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Best Fertilizers and Nutrients for Microgreens (Soil + Hydroponic)

After 7+ years and hundreds of microgreen grow trials, we've put together our official "best nutrients" list. We'll start with our favorite soil additives and then move into our favorite hydroponic nutrients. Please keep in mind that the prices in the blog may reflect older pricing of products.

Please keep in mind that while we've tested a lot of nutrients, we haven't tried them all. We periodically update this list as we find new favorites.

If you're brand new to growing, start with our Beginner's Guide to Growing Microgreens or grab the $3.99 printable Beginner's Guide PDF. For the most accurate dilution ratios and pH targets, grab our Free Fertilizer Ratio Guide for Microgreens PDF.

Purple Kohlrabi microgreens growing on reusable silicone grow medium by On The Grow

Quick Answer: What Are the Best Nutrients and Fertilizers for Microgreens?

The best fertilizer for microgreens grown on coco coir or a reusable silicone grow medium is Ocean Solution 2-0-3, our top hydroponic pick after 7+ years of head-to-head testing. Mix at 0.5 oz per gallon of water and pH balance to 5.5 to 6.0. Other strong hydroponic options include Masterblend 4-18-38 (with calcium nitrate and Epsom salt), General Hydroponics MaxiGro 10-5-14, and Farmers Pride Micro & Grow. For soil-based growing, FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start (3-4-3) and Vermis Terra Premium Worm Castings are our top additive picks.

The key rule: never add liquid hydroponic nutrients to soil. Soil already contains enough nutrients for microgreens and adding more can cause tip burn, yellowing, or die-off. Liquid hydroponic nutrients are only for coco coir and reusable silicone grow mediums. Cost per tray ranges from about $0.15 to $0.39 depending on the product.

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Our Top Picks at a Glance

Favorite Soil Additive Nutrients

Favorite Hydroponic Nutrients

Best Soil Additives for Growing Microgreens

Vermis Terra Premium Worm Castings & Regular Castings

Vermis Terra Worm Castings bag for organic microgreon soil additive

These products are from the company Vermis Terra and are both a great soil or coco coir additive for giving your microgreens a growth boost. The NPK levels are 0.6-0.7-0.2 for the Premium castings, if you're curious. The best part is they are both OMRI listed for organic use, have the CDFA registered organic input material label, and their products are made in the USA. Since this is an additive rather than a hydroponic nutrient, you only need to add it once to your grow medium prior to seeding to reap the benefits. Vermis Terra Worm Castings are available on our Amazon storefront.

Our mixing ratio for both the premium and regular castings that we like to use for growing microgreens is 1/4 cup of Vermis Terra Worm Castings mixed with 6 cups of coco coir or soil, per 10x20 tray. Before seeding your trays, mix the grow medium and worm casting together until well combined, then evenly spread the mixture across your tray to give you a flat surface, and then seed as usual. You'll want to water with regular pH balanced water for the entire grow.

If you're curious what the cost is to add the premium worm castings product to your grows, we've found that it adds about $0.18 per tray. This also depends on where you are buying it from and the size of the bag you bought. In our case we have a 10lb bag and it costs about $34 for the 10lb bag.

FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start (Our Favorite Soil Additive)

FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start organic soil fertilizer for microgreons

This is a product from the company FoxFarm Soil and Fertilizer Company and is another great soil or coco coir additive for giving your microgreens a boost. Its NPK levels are 3-4-3 and it has active soil microbes. This product also has the OMRI listing for organic use, along with the CDFA registered organic input material label. Happy Frog Jump Start is comprised of ingredients like bat guano, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, and fish meal. Since this is an additive (in other words, fertilizer) rather than a hydroponic nutrient, you only need to add it once to your grow medium prior to seeding. Available on our Amazon storefront.

Our mixing ratio that we like to use for growing microgreens is 1 tablespoon of FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start mixed with 6 cups of coco coir or soil, per 10x20 tray. Before seeding your trays, mix the grow medium and Happy Frog Jump Start together until well combined, then evenly spread the mixture across your tray to give you a flat surface, and then seed as usual. You'll want to water with regular pH balanced water for the entire grow.

