Yes, microgreens typically regrow after harvest but this depends on a number of factors including variety, growing conditions and harvesting process.
Regrowing requires having energy reserves within a plant’s seed or roots that provide energy reserves; unfortunately, once cut, they lose this ability and instead depend on soil for sustenance; consequently most cut microgreens do not regrow after being cut.
There are exceptions, however. Pea shoots and certain herbs like basil and mint tend to regrow successfully due to having larger seeds with greater energy reserves; additionally, their lower leaves remain active after being cut allowing photosynthesis (turning sunlight into food) to take place and produce microgreens that thrive again after harvest.
Microgreens do not typically recover after cutting, due to being harvested too early. Microgreens require at least one full set of leaves in order to photosynthesize and utilize all their stored nutrients – without them, microgreens cannot photosynthesize so will be unable to regenerate from a cut stem and leaf.
Once a microgreen has been cut, it becomes extremely vulnerable to fungal and other disease, especially those which thrive in damp environments. Fungus or pathogens may quickly take over and kill it off completely; even regrowth attempts might succeed but their quality might never match that of its initial harvest.
Finally, regeneration from cut seeds requires an enormous investment of energy and resources that could be better utilized growing new microgreens from fresh, healthy seeds.
Microgreens are easy to grow from seeds, making them the perfect solution for those without access to space or time for conventional farming or large gardens. Microgreens can be grown in shallow containers such as trays with lightweight soil medium or alternatives and harvested when just above the soil surface.
An effective microgreen harvest requires careful attention to both timing and technique. It is vital that growing medium is saturated with water before sowing seeds in high-light conditions, with any cutting done just above the growing medium line, so as not to damage roots or base of upper leaves. A sharp knife or scissors should be used for clean cuts that minimize damage while leaving as many healthy microgreens intact as possible for future plantings. Once harvested, all remaining roots and used growing medium should be placed into compost pile or worm bin for breakdown and recycling into fertilization programs or recycling programs for reuse elsewhere in soil enrichment efforts.