S4ag Microgreens

---
name: s4ag-microgreens
description: "Microgreens guidance for household growers and small market producers. Use when the user asks about starting microgreens, choosing varieties, setting up trays, fixing mould or germination problems, or selling microgreens at market."
allowed-tools: [Read]
---

# Microgreens

Microgreens are the fastest path from seed to harvest on a farm — 7 to 21 days from seeding to cut, with no tillage, no season, and minimal space required. Your goal is a consistent, clean harvest that either feeds your household or earns a premium at market. This skill covers the full path: picking the right varieties for your purpose, designing a system you can actually run, seeding and growing without common failures, and troubleshooting when things go wrong.

**How this skill works:** Each sub-tool pauses at a **Checkpoint** to confirm the assumptions it is about to build on before producing output. A recommendation built on a wrong assumption wastes time and money — confirm the checkpoint before acting. Each sub-tool ends with **Next steps** — the skills worth running once you have acted on this one.

---

## Expert Lineage

*The thinkers whose frameworks underpin this skill — and what they specifically discovered that changes how you farm.*

**Mark Mathew Braunstein — The Microgreen Pioneer**
Braunstein's early work documented microgreens as a distinct horticultural category separate from sprouts — a distinction that matters practically because microgreen production requires a growing medium, light exposure, and root anchorage that sprout production does not. His specific contribution: the observation that cotyledon-stage harvesting captures peak nutritional density in most brassicas before secondary metabolism shifts resources into leaf structure. For the grower, this sets the harvest timing window — wait for the first true leaf on most species, not after.

**Johnny's Selected Seeds Research Programme — Agronomic Benchmarks**
Johnny's conducted systematic trials on seeding density, germination rates, and yield per tray across the major microgreen species. Their most actionable finding: most growers under-seed by 30–40%, producing a thin, leggy crop prone to damping-off and uneven germination. Dense seeding produces mutual support between stems, keeps humidity at root level, and drives the thick, uniform mat that makes professional-quality harvests. Their published seeding rates by species are the best single reference for system calibration.

**Cornell Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Group — Media and Nutritional Research**
Cornell's CEA programme conducted comparative trials on growing media and nutritional outcomes. Their finding that most directly changes practice: soil-grown microgreens — including a mix with biologically active compost — consistently produce higher mineral density than sterile soilless media, particularly for zinc, iron, and calcium. The biological activity in a compost-based medium appears to mediate mineral bioavailability at the root surface even in the very short growing cycle. For growers who care about nutritional density, this makes a strong case for a compost fraction in the medium.

**Elaine Ingham — Soil Food Web (Applied to Short-Cycle Growing)**
Ingham's framework applies here in a limited but real way: even in a 10-day crop, a biologically active growing medium outperforms sterile media for plant health indicators and mineral uptake. Her principle that plants access nutrients through biological mediation — not direct soil chemistry — holds even at microgreen timescales. Practically: a medium with 20–30% finished compost introduces sufficient microbial activity to improve mineral availability, and spent microgreen trays with root mats intact are a higher-value compost input than plain organic matter because they carry an established microbial community.

**Jean-Martin Fortier — Small-Scale Market Production Economics**
Fortier's market garden framework — high value per square metre, direct marketing, crop mix optimisation — applies directly to microgreens at market scale. His specific insight: the crops worth growing for market are those with the highest revenue per unit of time, not per unit of space. Microgreens, priced at $25–50/kg retail, satisfy this test better than almost any field crop. His tracking methodology — revenue per tray, sellout rate, waste percentage — is the management system that separates a profitable microgreen operation from a hobby.

**Charles Dowding — No-Dig Principles (Applied to Tray Systems)**
Dowding's no-dig research on minimal soil disturbance has an analogue in microgreen production: the growers who produce the most consistent harvests are those who treat the tray as a managed biological environment rather than a disposable substrate. His principle that biology, once established, does work the grower does not have to do applies: a medium with active biology handles pH buffering, moisture management, and early pest suppression in ways sterile media cannot. Spent tray material composted and reintroduced into the growing medium creates a biological feedback loop analogous to Dowding's compost-mulch cycle.

