Hamama vs True Leaf Market: Which Microgreen System Is Worth It?

When I first got into microgreens, Hamama seemed like the obvious choice. Pre-seeded quilts, no mess, no guessing. I ordered the starter kit and grew three trays before I even googled the alternatives.

Then I found True Leaf Market.

True Leaf Market is not a kit system — it is a seed company. They sell bulk microgreen seeds, growing trays, growing media, and accessories separately. There is no app, no subscription, no seed quilts. Just seeds in a bag and the expectation that you figure out the rest. Which sounds worse on paper, but works out much better in practice once you know what you are doing.

I have been using both systems for the past 14 months. Hamama for convenience and consistency, True Leaf Market for variety and cost savings. Here is what I have actually learned — including the numbers most comparisons skip over.

Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I have personally used.

Quick Comparison

Factor	Hamama	True Leaf Market
System Type	Subscription quilt kit	Seed + supplies retailer
Starter Cost	$39 (kit + 3 quilts)	$28-65 (trays + seeds)
Per-Tray Cost	$5-6 (quilt refills)	$0.75-2.00 (bulk seeds)
Seed Varieties	~18 quilt options	60+ microgreen varieties
Germination Rate	~95%	85-95% (variety-dependent)
Grow Time	7-10 days	6-14 days (variety-dependent)
Skill Required	Very low	Low to moderate
Best For	Total beginners	Cost-conscious growers

What Hamama Is and How It Works

Hamama built their system around a single insight: most people fail at growing microgreens because they seed too thickly, water too much, or water too little. Their fix was to remove those decisions entirely.

A Hamama seed quilt is a pre-seeded, biodegradable mat. The seeds are embedded in the quilt at the correct density for that variety — you cannot mess it up. You fill the plastic grow tray with water to just below the quilt, drop in the quilt, and leave it alone. The quilt wicks moisture up from the reservoir. You do not add more water unless the reservoir runs dry. You do not mist the seeds. You barely interact with the tray at all.

The blackout period — the 3-4 days of covered darkness that most methods require for germination — is built in. The dense mat acts as its own light blocker. After 3-4 days you see the quilt pushing upward with germinated seeds. Then you give it light for 4-7 more days and harvest.

Results are extremely consistent. My Hamama radish trays hit 95%+ germination every single time across dozens of grows. Broccoli and kale were similarly reliable. The only variety that underperformed was wheatgrass, which germinated at about 88% — still good, but the thick seeding sometimes led to patchiness at the edges.

The Hamama subscription delivers refill quilts automatically on a schedule you choose. You can also just order them one-time through their website or on Amazon. I prefer ordering in batches through Amazon for price predictability — subscriptions auto-renew and I kept forgetting to pause when I had backstock.

The quilt selection runs to about 18 varieties as of early 2026: radish (several varieties), broccoli, kale, daikon, arugula, wheatgrass, salad mix, sunflower, and a few seasonal options. Coverage is decent for a beginner but limited compared to the variety you can source from True Leaf Market.

What True Leaf Market Is and How It Works

True Leaf Market is a Utah-based seed company that has been supplying microgreen seeds since 2012. They sell seeds by the pound, growing trays, coco coir, hemp growing mats, humidity domes, spray bottles, pH meters, and basically every accessory you need to build your own growing setup from scratch.

There is no kit, no system, no subscription by default. You decide what you need and order it.

For a complete True Leaf Market setup comparable to Hamama, you would order:

Bootstrap Farmer 1020 trays (5-pack with drainage trays) — around $28
Coco coir brick (expands to fill 20+ trays) — around $15
Radish seeds, 1 lb — around $10-15
Hemp grow mats (optional, for no-mess growing) — around $15 for a 10-pack

Total startup: $53-73. Similar to Hamama’s $39 starter, but you now have enough growing media for 20+ trays and seeds for 15-30 trays depending on the variety.

The ongoing process is more hands-on than Hamama. You moisten your growing medium, spread seeds at the right density, cover for the blackout period, uncover after 3-4 days, water daily, and harvest at the right moment. This takes about 5-10 minutes of active attention per day — not much, but it is not the “drop and forget” experience Hamama offers.

The payoff is significantly cheaper ongoing costs and access to a much wider variety catalog.

Cost Comparison: The Real Numbers

This is where most comparisons get vague. Let me be specific.

Hamama per-tray cost:

Quilt refills: $5-6 each on Amazon (buying individually)
Buy a 6-pack variety bundle: roughly $28-30 total ($4.67-5.00 per quilt)
Each quilt produces one tray: roughly 2-3 oz of finished microgreens

So at 2 trays per week, Hamama costs $40-48 per month in quilt refills. Plus the initial kit purchase. Over a year, that is roughly $520-576 in quilt costs alone.

