While so many people are jumping on the gardening craze, not everyone has the time or especially the space to nurture a large volume of plants or even tend a small garden in a raised planter box. There are many of us who would prefer to have at least a few of our favorites like herbs and lettuces 365 days a year. An indoor hydroponic garden is a perfect solution for having that year-round deliciousness at hand. (There are even varieties of tasty tomatoes that will ripen indoors!)
Find our picks for the best hydroponic gardens for indoor growing below.
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1.
EDITOR’S CHOICE: Hey Abby Grow Box
Pros:
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Easy to Use
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Stylish Look
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Set It and Forget It
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Internal USB Plug for accessories
Cons:
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App is a bit wonky on Android
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No Cooling solution
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Pricey
The Hey Abby Grow Box is definitely geared towards growers who want to grow their plants without all of the fuss, presenting a more set-it-and-forget type of solution. Yes, it’s a little on the pricier side of things, so it might not fit everyone’s budget. However, what you’re getting for the price will easily pay for itself over time (through the money saved by growing instead of buying plants/vegetables elsewhere). And, abby does have a Klarna buy-now-pay-later option to make it a little easier on the wallet.
If you’re looking for something that keeps your plants looking incredibly neat and tidy, the abby grow box is the premium option. It’s a gorgeous cabinet that looks great in any room, whether you want it to be a centerpiece for your living room or you just want to get some tomatoes growing at the office.
The Abby grow box is perfect for getting higher yields in smaller spaces.
You can read more about it in my lengthy hey abby grow box review.
Find more Hey Abby Grow Box information and reviews here.
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2.
RUNNER-UP: AeroGarden Bounty Indoor Hydroponic Garden
Pros:
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Easy to use touch panel controls
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Full spectrum 40 Watt LED grow light
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Programmable light cycle
Cons:
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Not suitable for root vegetables
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Premade seed pods are pricey
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Grow lights can seem annoyingly bright
The AeroGarden Bounty is the perfect mid-sized automatic hydroponic garden for your home. You can grow up to nine plants at one time, all up to 24 inches tall thanks to the supremely adjustable LED grow light on the top. This garden system has a high efficiency 40 Watt full spectrum LED grow light system with a 15-hour timer that helps to maximize photosynthesis, resulting in rapid, natural growth and a more abundant harvest.
Wifi-enabled and Alexa compatible, this garden allows you plant, walk away, and enjoy fresh produce in a matter of a few weeks. Don’t believe us? I bought one for myself after years of wanting one, and I was picking lettuce within 21 days! This AeroGarden has lots of intuitive new features including a three-step water level indicator and easy quick plant set up.
It also has an easy-to-use, simply designed color touch screen that makes setting up your garden a breeze. It allows you to choose between different crop options, and lets you decide when your grow lights are illuminated and off. you can also dim your grow lights at the touch of a button. The touch screen alerts you when it’s time to add water or enhance the water with more fertilizer.
It comes with a selection of artisan lettuces that are absolutely delish, plus a three-ounce bottle of all-natural plant nutrients, which is enough for a full season of plant growth. You can also get AeroGarden pods for all kinds of other veggies from lettuces to tomatoes and more. And if you want to plant your own seeds (I just did basil, dill, and Swiss chard) you can reuse the little planting baskets and simply buy new AeroGarden planting sponges and plant food.
Don’t want to go through that much work? Amazon’s AeroGarden storefront has seed pod kits for all sorts of yummy produce and flowers, plus many other AeroGardens of different sizes.
Find more AeroGarden Harvest information and reviews here.
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3.
Lettuce Grow 24-Plant Hydroponic Farmstand
Pros:
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Planting towers come in many sizes and they are expandable
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Harvest veggies in just three weeks
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Takes only five minutes a week to manage
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Uses less water per plant and reduces your carbon footprint too
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Grows literally anything but root vegetables
Cons:
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Very spendy
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Works best with their proprietary pre-sprouted seedlings
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Indoor growing is more successful with a grow light
This unique hydroponic garden is ideal for a sunny indoor patio, covered porch, or even your backyard deck. The Lettuce Grow Farmstand is a completely different concept than other featured gardens. It looks like a large tiered vase with planting spaces, and literally, that’s kind of what it is, although seriously efficient. In fact, if you use the pre-sprouted Lettuce Grow seedlings, you can be harvesting your own delicious veggies in as little as three weeks, which seems pretty amazing.