---

## Which tool fits

| You need to... | Tool |
|---|---|
| Choose what species to grow for your purpose and market | variety-selection |
| Design your tray setup, media, and lighting | system-design |
| Walk through the seeding, germination, and harvest process | seeding-and-growing |
| Diagnose mould, poor germination, leggy growth, or pests | troubleshooting |

## Routing Decision

- **Just starting out, don't know which species to grow** → variety-selection
- **Have species chosen, building or buying a system** → system-design
- **System in place, want a step-by-step process guide** → seeding-and-growing
- **Something has gone wrong — mould, yellow, sparse, pest** → troubleshooting
- **Unclear** → variety-selection first; species choice determines everything downstream

---

## Variety Selection

*Identifies which microgreen species suit your purpose, skill level, and market.*

Not all microgreens are equal to grow. Some species germinate at near 100% with minimal management; others require pre-soaking, blackout periods, or humidity control to produce reliably. Start with the easiest and most marketable before adding difficult species. The framework below lets you match species to your situation.

**Tier 1 — Easy, fast, high market demand:**
These species suit beginners and form the backbone of any market operation.

| Species | Days to harvest | Flavour | Seeding rate (g/10x20 tray) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflower | 10–14 | Nutty, mild | 90–120g (hulled) | Pre-soak 8h; thick, satisfying texture |
| Peas | 10–14 | Sweet, fresh | 200–250g | Pre-soak 8–12h; grows tall, popular at market |
| Radish | 7–10 | Peppery, sharp | 25–35g | Fast and reliable; high visual appeal |
| Broccoli | 10–14 | Mild brassica | 20–28g | High sulforaphane — nutritional selling point |
| Mustard | 7–10 | Spicy | 15–20g | Hot varieties (red frills) are visually striking |

**Tier 2 — Medium difficulty, strong market value:**

| Species | Days to harvest | Flavour | Seeding rate (g/10x20 tray) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amaranth | 10–14 | Mild, earthy | 10–15g | Striking red colour; needs consistent moisture |
| Beet | 12–18 | Earthy, sweet | 35–50g | Soak 4–6h; slow but dramatic colour |
| Corn | 10–16 | Sweet | 120–150g | Pre-soak 6h; needs warmth (21–24°C) |
| Cabbage | 10–14 | Mild brassica | 18–25g | Performs like broccoli; reliable |
| Basil | 14–21 | Aromatic | 8–12g | Needs warmth; mucilaginous seed — do not pre-soak |

**Tier 3 — Specialist or difficult:**
These reward experienced growers but fail unpredictably for beginners.

| Species | Challenge | Worth growing for |
|---|---|---|
| Cilantro/coriander | Slow, uneven germination; pre-crack seeds | Niche market; distinctive flavour |
| Fennel | Slow (18–25 days); needs consistent temp | Chefs' market |
| Wheatgrass | Dense seeding; prone to mould | Juicing market; requires dedicated customer |
| Celery | Tiny seed; very slow; 20+ days | Flavour concentrated; small market |

**For household use:** Radish, broccoli, peas, and sunflower give the best return for the effort. Grow one at a time until the process is reliable.

**For market:** Build a base of three to five Tier 1 species for volume and reliability. Add one or two Tier 2 species for visual interest and premium pricing. Add Tier 3 only when you have a confirmed buyer.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- Household use or market production? The economics of a market operation require species with sufficient margin and volume.
- If market: do you have confirmed buyers, or are you developing the market? Confirmed buyers allow specialisation; market development requires a broader safe range.
- Climate and growing space temperature? Basil and corn require 21–24°C minimum; most other species perform at 16–21°C.

A species recommendation built without knowing the end use produces the wrong variety mix and the wrong seeding density plan.