True Leaf Market per-tray cost:

Radish seeds (1 lb at $10-15) + standard density of 1 oz per tray = 16 trays per pound
Cost per tray: $0.63-0.94 just for seeds
Growing medium: coco coir at $15 for 20+ trays = $0.75 per tray
Hemp mat alternative: $15 for 10 mats = $1.50 per tray
Total per tray with coco coir: roughly $1.38-1.69

At 2 trays per week with True Leaf Market seeds and coco coir, you are spending about $11-14 per month. Over a year, that is $132-168 — roughly 70% less than Hamama.

Cost Factor	Hamama	True Leaf Market
Starter setup	$39	$53-73
Per tray (ongoing)	$5-6	$1.38-1.69
Monthly (2 trays/week)	$40-48	$11-14
Year 1 total	~$563	~$200
Year 2 total	~$576	~$168

The crossover point — where True Leaf Market’s higher startup cost is offset by lower per-tray costs — happens after about 12 trays. If you grow more than 12 trays, True Leaf Market is cheaper for the rest of your growing life.

Seed Variety: Not Even Close

This is where True Leaf Market dominates.

Hamama quilt varieties (~18 options): Radish (red arrow, daikon, pink), broccoli, kale, arugula, wheatgrass, sunflower, pea shoots, mustard, salad mix, cilantro, basil, and a few seasonal or limited varieties.

True Leaf Market microgreen seed varieties (60+): Everything Hamama has plus amaranth, beets, cabbage, chard, Chinese cabbage, corn shoots, endive, fennel, fenugreek, flax, lemon grass, lettuce (10+ varieties), mache, nasturtium, onion, parsley, popcorn shoots, quinoa, shiso, sorrel, Swiss chard, Tokyo bekana, and more.

For anyone growing microgreens beyond the basics, Hamama’s catalog runs out fast. I wanted to grow amaranth and beet microgreens after seeing them on r/microgreens — neither is available as a Hamama quilt. With True Leaf Market, I ordered both seeds the same day and had them germinating within a week.

True Leaf Market also sells single-variety sampler packs — small packets of seeds for around $2-4 each, good for 1-2 trays — which is ideal for testing varieties before buying in bulk.

Ease of Use for Beginners

Hamama wins this category without contest.

The Hamama system removes every decision that trips up beginners: seed density, watering frequency, blackout management, and even the type of growing medium. If you follow the one-step instruction (add water, drop in quilt, wait), you will get a successful tray. My first Hamama tray looked like a professional result. My first Bootstrap Farmer tray with True Leaf Market seeds was patchy and uneven because I eyeballed the seed density instead of weighing.

The failure modes with Hamama are narrow: overwatering (don’t add extra water after setup), too little light (put it near a window or under a lamp), or expired quilts (check the date before using). That is it.

The failure modes with True Leaf Market setups are more numerous: wrong seed density, uneven spreading, overwatering, underwatering, skipping the blackout period, lifting the cover too early, mold from poor air circulation. Each of these is fixable once you know what to watch for — but beginners encounter all of them on their first few trays.

For your first 10-15 trays, Hamama’s consistency has real value. You learn what healthy microgreens look and smell like without suffering through patchy failures. After those first trays, transitioning to a True Leaf Market setup with the knowledge you gained is much smoother.

People on r/microgreens regularly recommend this exact progression: start with Hamama or another quilt system, graduate to bulk seeds once you have the basics. The learning curve is real, and avoiding a frustrating first experience matters for whether you stick with the hobby.

Grow Time and Harvest Windows

Grow times are roughly comparable but vary by variety.

Hamama quilt timing (days from setup to harvest):

Radish: 7-9 days
Broccoli: 8-10 days
Kale: 9-11 days
Sunflower: 10-12 days
Wheatgrass: 10-14 days

True Leaf Market seeds (typical timing with coco coir):

Radish: 6-8 days (1-2 days faster than Hamama)
Broccoli: 8-10 days (comparable)
Sunflower: 9-12 days (comparable)
Peas: 12-16 days
Amaranth: 7-9 days
Beet microgreens: 10-14 days

True Leaf Market seeds are slightly faster for some varieties, likely because the seeds are not embedded in a mat and have direct contact with moisture. The difference is 1-2 days for most varieties — not meaningful for home growing.

Harvest window matters too. Hamama quilts are designed to be harvested at the cotyledon stage (seed leaves only, before the first true leaf). True Leaf Market setups let you choose — harvest at cotyledon for younger, more delicate flavor, or wait for the first true leaf for more robust flavor and slightly higher yield. That flexibility makes a difference when you are learning which stage you prefer for different varieties.

Flavor Intensity

I ran a side-by-side comparison: Hamama radish quilts vs True Leaf Market Pink Stemmed Lentil (different variety, different result — not a fair comparison), and then True Leaf Market red arrow radish seeds on coco coir vs the Hamama radish quilts.

