Thanksgiving is November 26. If you start growing microgreens today, you’ll have your first harvest before the end of this week — and a full rotation of fresh winter greens on the table for the holiday.
That’s not an aspiration. That’s the math. Radish microgreens take 5 to 7 days. Pea shoots take 8 to 10. Kale takes 8 to 12. Sunflower takes 10 to 12. Start now and every one of these is ready before Thanksgiving, with time to spare.
This guide is for the person who’s been meaning to start and is finally doing it. It tells you exactly what to plant, when it will be ready, and what to do with it once you have it. Then it gives you the system to keep fresh winter greens on your kitchen counter through February.
The Thanksgiving Timeline: What to Plant Right Now
Here’s the specific harvest calendar if you plant today. Thanksgiving is November 26.
| Variety | Plant By | Harvest Window | Thanksgiving Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radish Confetti | Nov 19 | 5–7 days → Nov 6–8+ | Topping for deviled eggs, turkey sliders, roasted beet salad |
| Pea Shoots | Nov 16 | 8–10 days → Nov 9–11+ | Mixed into salads, scattered over butternut squash soup |
| Kale Kalefetti | Nov 14 | 8–12 days → Nov 9–13+ | Blended into green smoothies, layered on grain sides |
| Sunflower | Nov 14 | 10–12 days → Nov 11–13+ | On a cheese board, added to stuffing garnish |
If you plant all four varieties this week, every single one is ready 10 to 14 days before Thanksgiving. You’ll have more fresh winter greens than you know what to do with — which is the right problem to have heading into a major cooking holiday.
Even if you’re reading this in mid-November, radish microgreens started on November 19 will be harvestable by November 24 or 25. You have more time than you think.
Radish Confetti Mix: The Thanksgiving Fast Track
Harvest: 5–7 days from planting. The fastest winter green you can grow.
If there’s one variety to start with for Thanksgiving, it’s radish. The Confetti Mix produces a blend of green, purple, and white stems that looks dramatic on any plate, and it’s ready faster than anything else you’ll grow.
The flavor is sharp and peppery — a perfect contrast to the rich, fatty, starchy profile of most Thanksgiving dishes. Think of it as the microgreens equivalent of a bright pickle or a hit of mustard on a plate that could otherwise feel heavy.
Best Thanksgiving uses for radish microgreens:
- On deviled eggs just before serving — the color contrast is stunning
- Scattered across a roasted beet and goat cheese salad
- On turkey or ham sliders as the finishing layer
- Alongside a charcuterie and cheese board as the fresh element
Radish microgreens are also among the most nutritious winter greens you can eat — high in vitamin C, glucosinolates, and antioxidants. See our full guide: The 5 Fastest-Growing Microgreens (Harvest in 7 Days or Less).
→ Radish Confetti Mix Microgreens Seeds — $3.99
Pea Shoots, Kale, and Sunflower: The Rest of the Thanksgiving Table
Pea Shoots — 8–10 days
Pea shoots are the mildest and most crowd-pleasing of the Thanksgiving lineup. Sweet, tender, and substantial enough to use as a bed for other ingredients rather than just a garnish. They’re the variety that even people who don’t eat greens will pick off the board.
Best uses: stirred into a warm butternut squash soup just before serving, scattered across a roasted carrot dish, or used as the fresh layer in a composed fall salad with pomegranate and pecans.
→ Pea Shoots Field Microgreens Seeds — $3.99
Kale Kalefetti Mix — 8–12 days
The Kalefetti Mix produces green, red Russian, and purple kale in a single tray — visually one of the most impressive crops to bring to a Thanksgiving table. Milder than full-grown kale, with a slightly earthy note that works in both raw and lightly dressed preparations.
Best uses: folded into a morning smoothie the day before Thanksgiving, layered under a wild rice and cranberry side dish, or scattered across a roasted mushroom and thyme appetizer.
→ Kale Kalefetti Mix Microgreens Seeds — $3.99
Sunflower Black Oil — 10–12 days
Sunflower microgreens are the most substantial of the four — nutty, slightly crunchy, and rich enough to eat as a standalone snack. At 10 to 12 days, they’re the latest of the Thanksgiving lineup, but they’ll still be ready with days to spare if you start this week.