**Output:**
```
MICROGREEN VARIETY SELECTION
Purpose: [household / market — channel confirmed or to develop]
Environment: [indoor / outdoor / polytunnel / temperature range]

RECOMMENDED STARTING SPECIES
1. [Species] — [days to harvest] — [reason for inclusion]
2. [Species] — [days to harvest] — [reason for inclusion]
3. [Species] — [days to harvest] — [reason for inclusion]

SECONDARY SPECIES (add once confident with above)
- [Species] — [days to harvest] — [specific market or nutritional reason]

SPECIES TO AVOID FOR NOW
- [Species] — [reason — difficulty, market, temperature mismatch]

ESTIMATED WEEKLY PRODUCTION (if market)
Trays per week to target: [number]
Approx revenue per tray at $[price]/kg: $[amount]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run **system-design** (within this skill) — your species list determines tray sizing, light needs, and media depth.
- `/s4ag-market` — if selling at farmers market, variety mix and presentation decisions overlap with stall design and product mix.
- Run **seeding-and-growing** (within this skill) once system is in place.

---

## System Design

*Designs the physical setup — trays, media, lighting, and space — to match your species list and scale.*

A microgreen system has four physical components: trays, growing medium, light source, and environmental control. Each decision constrains the others. Work through them in sequence.

**1. Tray selection**

The 10x20 inch (25x51 cm) standard nursery flat is the industry default — widely available, stackable, compatible with most accessories. Use two trays per grow: a solid bottom tray (no holes) to hold water and a perforated insert tray for the growing medium.

| Tray approach | When to use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10x20 standard stack | Market scale, repeatable production | Most efficient use of shelf space; easy to source |
| Smaller custom trays | Household, variety trialling | Less efficient per unit area; easier to handle individually |
| Shallow (2–3cm depth) | Radish, broccoli, mustard — short-rooted species | Media use is lower; reduce medium cost |
| Deeper (4–5cm depth) | Peas, sunflower — species that root deeply for stem support | Essential for tall species stability |

**2. Growing medium**

Growing medium is the most consequential system decision for nutritional quality.

| Medium | Best for | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Sterile commercial soilless (peat/coir/perlite) | Fast production, mould control, consistent results | Lowest mineral density in the finished crop |
| 70% soilless + 30% finished compost | General purpose — best balance of control and nutrition | Compost source matters — use finished, odour-free compost only |
| 100% finished compost | Nutritional density focus | Higher mould risk; needs careful moisture management |
| Jute or hemp mats (soilless) | Wheatgrass, peas, sunflower — species harvested above the root mat | Cannot be reused; fast and clean |
| Reusable mats (burlap, coconut coir mats) | High-volume operations wanting reduced media cost | Requires cleaning protocol between uses |

*Soil health note: A 20–30% compost fraction introduces biological activity that improves mineral uptake even in the 10–14 day growing window. Spent trays with the root mat intact are a higher-value compost input — add them directly to an active compost pile rather than discarding.*

**3. Light requirements**

| Light source | Appropriate for | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| South-facing window (4+ hours direct sun) | Household scale, summer production | Insufficient in winter or cloudy climates; leggy growth |
| LED grow lights (full-spectrum, 6500K) | Year-round market production | Capital cost; electricity; heat management |
| T5 fluorescent | Budget start for market scale | Higher electricity cost than LED; bulbs degrade |
| Natural greenhouse / polytunnel light | Seasonal production, medium scale | Supplement in low-light months |

**LED specification for market production:**
- Hang 30–45cm above tray surface during growing phase (after blackout)
- Target 12–16 hours of light per day — use a timer
- Target PPFD of 150–250 µmol/m²/s for most microgreens — do not need the intensity required for fruiting crops
- Full-spectrum (blue + red + white) performs better than red/blue only for flavour and colour development

**4. Space and airflow**

- Minimum ceiling height for shelving with lights: 45cm between shelf levels (tray + 30–45cm hang)
- Air circulation is critical: stagnant humid air is the primary driver of mould. A small fan producing gentle air movement across trays reduces mould incidence dramatically.
- Temperature: 18–22°C is ideal for most species. Below 15°C, germination slows significantly. Above 26°C, risk of damping-off increases.

**5. System scale calculator**

| Goal | Trays per week | Shelf length needed | Light footprint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household (1–2 meals/week) | 2–4 trays | 1 standard shelf (60cm) | 1 small LED panel |
| CSA supplement / farm shop | 10–20 trays | 1 rack (4 shelves x 120cm) | 2–3 panels |
| Farmers market 1–2 days/week | 30–60 trays | 2–3 racks | 4–6 panels |
| Serious market operation | 80+ trays | Dedicated space with racking system | Purpose-built lighting grid |

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- Indoor or outdoor / polytunnel? Outdoor and polytunnel systems need a different light and temperature management approach.
- Is this for year-round production or seasonal? Year-round requires artificial light and heat management.
- Budget range for setup? LED racking for market scale is a real capital investment — confirm the budget before specifying.

Building a system without knowing the light situation and budget produces a design that doesn't match the reality.

**Output:**
```
MICROGREEN SYSTEM DESIGN
Scale: [household / CSA / market — trays per week target]
Environment: [indoor / polytunnel / mixed]