What’s pretty cool is that this robust growing system takes just five minutes a week to manage. And the tall tiered design takes up a really small footprint (just 22 x 22 inches!) while reducing your own carbon footprint since you’ll be shopping a lot less. All you need to do is add water, nutrients and check the pH once a week and you’ll be on your way to splendid results.
The Farmstand comes in sizes from 12 plants to 36 plants, so you can choose what’s right for you and your family without wasting. This is especially great for folks living in areas where water isn’t abundant and conservation is critical. With this planting system you’ll use less than a gallon total per plant which is less than one quarter of the normal amount plants need.
You’ll get the tower (which is expandable, BTW) as well as the timer, pump, and plant nutrients. You can also get plant cups and start your own seeds, just be aware, the harvest won’t be quite as quick as if you bought the pre-sprouted starts.
Find more Editor's Choice: Lettuce Grow 24-Plant Hydroponic Farmstand information and reviews here.
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4.
Most Minimal: Click and Grow Smart Garden 3
Pros:
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Top of the line design and functionality
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Three plant capacity
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Ideal for herbs and strawberries
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Pesticide free gardening
Cons:
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Not enough capacity for a family
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Pods can get expensive to replace
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Relatively expensive
If you’re looking for a cheaper Aerogarden alternative, this smart garden from Click and Grow is an ideal indoor hydroponic garden. It features a stylish Scandinavian design and three pods total to grow your home vegetable crops. The kit comes with three plant pods to get you growing right away, but you can get lots of pods with your preferred veggie or herb choices. You can choose from exterior colors in grey, black or white.
This smart garden is completely hassle and maintenance-free. All you need to do is place the pods in their holders, fill the water reservoir, and plug the garden in and your plants will start growing automatically. After you harvest your lettuce, tomatoes, or basil you can choose from over 40 pre-made pods, or experiment with adding your own seed.
This garden also comes with a growth guarantee – If your seeds do not germinate, they will replace the pods for free.
Find more Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 information and reviews here.
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5.
VIVOSUN Hydroponics Growing Kit
Pros:
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Automatic light cycle for 16 hours on and 8 hours off
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Capacity for 20 tidy starts or seedlings
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Sleek bamboo design
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Powerful full-spectrum LED grow light
Cons:
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Grow light isn't height adjustable
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Doesn't come with seeds
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Doesn't include any growing medium
While so many hydroponic garden kits seem to look alike – mainly plastic components – we love the look of the VIVOSUN hydroponic garden kit because of its attractive and modern looking frame. It gives it a touch of impressive elegance the others don’t have. The ABS water tank is durable and the entire structure is environmentally friendly.
This kit is built with a 20 plant capacity spaced so your garden stays neat and tidy. It comes with an LED grow light that is controlled with a simple switch. The lights will automatically turn off after 16 hours of constant use and will turn back on after 8 hours of rest, creating a cycle every 24 hours. It’s nicely sized for indoor use and the 34 watt grow light has thousands of hours of life.
Find more VIVOSUN Hydroponics Growing Kit information and reviews here.
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6.
Moistenland Hydroponics Growing System
Pros:
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12 plant capacity at an approachable price
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You can use your own seeds versus expensive pre-planted pods
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Water circulation every 30 minutes
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Lights operate automatically to provide the ideal growing conditions
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Controllable for either veggies or fruits
Cons:
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Some design flaws in pod placements
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Not as efficient as some others
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Doesn't include seeds
Soil-free cultivation is a snap with the Moistenland indoor hydroponic garden. Similar to the AeroGarden Bounty, this accommodates up to 12 plants, but at a much more budget-friendly price. With a 22 Watt full-spectrum LED light system, this hydroponic planter is ideal for veggies, herbs, and fruits to prosper. It even features a fan to keep starts from overheating.
An easy viewing window allows you to see your water level at all times, and the water tank holds up to four liters (more than one gallon)of water at a time. The water circulation system keeps water fresh, automatically coming on every 30 minutes. The easy on/of button will turn on the grow lights for 16 hours and turn them off for eight hours. Once the eight hour rest period is done, the lights will come back on so this machine makes gardening indoors a carefree and fun activity for your whole family.
The system comes complete with 12 planting cups, 12 planting sponges made of biochar versus soil, and everything you’ll need except seeds. We love the flexibility it offers to grow exactly what you want without expensive pre-sprouted starts or proprietary plant pods.
Find more Moistenland Hydroponics Growing System information and reviews here.
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7.