If you're curious what the cost is to add this product to your grows, we've found that it adds about $0.19 per tray if you bought the 4lb bag at the cost of $23.00 and only use 1 tablespoon of the product per tray.

Best Hydroponic Nutrients for Growing Microgreens

Farmers Pride (Micro & Grow)

Farmers Pride hydroponic nutrients Micro and Grow bottles for microgreens

The Farmers Pride Hydroponic nutrient comes in a 3-part set from a company called Blue Planet Nutrients, and we've found that bottom watering our microgreens using a blend of the Micro and Grow does provide a boost. NPK levels for the Grow are 4-0-1, and you do not need to use the Bloom if you're growing microgreens. They do claim that the Grow is organic and the Micro is all natural, though they do not seem to have any OMRI or other certifications showing on the label. Farmers Pride is a product that we have used for a few years now for growing microgreens, edible flowers, and adult crops. Available on our Amazon storefront.

Our mixing ratio that we like to use for growing microgreens is 2.5ml of Grow mixed with 2.5ml of Micro in a 3-gallon bucket of water, which we then pH balance to the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

If you're curious what the cost is to add this product to your grows, we've found that it adds about $0.30 to use the Grow and Micro together per tray.

Masterblend 4-18-38

Masterblend 4-18-38 tomato and vegetable formula hydroponic fertilizer

We've really been enjoying how the Masterblend 4-18-38 Tomato & Vegetable Formula has been growing microgreens for us. With this particular nutrient, you will either have to buy calcium nitrate and Epsom salt separately along with the Masterblend (since the directions have you mix all three together in water), or they also offer a kit that has all three items together. Its NPK levels for just the Masterblend is 4-18-38 and comes in a water-soluble form, which tends to give you more uses out of a single bag compared to liquid nutrients. As far as natural or organic claims, they do not have anything on the label or their website that says this product is natural or organic, so it may not be suitable if you are an organic or natural grower. Just like the Farmers Pride nutrient, Masterblend 4-18-38 is a product that we have used for years now for growing microgreens, edible flowers, and adult crops. In fact, this is our absolute favorite to use when growing edible flowers and adult crops specifically, because it has always provided the plants with great coloration. Available on our Amazon storefront.

Our mixing ratio that we like to use for growing microgreens is 1 teaspoon of Masterblend 4-18-38, 1 teaspoon calcium nitrate, and ½ teaspoon of Epsom salt in a 3-gallon bucket of water, which we then pH balance to the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

If you're curious what the cost is to add this product to your grows, we've found that it adds about $0.15 per tray.

General Hydroponics MaxiGro 10-5-14

General Hydroponics MaxiGro 10-5-14 water-soluble fertilizer for microgreens

MaxiGro is a water-soluble nutrient from a company called General Hydroponics that has been around for quite some time now, and this product is another nutrient that we have used for a few years for growing microgreens and have enjoyed the growth it provides. Its NPK levels are 10-5-14. Available on our Amazon storefront.

The mixing ratio that we like to use for growing microgreens is 1 teaspoon of MaxiGro per 1 gallon of water, so in a 3-gallon bucket of water you would add 3 teaspoons of MaxiGro, which we then pH balance to the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

If you're curious what the cost is to add this product to your grows, we've found that it adds about $0.22 per tray.

Vermis Terra Vitality Tea

Vermis Terra Vitality Tea organic worm casting liquid fertilizer bottle

This is another product from the company Vermis Terra, and it's called Vitality Tea, which is basically just worm casting tea (worm castings steeped in water) for use as a liquid fertilizer. This is a great product if you want to go the worm castings route but still do hydroponics when growing your microgreens. Available on our Amazon storefront.

