Shoots to thrill

BECOME A MICRO CONNOISSEUR OF GREENS AND HERBS. IT'S MUCH EASIER THAN YOU THINK

- DIARMUID GAVIN

I'LL never forget the excitement as a young boy when I first discovered how seeds grow into plants. A neighbour showed me how to germinate cress seeds.

She sprinkled them across some damp layers of kitchen towel which was in a shallow container. She sprayed them with water and I carefully took them home and put them on the kitchen windowsill.

With strict instructions to keep them damp, I checked them every few hours and within a day or so, to my amazement, they began to sprout. I watched day by day and within a week I had an edible crop.

Today, growing microgreens such as cress has become trendy but the principles remain the same. Seeds require water in the first instance to germinate.