Growing Guide · Microgreens

Asian microgreens &
aquaponics

Microgreens don't grow in fish water — they grow alongside your aquaponic system on a dedicated tray shelf, often irrigated with diluted fish water. It's the fastest path to high-value produce from your setup. These are the varieties we grow at Akari Farms, with a focus on Asian microgreens rarely found in stores.

 Asian-focused varieties Shiso, daikon, bok choy, and tatsoi microgreens are standard ingredients in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese kitchens — and almost never available fresh outside Asian grocery stores. Growing them yourself takes 7–18 days.

How microgreens integrate with your aquaponic system

The integration diagram

🐟 Fish tank + sump fish water 1:3 🌱 Microgreens tray coco coir / hemp mat drain after 30 min 💡 shared grow light 🥢 Harvest & use 7–18 days

Draw fish water from your sump or after your solids filter, dilute 1:3 with fresh water, and bottom-water trays every 1–2 days. Fish water provides balanced nitrogen that produces more vibrant microgreens than plain water. Drain trays after 30 minutes — never let them sit in standing water. The microgreens share the same grow light shelf as your aquaponic beds, placed on the outer edges where light is slightly lower.

Asian microgreen varieties we grow

Shiso Microgreens 紫蘇
shiso · perilla · kkaennip
The same intense flavor as full-size shiso but more concentrated. Exceptional for sashimi garnish, Japanese plating, and chilled tofu. Worth the longer germination.
14–18 days Intermediate
Buy seeds — True Leaf Market
Daikon Radish 大根
daikon · 무 (mu)
Spicy, crunchy, and the most reliable microgreen you can grow. Ready in 7–9 days, pairs with everything from ramen to sashimi to bibimbap. The workhorse of our tray operation.
7–9 days Easiest
Buy seeds — True Leaf Market
Bok Choy 白菜
bok choy · bai cai
Mild, slightly mustardy, and excellent in ramen, pho, and dumplings. Fast and reliable — one of our highest-volume varieties. Very popular at community markets.
8–10 days Easy
Buy seeds — True Leaf Market
Tatsoi 塌菜
tatsoi · ta cai
Dark green, with a subtle spoon-mustard flavor. Beautiful on salads and Japanese bento. Grows vigorously and handles cooler growing temperatures well.
8–12 days Easy
Buy seeds — True Leaf Market
Pea Shoots 豆苗
dou miao · ngồng đậu hà lan
Sweet, tender, and the easiest microgreen to start with. Dou miao (pea shoots) are a beloved Chinese vegetable — stir-fried with garlic, they are extraordinary. Soak seeds overnight before seeding.
10–12 days Easiest
Buy seeds — True Leaf Market
Amaranth 苋菜
xian cai · rau dền
Stunning deep red-purple and mild earthy flavor. Used in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking as a leafy green. Visually the most striking microgreen — exceptional for plating and presentation.
8–12 days Easy
Buy seeds — True Leaf Market
Fish water makes better microgreens We've grown side-by-side comparisons — trays watered with diluted fish water (1:3) consistently produce more vibrant color, stronger stems, and more complex flavor than plain water. The fish waste provides a perfect organic nitrogen source at exactly the right concentration for microgreens.

Step-by-step: growing microgreens alongside your system

1
Choose your growing mediumCoco coir is our preference — inert, holds moisture well, stays clean next to fish water. Hemp mats are faster and great for pea shoots and sunflower. Never use potting mix.
2
Pre-soak large seedsPeas, sunflower, and beans benefit from 8–12 hours of soaking before seeding. Small seeds like shiso, amaranth, and tatsoi go straight onto a misted surface — no soaking needed.
3
Broadcast densely, then weigh downSpread seeds edge-to-edge on a misted tray. Stack an empty tray on top and add weight for 2–3 days. This encourages straight stems and even germination — the "blackout" phase.
4
Move to light once pushingWhen seedlings push up against the weight tray (usually day 3), move to your grow light shelf. Place microgreen trays on the outer edges of the light canopy.
5
Bottom-water with fish waterPour diluted fish water (1:3) into the tray and allow roots to soak from below. Drain after 30 minutes every 1–2 days. Never top-water once seeds are germinated — causes damping off.
6
Harvest at cotyledon or first true leafCut just above the growing medium with clean scissors. Rinse gently, spin dry, and use immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Add a microgreens shelf to your system — free