Grow Microgreens on a Windowsill in Sardine Tins

The Problem

Growing food usually gets filed under "needs a garden." Microgreens don't — they're the edible seedlings of familiar plants, they grow in almost anything, and they're ready in about a week. The only setup question: what's a shallow container with drainage that fits a windowsill?

The Technique

1. Punch a few drainage holes in the bottom of empty sardine tins — the thin metal makes this easy, and the tin is the same size as a classic punnet of cress.
2. Rehydrate a coconut coir disc and set it in the tin as the growing medium.
3. Sow seeds thickly, straight onto the surface — broccoli, pak choi, kale, radish, and cress all work — and give them a spray of water.
4. Stack the tins on top of each other while the seeds germinate. The weight pressing down on the seeds pushes stronger, more even growth.
5. After a couple of days, unstack and line the tins up on the windowsill. Keep them moist.
6. Harvest with scissors as you want them — as garnish snips or by cutting a whole tray into a salad.