Miracle-Gro Twelve Hydroponic Garden Side Table
Pros:
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Stackable side table design fits modern decor styles and small spaces
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Room to grow four plants
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Makes year round gardening easy
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Bluetooth control with the Miracle-Gro Twelve App
Cons:
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Pretty expensive
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Limited planting space
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Lights are quite bright
Okay, we admit it. We happen to think this little genius of an idea is especially cool for those of you living in spaces both small and large. The Miracle-Gro Twelve hydroponic side table does double duty as both furniture and a hydroponic garden, plus, you can actually order a stacking kit to place two tables together!
This clever garden makes hydroponics simple so you can grow a wide variety of leafy greens, herbs, and flowers inside your home year-round. Just add seeds, cuttings, or even start with small plantings from the nursery. Because this table is Bluetooth connected, it takes the guesswork out of growing and you can control your system right from your smartphone thanks to the Miracle-Gro Twelve app.
This cool system comes with the transplanting kit (contains latex), two packets of plant nutrition, and a seed starting kit (which does not include seeds.) This accent table is a perfect fit for any mid century modern or minimalist decor style. Built-in grow lights under the tabletop will nurture up to four different plants.
Find more Miracle-Gro Twelve Hydroponic Garden Side Table information and reviews here.
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8.
GrowLED Height Adjustable10-Pod Indoor Garden
Pros:
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Can be used as a traditional soil planter or hydroponic garden
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LED grow light is height adjustable
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Comes with planter baskets and nursery domes
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Easy to fill with water and has a water level monitor
Cons:
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Lights may be too hot for small seedlings
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Grow light is dimmer than some others
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Some difficulties with customer service reported
We love finding items that are multi-taskers, and the GrowLED hydroponic garden does double duty during different seasons. It allows you to use the grow light system with dirt in the basin during the spring to get your garden planting started and then you can switch it up during other times of year to act as a complete hydroponic garden system.
This smart indoor garden has an automatic time that keeps the full spectrum LED light system on for 16 hours and off for 8 hours per day. The light is height adjustable so you can set it at the optimal height for small starts and then raise it as they grow. The self-watering planter has an easy to fill injection hole, a water level indicator, ten growing pods.
It also comes with ten planter baskets and ten nursery domes to contain warmth and moisture for new seedlings. Be sure to order extra growing pods so you can plant year-round.
Find more GrowLED Height Adjustable10-Pod Indoor Garden information and reviews here.
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9.
VegeBox Smart LED Hydroponics Growing System
Pros:
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Adjustable light panel allows plants to grow taller
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LED light improves production, flavor and photosynthesis
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Nine growing pods with caps for unused spaces
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Smart control for on and off cycles
Cons:
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Does not include seeds
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Adjustability doesn't make for equal distance to all plants
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Some timer malfunctions reported
If you’re looking for a simple and smart hydroponic garden for your kitchen, the VegeBox Smart LED hydroponic growing system is both affordable and flexible. A standout in our book is the LED grow light panel that provides everything your plants will need to produce and flourish. The four-color light system helps improve photosynthesis, flavor, and overall plant production.
This system accommodates 12 different plants and comes with all you’ll need to get started except for seeds. It includes 20 planting baskets, 18 sponges, eight caps, the cultivation box, a non-woven bag, a measuring cup, and tweezers. The light panel is adjustable to be more efficient as your plants grow in height.
If you’re game to spend a bit more for additional growing spaces, VegeBox also has a 24 plant system which is substantially larger and a radically different design. It’s in short supply so it’s one to order sooner than later.
Find more VegeBox Smart LED Hydroponics Growing System information and reviews here.
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10.
Veritable VPOT-SAWAS-US-16 Smart Indoor Garden
Pros:
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Two independently adjustable grow lights
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Senses light and automatically adjusts to growing needs
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Easy to grow fresh herbs and greens to match your preferences
Cons:
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Doesn't easily integrate with the App
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Planting pods that come with the garden don't have a high success rate
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Smart features are lacking
The first things we were impressed with about the Veritable indoor garden were the grow lights. Granted, nearly every garden feature has grow lights, and some have adjustable grow lights, but this garden has two lights, each of which can be adjusted independently depending on what plants you’re growing. That’s a differentiator that counts. The blue and white LED light technology ensures your plants will prosper even if they don’t get any natural light at all.
This Smart garden connects via Bluetooth to an App that naturally senses the amount of ambient light getting to your plants and adjusts the grow light times to ensure your success. Another interesting difference is the size of the grow pods, which are long and rectangular, meaning you get larger numbers of plants in a single pod than with others.