TRAY SETUP
Tray size: [10x20 / custom dimensions]
Tray configuration: [solid base + perforated insert / alternative]
Medium depth: [cm]

GROWING MEDIUM
Formula: [soilless only / soilless + compost ratio / mat]
Compost source: [on-farm finished / purchased — confirm quality]
Notes: [any species-specific medium variation]

LIGHTING
Source: [LED / T5 / natural / supplement]
Hang height: [cm above tray]
Hours per day: [number — use timer]
Estimated power cost: [per week if electric]

ENVIRONMENT
Temperature target: [°C range]
Airflow: [fan size / placement]
Humidity management: [note — lower is safer for mould]

SPACE REQUIRED
Shelving: [dimensions / rack configuration]
Total footprint: [m²]

ESTIMATED SETUP COST: [$/ range]
WEEKLY OPERATING COST: [$/ range — electricity + medium + seed]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run **seeding-and-growing** (within this skill) to put the system into operation.
- `/s4ag-controlled-environment` — if you are moving toward a fully controlled growing environment at meaningful scale, the CEA skill covers environmental management in more depth.
- `/s4ag-finance` — before scaling to market production, run the enterprise economics.

---

## Seeding and Growing

*Step-by-step from seed preparation through to harvest.*

This sub-tool assumes you have chosen your species and designed your system. If not, run **variety-selection** and **system-design** first.

**The production cycle has six stages:**

**Stage 1: Seed preparation (Day 0)**

| Species that need pre-soaking | Soak time | Water temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Sunflower (hulled) | 8 hours | Room temperature |
| Peas (whole dry) | 8–12 hours | Room temperature |
| Corn | 6–8 hours | Room temperature |
| Beet | 4–6 hours | Room temperature |
| Fenugreek | 6 hours | Room temperature |

Do not pre-soak: radish, broccoli, mustard, cabbage, basil (mucilaginous), amaranth. Soaking these increases mould risk without germination benefit.

After soaking, drain and rinse. Do not let soaked seeds sit wet — seed them immediately.

**Stage 2: Seeding (Day 0)**

1. Fill the perforated insert tray with growing medium to 2–3cm depth (or 4–5cm for peas and sunflower). Press lightly to eliminate air pockets. Do not compact — roots need pore space.
2. Moisten the medium until damp throughout but not waterlogged. Squeeze a handful — it should hold shape and release no water when squeezed hard.
3. Distribute seed evenly across the surface. Aim for a single dense layer — seeds touching but not piling. Reference seeding rates in variety-selection above.
4. Press seeds lightly into contact with the medium. A second tray pressed flat on top for 10 seconds works well.
5. Mist the seed surface with clean water.
6. Cover with a blackout dome or inverted tray weighted down.

**Stage 3: Germination under blackout (Days 1–4)**

- Stack trays or apply weight equivalent to 1–2 kg. This presses the seed into contact with the medium and encourages straight, strong stem development.
- Check moisture once daily. Lift the dome and mist if the surface looks dry. Do not waterlog — mist the surface only.
- Remove the dome when the tallest seedlings are pressing against it — typically day 2–4 depending on species and temperature.
- In warm conditions (22°C+), check on Day 2 — fast germinators push domes up quickly and will etiolate if left dark too long.

**Stage 4: Light phase (Days 4–12+, species-dependent)**

- Move trays under light or to a sunny window immediately after dome removal.
- Seedlings will green up within 6–12 hours of light exposure. If they remain pale yellow after 24 hours, light intensity is insufficient.
- Watering: bottom-water where possible. Pour 2–3cm of water into the solid base tray; the perforated insert will absorb from below. This keeps the canopy dry — the leading mould-prevention technique.
- If top-watering is necessary, water at the base of the plants, not over the canopy.
- Water once daily is typical, but monitor — medium should be moist, not saturated or dry.