The only downsides that we have noticed: because it is brown, it will stain trays, which means you will have to scrub a little more when washing them. And if you're using an automated system to grow your microgreens, this could potentially clog it, so keep that in mind. However, even with those two drawbacks, this is a very well-performing nutrient as far as growth boosting. Its NPK levels are 0.1 - 0 - 0.1. The Vitality Tea is OMRI listed for organic use, has the CDFA registered organic input material label, and their products are made in the USA.

Our mixing ratio that we like to use for growing microgreens is 0.5 oz of Vitality Tea per 1 gallon of water, which we then pH balance to the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

We currently do not have a cost per tray for this product, as we have not run the numbers yet.

Ocean Solution 2-0-3 (Our Favorite Hydroponic Nutrient)

Ocean Solution 2-0-3 hydroponic fertilizer quart bottle for microgreens

Ocean Solution 2-0-3 is a hydroponic nutrient derived from the ocean by a company called Ocean Grown Inc., and it is by far our favorite nutrient overall for growing microgreens specifically. It has been our top pick for quite some time now. The reason being is this nutrient has always outperformed other nutrients that we have put it against, to the point where we actually want something to beat it. Its NPK levels are 2-0-3, and Ocean Solution 2-0-3 is OMRI listed for organic use, has many other certifications, and their products are made in the USA. We sell it directly on our website at onthegrow.net.

Our mixing ratio that we like to use for growing microgreens is 0.5 oz of Ocean Solution 2-0-3 per 1 gallon of water, which we then pH balance to the 5.5 to 6.0 range.

If you're curious what the cost is to add this product to your grows, we've found that it adds about $0.39 per tray.

How and When to Apply Hydroponic Nutrients to Microgreens

When using ANY hydroponic nutrient, we do not give it to the microgreens during the germination stage. We first start our microgreens off by misting with regular filtered tap water during the first few days, then on the same day we introduce them to light for the first time, that is when we begin to bottom water with the hydroponic nutrient solution.

Important: We do not suggest using hydroponic nutrients when using soil as your grow medium. Soil already has enough nutrients for microgreens and may cause issues such as tip burn, yellowing, or die-off. Though hydroponic nutrients are perfect for use with coco coir, our reusable silicone grow medium, or other hydroponic grow mats.

We bottom water with the hydroponic nutrient twice a day, or as needed. Generally starting off with around ¼ to 2/3 cup per watering and bumping it up to 2 cups over the growth time for most microgreen crops.

For complete dilution ratios for every fertilizer covered above plus pH adjustment tips, download our Free Fertilizer Ratio Guide for Microgreens PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions About Microgreen Nutrients and Fertilizers

Do microgreens need fertilizer to grow?

It depends entirely on your growing medium. If you're growing in quality potting soil, you typically don't need any additional fertilizer because the soil provides enough nutrients for the short 7 to 14 day growing period. If you're growing on coco coir or a reusable silicone grow medium (which is completely inert and contains zero nutrients), then yes, you need to add a hydroponic nutrient solution to your water when you start bottom watering. Skipping nutrients on a reusable medium typically results in slower growth, lighter harvests, paler color, and reduced nutritional density.

What is the best fertilizer for microgreens?

After 7+ years of head-to-head testing, our top pick is Ocean Solution 2-0-3, mixed at 0.5 oz per gallon of water and pH balanced to 5.5 to 6.0. It's OMRI listed for organic use, derived from the ocean, and has consistently outperformed every other nutrient we've tested against it. For soil-based growing, FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start (3-4-3 NPK) is our favorite one-time additive at 1 tablespoon per 6 cups of medium per 10x20 tray.

Can I use Miracle-Gro on microgreens?

We don't recommend Miracle-Gro for microgreens. It's formulated for general garden plants and isn't ideal for the dense, fast-growing nature of microgreens or for use on a reusable silicone grow medium. Stick with hydroponic-specific nutrients like Ocean Solution 2-0-3, Masterblend 4-18-38, MaxiGro, or Farmers Pride. These are designed for water-based feeding and produce more consistent results.