Plants are automatically watered and you’ll get an alarm as well as a visual indicator when it’s time to add water or nutrients to your growing system. The Veritable smart garden comes in a smaller size as well in case you’re space compromised but still want to add delicious fresh herbs to your meals.
Find more Veritable VPOT-SAWAS-US-16 Smart Indoor Hydroponic Garden information and reviews here.
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11.
iDOO Hydroponic Growing System
Pros:
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Three available cycles to maximize germination and growth
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Water circulation has a sleep mode for those bothered by a very little bit of noise
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Holds seven plants up to 13.4 inches tall
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Lots of amenities at an affordable price
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Comes with planting baskets, covers and sponges to accommodate your seeds
Cons:
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Can't grow root veggies in it
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Two part fertilizer is somewhat annoying
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Doesn't have a water level indicator
If you’ve been looking for an indoor hydroponic growing system that has some of the bells and whistles, but at a wallet-friendly price, the iDOO hydroponic garden offers many of the most coveted functions for less than a hundred bucks. With seven planting pods, this little garden comes with planting baskets, sponges, and nutrients in order to get your chosen seeds growing fast.
It offers a water circulation system that is so quiet it’ll never disturb your peace, plus three cycle options for the LED grow lights for optimum germination and plant growth. The red, blue, and white light panel has an adjustable neck, allowing you to raise the height as your plants get larger, allowing you to grow plants up to 13.4 inches tall.
The simple control panel allows you to switch grow cycles depending on the stage of your plants allowing for maximum photosynthesis. The water pump inside the reservoir runs for five minutes every 30 minutes, and can easily be put into sleep mode, and it will automatically restart 12 hours later, making this garden pretty much worry-free.
iDOO also has a new 12 pod growing system, so for larger families, you can keep yourself in fresh greens and herbs at all times.
Find more iDOO Hydroponic Growing System information and reviews here.
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12.
Big Smart Indoor Hydroponics Growing System with Trellises
Pros:
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The water circulation pump works on A/C or solar power and includes a solar panel
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59 inch climbing towers make growing beans and peas easy
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Can grow large fruiting plants like melons and cucumbers
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Smart control automatically circulates water when necessary
Cons:
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No grow light system
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Does not include growing medium or seeds
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Some durability issues reported
One issue with most hydroponic gardens is that they won’t accommodate large plants or climbers like beans and peas. The Big Smart hydroponic growing system is geared toward those very veggies, and it actually includes climbing towers to accommodate those sorts of plants. While this system doesn’t include grow lights with it, the manufacturer says any sunny indoor space will work to grow things that climb, including melons and cucumbers.
It has a built-in pump for good water circulation to support super growth, and a smart reminder when lack of water becomes an issue. One cool thing about this system is that you can power it with the included A/C adaptor but it also comes with a solar panel to keep the water circulating, which we think is especially cool.
This system comes with a basin that integrates three planters and the snap-in 59-inch climbing trellises. In smart mode, the pump works by a sensor to know when best to circulate water as well as to indicate when water is low.
Find more Big Smart Indoor Hydroponics Growing System information and reviews here.
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13.
Perfect for Kids: FAFAGRASS Hydroponics Growing System
Pros:
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Simple plug and play operation makes it a great starter garden for kids
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Viewing window allows for easy monitoring of both water levels and plant root growth
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Adjustable grow light as plants increase in size
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Comes with everything but seeds allowing you to choose your own plants
Cons:
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Not large enough capacity for a family
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Shorter grow light cycles than other programmable models
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Some product delivery issues reported.
Want to get your kiddos interesting in learning more about where their food comes from? There’s no better kickstart than giving them their own tiny hydroponic garden and this four plant model is both budget-friendly and adorable!
So simple to use, this hydroponic garden comes with four growing baskets, four plant sponges, and liquid nutrients which are added to the water. The water reservoir has an easy-to-fill opening on the top and water circulates to keep seedlings happy and moist.
The LED grow light is height adjustable so your kids can extend the arm as their plants get taller, and because there’s no programming to be done, it’s basically plug and play. Once turned on this garden operates on a 12 hours on/12 hours off schedule.
Let your kids pick their own seeds, although we’d recommend starting with herbs and lettuces as those offer quick germination (aka. instant gratification) versus other plants which take longer. Keep in mind, there are limitations, so don’t plant root veggies in these gardens.
A viewing window offers the ability to monitor both water levels and root growth of the garden so they can keep tabs on when it needs maintenance.
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14.