**Stage 5: Harvest (Days 7–21, species-dependent)**

| Harvest indicator | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Cotyledon stage (recommended for most species) | Both seed leaves fully open and horizontal; first true leaf just beginning to emerge |
| First true leaf (some species — peas, sunflower) | One set of true leaves visible; harvest before second set |
| Taste test | Cut a small sample and taste — peak flavour usually aligns with visual cues |

Harvest method:
- Use clean, sharp scissors or a harvesting knife
- Cut 1–2cm above the medium surface — you want stem, not root mat
- Cut just before use for maximum freshness, or harvest and refrigerate immediately
- Pack loosely — do not compress — in breathable packaging or containers
- Refrigerated shelf life: 5–10 days depending on species. Peas and sunflowers last longest; basil is shortest.

**Stage 6: Post-harvest tray management**

- Spent trays can go directly to a compost pile. The root mat is a high-value compost input — dense with microbial biomass.
- If reusing trays: remove root mat, rinse with water, air dry. Do not reuse medium — start fresh each grow.
- Track each tray: date seeded, species, harvest date, fresh weight. This data drives the variety-selection and system-design decisions over time.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- Have you confirmed the temperature of the growing space? Germination failure is most commonly a temperature problem.
- Is the water source chlorinated? Chlorinated tap water can suppress the compost biology in your medium. Let it sit for 30 minutes before use, or use filtered water.
- Do you have a timer for lights? Manually managing light hours is the fastest route to inconsistency.

Germination failure, leggy growth, and mould are the three most common failures — all are process problems, not species problems. If something goes wrong, go to troubleshooting.