How often do you fertilize microgreens?

For soil additives like FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start or Vermis Terra Worm Castings, you only add them once at the start when mixing your growing medium before seeding. For hydroponic nutrients on coco coir or reusable silicone grow mediums, you apply them through every bottom watering after the germination stage. We typically bottom water twice a day or as needed, starting with about ¼ to 2/3 cup per watering and increasing to 2 cups over the growth cycle.

What pH should microgreen water be?

Microgreens grow best with water pH balanced to the 5.5 to 6.0 range when using hydroponic nutrients. This range allows for optimal nutrient uptake. You'll need a pH meter and pH up/down solutions to adjust your nutrient mix accurately. Tap water that's heavily chlorinated should sit overnight before use, or use filtered or reverse osmosis water for the best results.

Can I use fertilizer in soil for microgreens?

You should never add liquid hydroponic fertilizer to soil. Soil already contains enough nutrients for the short microgreen growing cycle, and adding more can cause tip burn, yellowing, and crop die-off. The only fertilizers safe to use with soil are one-time additives mixed into the growing medium before seeding, such as FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start or Vermis Terra Worm Castings. After that, water with plain pH-balanced water for the entire grow.

Are organic fertilizers better for microgreens?

Organic fertilizers like Ocean Solution 2-0-3, Vermis Terra Worm Castings, and FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start (all OMRI listed) are excellent options if you want to grow organically. They typically cost 2 to 3 times more than conventional options like Masterblend or MaxiGro, but they're great for growers selling to organic-minded customers or for personal preference. For learning purposes, conventional microgreen-specific nutrients work perfectly fine and produce great results.

How much does it cost to fertilize microgreens per tray?

Cost per tray varies by product. Approximate costs based on our calculations: Masterblend 4-18-38 is about $0.15 per tray, Vermis Terra Premium Worm Castings about $0.18, FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start about $0.19, MaxiGro about $0.22, Farmers Pride Micro & Grow about $0.30, and Ocean Solution 2-0-3 about $0.39. Even our most expensive recommendation adds less than $0.40 per tray, making nutrients one of the most affordable parts of growing microgreens.

Can I make my own microgreen fertilizer?

Yes, you can make a DIY hydroponic nutrient solution by combining Masterblend 4-18-38, calcium nitrate, and Epsom salt in a 3-gallon bucket of water (1 teaspoon Masterblend, 1 teaspoon calcium nitrate, and ½ teaspoon Epsom salt). This is one of the most cost-effective approaches at about $0.15 per tray. For the dilution ratios for every fertilizer we recommend, grab our Free Fertilizer Ratio Guide for Microgreens PDF.

Should I use fertilizer with the reusable silicone grow medium?

Yes, fertilizer is highly recommended when growing on a reusable silicone grow medium. Silicone is completely inert and contains zero nutrients, so the only way your microgreens get nutrition during the grow is through the water you give them. Our top recommendation is Ocean Solution 2-0-3 at 0.5 oz per gallon, pH balanced to 5.5 to 6.0. For more on growing on the reusable silicone grow medium specifically, see our reusable silicone grow medium launch blog.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right fertilizer for microgreens comes down to two main factors: what growing medium you're using and whether you want organic certification. For soil growers, stick with one-time additives like FoxFarm Happy Frog Jump Start or Vermis Terra Worm Castings mixed in before seeding. For coco coir or reusable silicone grow mediums, our hands-down favorite is Ocean Solution 2-0-3 at 0.5 oz per gallon, pH 5.5 to 6.0.

We'll keep updating this list as we test new products. If you've found a nutrient you love that we haven't covered, let us know in the comments and we may add it to our next round of trials.

Curious about other growing supplies we use? Check out our Amazon storefront for our full list of recommended growing equipment.

Happy growing! 🌱

-CJ & Mandi

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Written by: Mandi Vaughn
Published: July 27, 2020
Updated: May 23, 2026
All content is property of On The Grow®, LLC

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