Both radish results were peppery and sharp. The True Leaf Market batch on coco coir had slightly more intensity — I think because coco coir retains some trace minerals and the longer root development in a thicker medium develops flavor compounds more fully. The difference was subtle enough that my partner could not reliably tell them apart in a blind taste test, but I could.

For most varieties, the growing medium matters more than whether you use Hamama or True Leaf Market seeds. Soil and coco coir consistently produce more flavorful microgreens than hydroponic growing mats or the thin medium in Hamama quilts. If flavor intensity is your primary goal, the True Leaf Market path with coco coir wins.

Epic Gardening has covered the growing-medium-to-flavor relationship extensively — their take aligns with what I have found: richer growing medium, more complex flavor, especially for brassica family microgreens (broccoli, kale, radish).

Hamama’s Subscription Model: Convenience or Lock-In?

Hamama runs a subscription refill service. You choose a schedule (every 2, 4, or 6 weeks), select your quilt varieties, and they ship automatically. The subscription pricing is the same or marginally cheaper than one-time orders — maybe 10% savings. The real benefit is not forgetting to reorder and having a tray gap.

The downsides of the subscription:

You have to remember to pause or cancel if you go on vacation or build up backstock
Variety selection is limited to Hamama’s current catalog
If Hamama changes pricing, your subscription adjusts
You are committed to their ecosystem long-term

I canceled my subscription after four months. I now order Hamama quilts in 6-packs through Amazon when I want them — primarily for radish and broccoli — and use True Leaf Market seeds for everything else. This hybrid approach gives me the reliability of Hamama quilts for my most-grown varieties while accessing True Leaf Market’s wider catalog for the interesting stuff.

What Experienced Growers Use

After spending time on r/microgreens and talking to growers who sell at farmers markets, the pattern is clear: almost nobody runs exclusively on Hamama at scale. The economics do not work. Growers who produce 20-50 trays per week are running standard 1020 trays with bulk seeds from True Leaf Market, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, or Bootstrap Farmer’s seed catalog.

Hamama is widely respected as a beginner system and genuinely recommended for people just starting. But the community consensus is that you will transition to bulk seeds within 3-6 months if you grow regularly.

The question is not Hamama vs True Leaf Market as a permanent choice — it is Hamama first, True Leaf Market eventually.

What to Buy with Each System

Complete Hamama Setup

Hamama Microgreen Kit (starter tray + 3 quilts) — Check price on Amazon
Extra quilt variety pack (6-pack, radish/broccoli/kale/daikon/arugula/wheatgrass) — Check price on Amazon
Small LED grow light (clip-on style, if no window light) — Check price on Amazon
Spray bottle (for light edge misting if needed) — Check price on Amazon
Kitchen scissors (for harvesting) — Check price on Amazon

Complete True Leaf Market Setup

Bootstrap Farmer 1020 trays (5-pack with drainage trays) — Check price on Amazon
True Leaf Market radish seeds (1 lb, red arrow variety) — Check price on Amazon
Coco coir brick ($15, expands to fill 20+ trays) — Check price on Amazon
Hemp grow mats (optional no-mess alternative to coco coir) — Check price on Amazon
Kitchen scale (for accurate seed density — essential) — Check price on Amazon
Humidity dome (for blackout period + moisture retention) — Check price on Amazon
2-foot T5 or LED grow light (essential for consistent results) — Check price on Amazon
Small fan (air circulation prevents mold) — Check price on Amazon

Bottom Line

Start with Hamama if you have never grown microgreens and want guaranteed success on your first try. The $39 entry cost buys you a legitimate no-fail experience and teaches you what healthy microgreens look like without a patchy, discouraging first attempt. Check price on Amazon

Switch to True Leaf Market (or go directly to True Leaf Market) if you have grown microgreens before, you are comfortable with a small learning curve, or your goal is to grow at scale without paying $5-6 per tray for the rest of your life. The variety catalog alone is worth the transition — 60+ seed varieties against Hamama’s 18. Check price on Amazon

The hybrid approach I use now: Hamama quilts for radish and broccoli (my most-grown varieties, where I value consistency over cost), True Leaf Market bulk seeds for sunflower, pea shoots, amaranth, and every experimental variety I want to try. Best of both worlds.

Where to Learn More

r/microgreens — Ongoing debates about growing systems, seed variety recommendations, and troubleshooting. Search “Hamama vs bulk seeds” for dozens of real grower opinions.
True Leaf Market blog — Detailed growing guides for individual varieties, including seeding density and harvest timing. More reliable than most YouTube tutorials.
Epic Gardening (YouTube + blog) — Kevin Espiritu covers growing medium comparisons and variety-specific guides. His beginner microgreen content is excellent.
Bootstrap Farmer blog — Tray management, seed density charts, and commercial scaling advice.

Last updated March 2026.