Best uses: on a cheese board with aged gouda and walnuts, mixed into a simple arugula salad with lemon and olive oil, or used as a topping for a roasted vegetable tart.
→ Sunflower Black Oil Microgreens Seeds — $3.99
Your Setup: Everything You Need to Start Today
You need three things: seeds, a growing tray, and a grow mat. That’s the complete list.
The Microgreens Starter Kit — $24.99 — includes the tray, dome, and one organic coconut coir grow mat. Add the seeds for whichever varieties you want to grow first. Each seed pack ($3.99) includes its own grow mat, so every pack you buy is a complete first planting.
A practical November shopping list for a Thanksgiving-ready winter greens setup:
- Microgreens Starter Kit — $24.99 (tray + dome + mat)
- Radish Confetti Mix Seeds — $3.99 (fastest, plant first)
- Pea Shoots Seeds — $3.99
- Kale Kalefetti Mix Seeds — $3.99
- Sunflower Seeds — $3.99
Total: under $40 for four varieties, four grow mats, and a complete tray setup. If you want to run multiple trays simultaneously, the Indoor Seed Starter Kit 2-Pack at $17.99 gives you a second complete tray-and-mat setup for staggered planting.
Keep It Going All Winter: The Stagger-Planting System
Thanksgiving is the deadline that gets you started. But once you’ve grown your first tray, the natural question is: how do I keep this going through the cold months?
The answer is staggered planting — covered in full in our comprehensive winter growing guide: Winter Microgreens: How to Grow Fresh Food Indoors All Winter Long.
The concept: plant a new tray every 5 to 7 days. By the time you harvest Tray 1, Tray 2 is mid-cycle. By the time you finish Tray 2, Tray 3 is ready. The result is fresh winter greens every week from now through February with no gaps.
A simple December rotation with two trays:
| Week | Tray 1 | Tray 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Plant radish | — |
| Day 6 | Harvest radish | Plant pea shoots |
| Day 12 | Plant kale | Harvest pea shoots |
| Day 20 | Harvest kale | Plant sunflower |
With two trays rotating through four varieties, you harvest fresh winter greens every 5 to 7 days — on autopilot, without thinking about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it actually take to grow microgreens?
The fastest varieties — radish and mustard — take 5 to 7 days. Pea shoots and kale take 8 to 12 days. Sunflower takes 10 to 12 days. All of these are ready before Thanksgiving if you plant this week. For a complete harvest-timing guide, see: How to Harvest Microgreens the Right Way (Without Wasting Your Crop).
Do I need a grow light for November growing?
A south-facing window with 4 to 6 hours of indirect light is sufficient for radish, pea shoots, and kale. Sunflower may stretch slightly in lower November light but will still reach a harvestable size. A basic LED strip on a 16-hour timer solves any light deficit completely.
Can I grow microgreens without any outdoor space?
Yes — that’s exactly what they’re designed for. All you need is a surface near a window, a tray, a grow mat, and seeds. No soil, no mess, no outdoor garden required.
What’s the difference between the Starter Kit and just buying seeds?
The Starter Kit includes the growing tray and dome, which create the right conditions for germination. Seeds come with a grow mat, but not a tray or dome. Without a proper tray setup, results are inconsistent.
How much do I harvest from one tray?
A standard 10”×20” tray produces enough microgreens for 4 to 6 garnish servings, or 1 to 2 substantial salads. For a Thanksgiving table of 6 to 8 people, plan on 2 to 3 trays of different varieties.
Start This Week — Thanksgiving Won’t Wait
The window for a Thanksgiving-ready harvest closes around November 14 to 19 depending on the variety. Plant this week and you’ll have fresh, homegrown winter greens at the table — something genuinely impressive that took $4 of seeds and about five minutes of active effort.
After Thanksgiving, keep the rotation going. Fresh food through the cold months doesn’t require a complicated system — just two trays, a bag of seeds, and a windowsill. The system runs itself once you’re started.
Author: Aquager
Published: June 1, 2026
Updated: June 1, 2026
0 comments