Container Setup Mistakes to Avoid
Many beginning growers make preventable mistakes that reduce yields and create frustrating growing experiences.
Inadequate drainage holes: Containers need drainage holes every 2-3 inches across the bottom surface. Too few holes create wet spots where mold develops, while too many can cause growing medium to wash away.
The "wet paper towel only" approach fails consistently after the first few growing attempts. While it works for initial germination, microgreens need proper growing medium support once their roots develop.
Wrong container depth: Containers deeper than 3 inches waste growing medium and can create anaerobic conditions in the bottom layer. Shallow containers under 1 inch don't provide adequate root space for larger varieties like sunflower microgreens.
Overcrowding multiple varieties: Different microgreen varieties have varying growth rates and heights. Mixing fast-growing radish with slower pea shoots in the same container leads to uneven harvesting and shading issues.
Temperature-Related Container Considerations
Container material affects soil temperature, which directly influences germination speed and final yields.
Dark-colored containers absorb more heat under grow lights, which speeds germination but can overheat delicate varieties like lettuce microgreens. Light-colored containers maintain more stable temperatures but may slow germination in cool growing areas.
Metal containers conduct temperature changes rapidly, making them unsuitable for areas with significant day-night temperature swings. Plastic provides better insulation for consistent growing conditions.
Conclusion
The best trays and containers for growing microgreens balance drainage, durability, and cost while fitting your space and production goals. Whether you choose professional stainless steel systems or start with repurposed containers, proper drainage and food-grade materials are non-negotiable for healthy, safe harvests.
Remember that container choice affects every aspect of your growing experience, from watering frequency to harvest quality. Starting with simple, proven designs lets you learn the basics before investing in specialized equipment that matches your specific needs and growing style.