**Output:**
```
MICROGREENS PRODUCTION LOG
Tray ID: [number or code]
Species: [species name]
Seeded: [date]
Pre-soaked: [yes / no — hours]
Medium: [formula]
Seeding rate: [g used]

GERMINATION BLACKOUT
Dome applied: [date]
Dome removed: [date] — [height at removal: cm]
Moisture check notes: [any issues during blackout]

LIGHT PHASE
Light start: [date]
Water method: [bottom-water / top-water]
Any problems noted: [yes / no — describe]

HARVEST
Harvest date: [date]
Days to harvest: [number]
Fresh weight: [g]
Tray yield: [g/tray]
Quality notes: [colour, density, flavour]

TRAY DISPOSAL
Medium: [composted / discarded]
Tray: [cleaned for reuse / retired]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run **troubleshooting** (within this skill) if the harvest does not meet expectations.
- `/s4ag-composting` — to make full use of the spent tray root mats as compost inputs.
- `/s4ag-market` — once you have consistent production, take the next step toward selling.

---

## Troubleshooting

*Diagnoses and resolves the most common microgreen production failures.*

Most microgreen problems fall into four categories: mould, germination failure, poor growth (leggy or pale), and pest problems. Work through the diagnosis below, then apply the targeted fix.

---

**Problem 1: Mould**

Mould is the most common and serious failure mode. White fuzzy growth on the medium surface or stem bases is almost always one of three things: excessive moisture, insufficient airflow, or contaminated medium or seed.

| Symptom | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| White fuzz on medium surface only (not on plants) | Fungal decomposers in medium — usually root hairs, not pathogenic | Not a problem — do not spray. It disappears when trays go under light |
| White fuzz on stem bases with stem collapse | Damping-off (Pythium or Rhizoctonia) — too wet, too warm, no air movement | Cannot save the tray. Identify cause: reduce moisture, add fan, lower temperature |
| Grey-green fuzzy patches (Botrytis) on canopy | Canopy too wet, humidity too high | Switch to bottom-watering. Increase air movement. Harvest earlier |
| Widespread surface mould before germination | Contaminated seed or medium | Source cleaner seed. Use fresh medium. Consider 30-second hydrogen peroxide seed rinse (3% solution) |

Prevention protocol (implement all four):
1. Bottom-water only — keeps canopy dry
2. Fan providing gentle continuous air movement across trays
3. Germination room temperature below 23°C
4. Seed at the correct density — too sparse increases mould risk because canopy doesn't close and moisture sits on the medium surface

---

**Problem 2: Germination failure or uneven germination**

| Symptom | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing germinates after 4 days | Temperature too low (<15°C) | Move to warmer space; use seedling heat mat under trays |
| Patchy germination (50–70% coverage) | Uneven seeding; old seed | Rethink seeding technique; check seed viability |
| Germination starts then stops | Moisture failed during blackout | Check daily and mist as needed |
| Species-specific failure (e.g. cilantro) | Seed needs cracking — hard outer shell | Use cracked coriander seed, or gently crack between two hard surfaces |
| Pre-soaked seed rotting before germination | Over-soaked; anaerobic conditions | Reduce soak time; rinse more thoroughly; seed immediately after soaking |

Seed viability test: Scatter 10 seeds on a damp paper towel, fold, seal in a bag, leave at room temperature for 5 days. Count germination percentage. Below 80% — buy fresh seed.

---

**Problem 3: Leggy, pale, or weak growth**

Leggy growth (long, thin stems) and pale or yellow colour are both light problems. Dense, short, richly coloured growth is the target.

| Symptom | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Long, pale, thin stems | Insufficient light intensity | Move closer to window; increase LED intensity; reduce light distance |
| Yellowing throughout (after dome removal) | Kept under blackout too long; low light | Ensure dome is removed as soon as seedlings push against it |
| Stems lean strongly to one side | Uneven light source | Rotate trays 180° daily; reposition light |
| Short and stocky under dome, then collapses | Medium too wet; damping-off beginning | Reduce watering; improve drainage; use lighter medium |
| Top growth fine but thin stems at base | Seeded too sparsely — mutual stem support missing | Increase seeding density on next tray |

Light troubleshooting: If you suspect light is the problem, measure the distance from the light to the tray surface. For LEDs, the optimal range is 30–45cm. For window growing, the plant needs 4+ hours of direct sun or 6+ hours of bright indirect light — fewer hours than this produces leggy growth regardless of species.

---

**Problem 4: Pest problems**

Microgreens grown indoors have limited pest exposure, but three pests appear commonly.

| Pest | Identification | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Fungus gnats | Small flies at soil surface; larvae in medium eating roots | Yellow sticky traps above trays; diatomaceous earth on medium surface; Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) as a drench; bottom-watering reduces surface moisture that draws adults |
| Shore flies | Similar to fungus gnats but faster-moving; less damaging | Same as fungus gnats; improve drainage |
| Thrips | Silver-scarred leaves; tiny insects in leaf folds | Difficult in a microgreen system — harvest early if detected; deep clean all trays and surfaces between grows |
| Aphids | Cluster on new growth | Rinse with water before harvest; deep clean equipment |

The most effective pest prevention in microgreens is sanitation: clean trays between uses, do not allow standing water, and do not let finished or rotting plant material sit near growing trays.

---

**Problem 5: Off flavour or texture**

| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter or sour flavour | Harvested too late (true leaf development); heat stress | Harvest earlier; reduce temperature |
| Watery, weak texture | Over-watered; harvested too young | Reduce water; let cotyledons fully develop before cutting |
| Tough or fibrous stems | Species harvested too late | Species-specific — check variety-selection for correct harvest stage |
| Poor shelf life (wilts within 1–2 days) | Harvested at peak heat; not pre-cooled | Harvest in the morning; chill immediately; store at 2–4°C |

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- Is this a one-off failure on a single tray, or a recurring pattern across multiple trays? One-off failures are usually process errors; recurring patterns point to a system design problem.
- What is the temperature in the growing space at night? Many failures that seem like day problems are actually night temperature drops.
- When did you last replace your growing medium, and what is its source? Old or contaminated medium causes a surprising proportion of recurring mould and germination problems.

Treating a symptom without confirming the underlying cause produces the same failure on the next tray.

**Output:**
```
MICROGREENS TROUBLESHOOTING REPORT
Tray ID: [number]
Species: [species]
Problem observed: [description]

DIAGNOSIS
Most likely cause: [cause]
Contributing factors: [list]
Confidence: [high / medium — low means gather more information]

IMMEDIATE ACTION
[What to do with the current tray — harvest early / discard / continue monitoring]

SYSTEM FIX
[What to change for the next tray to prevent recurrence]

NEXT TRAY TRIAL
Adjust: [specific change — e.g. reduce seeding depth to 3cm, add fan, switch to bottom-watering]
Monitor: [what to watch and when]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run **seeding-and-growing** (within this skill) with the corrected process on the next tray.
- `/s4ag-composting` — if mould is systemic, review the compost fraction in your medium for quality and maturity.
- `/s4ag-market` — if production is now consistent, address the market side.