Microgreens are so easy - perfect for lazy gardeners and people with no space - not to mention delicious and healthy! A warm sunny porch, a windowsill, a patio, your balcony is all you need. And quick - you'll be eating your harvest in as little as 10 days.

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO...

* Choose a shallow container that will hold at least 2 cm of soil. You can use seed trays, a cut down ice cream container, small plastic pots, or a shallow terracotta bowl or bonsai container if you want to be flash. As long as it's shallow with drainage holes you can pretty much use anything.

* Fill the container with seed raising/potting mix 2/3 to 3/4 full, give it a couple of taps on the bench to settle and smooth out the surface. 

* Sprinkle your seed evenly and generously over the surface - you want them growing together quite densely because it keeps them nice and straight.

* Sieve some soil over the top until the seeds are lightly covered.  Then lightly firm the surface and water very gently with a fine nozzle so the seeds stay covered. Keep moist but not drenched.

* Cover the pot/tray with a damp paper towel, piece of newspaper or put in a ziplock bag to keep them warm and moist until they germinate, and once you see a bit of green put them in a sunny spot. It'll probably be 4-5 days.

* They're ready to harvest in as little as 10 days, up to 2 to 3 weeks after sowing, depending on what you plant.  Harvest by snipping the stems off with scissors just above the soil line, right after the first true leaves have appeared. Some will even sprout again, but if you keep sowing them every week or so you'll have a continuous supply.

GOOD ONES TO TRY

Look out for Kings Seeds and Yates Micro Greens ranges but there are plenty to try - just check at your local garden centre. Here are some of my favourites:

Pea 'Fiji Feathers'  - taste just like baby peas.

Radish 'Rambo' -  peppery and delicious

Radish 'Triton' - has pretty pink stems and a spicy taste, ready around 12 days after sowing

Beetroot 'Bulls Blood' and 'Rainbow Lights' - look really pretty on a plate

Radish 'Sango' - purple leaves and stems, really attractive and great in salads

Kings 'French Potager' blend - lots of goodies in one packet

Chives - delicious even in their infancy! Very easy to grow.

Lettuce 'Hint of Red' - tasty and good looking.

Mustard 'Streaks' - has a mildly mustard flavour and leaves like mizuna.

Dwarf Celery for cutting - tastes like the big stuff but quicker and easier!

Mescalun 'Kale blend'

OTHERS TO TRY - sweet basil, Amaranth 'Red Garnets', pak choi, mizuna, Rocket 'Emeralds'

Although you can experiment with other edibles, it pays to stick with the types recommended for microgreen growing, as some seeds that are meant to be grown to full size have been treated with a fungicide (the seeds are usually dyed pink or some other unnatural colour!), and aren't suitable for harvesting that young.

Bon appétit!