Ivation Herb Indoor Hydroponic Garden Kit
Pros:
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Starts veggies and plants from your own seeds versus expensive seed pods
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Comes with all the things you need to get started
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Includes nutrient concentrates to enhance your water
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Easy to use and get started
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LED grow light is adjustable
Cons:
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Doesn't include any seeds
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No timer on the grow light
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Some customer service issues reported
When you want to plant lots of things that you can enjoy, many hydroponic gardens can be kind of limiting. This clever model from Ivation allows you to grow up to 11 different plants at one time, all in a fairly compact countertop design. What you’ll love about this hydroponic garden is that it doesn’t require special seed pods. Instead, it gives you everything you’ll need to start your own seeds growing, so you can choose from your favorites.
The kit includes the base plus the LED grow light system, a seedling tray, and 30 sponges used to start your own seeds. It also comes with 15 planting baskets that slip down into the tray as well as five planting hats to block out unused planting spaces. You’ll also get a measuring container, tweezers for gentle seeding, and even the proper nutrients to help your plants prosper.
We also like that this hydroponic system is seriously affordable, so it would be a great gift for gardeners on a birthday or holiday.
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15.
Best Aquaponic System: Back to the Roots Water Garden
Pros:
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Aquaponic garden nurtures both pets and plants
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Fun and easy for kids of all ages
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Comes with everything you'll need plus a coupon for a fish
Cons:
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Limited growing options
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No grow light
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Requires water changes for the fish
If you’ve got a family and you’re interested in keeping them both healthy and entertained right now, the Back to the Roots Water Garden is one clever way to let them learn to nurture both plants and pets. The water garden is a self-cleaning fish aquarium that allows you to grow organic microgreens on the top.
It creates a symbiotic relationship between the two – the plant roots naturally keep the water clean, and the fish waste fertilizes the plants. Genius. Just choose an appropriate finned friend for the aquarium (and there’s even a coupon included with this set up) and then plant your microgreens and wait. In ten days you’ll be snipping those yummy greens to add to sandwiches, salads and smoothies.
This kit includes absolutely everything you’ll need to get started, including the tank and topper, microgreens seeds, chlorine remover for the water, and growstones as the medium to get your seeds started.
Granted this isn’t the system for the serious grower, but it’s a fun and approachable way to get kids into eating green stuff and a relatively simple opportunity for them to have a low maintenance pet too. This is a great gift for almost anyone on your list – from kids to seniors, all of whom will enjoy the fish and the greens too.
Want to know more about the difference between aquaponics and hydroponics? This article from Powered by Plenty will give you all the facts.
Find more Back to the Roots Water Garden information and reviews here.
What Are Indoor Hydroponic Gardens?
Hydroponic gardens, by definition, use water instead of dirt as the growing medium. With nutrients to enrich the water, these growing systems can produce beautiful herbs, vegetables, and berries with little effort and virtually no mess.
Indoor hydroponic gardens add one key element - they replace mother nature and sunlight with LED grow light systems that give the plants a jumpstart, improving photosynthesis, speeding up germination, and producing a tastier and more bountiful harvest.
Is Hydroponic Gardening Organic?
Because your water-based gardening system requires nutrients to be added to the system, if you want to be completely organic, you'll need to choose the kinds of fertilizer that meet that specific requirement - meaning those without chemical ingredients.
You might also want to take your efforts one step further by purchasing organic seeds that are non-GMO. That way you have total control of your own plants and the way you want to feed your family.
What Can I Grow in a Hydroponic Garden?
Among the most popular plants to grow in a hydroponic garden are herbs like basil, mint, chives, and oregano, buy indoor hydroponic gardens can produce a lot more interesting fare.
These indoor gardens are great for producing tender lettuces, chewy chard, and even tasty cherry tomatoes in the middle of winter. While some of these hydroponic gardens like AeroGarden and Lettuce Grow recommend you use their pre-seeded pods or pre-sprouted offerings, for the most part, you can also start them yourself if you buy the matching grow baskets and use a medium like sponge or vermiculite to get seedlings started.
What's the Difference Between an Aquaponic and a Hydroponic Garden?
Since both are water-based, it would seem these two gardening systems are one and the same. But surprise, they feature one key difference! Fish. Oscar Stephens compares the differences between hydroponics and aquaponics in this interesting article that provides even more information on the topic.
We have included an aquaponic garden in our list, because it's a great way to get kids into the thought of gardening, and it gives them a pet fish to boot. Look for the Back to the Roots Water Garden in our list of choices. While this simple garden is limited to growing microgreens, it's a great starter garden for a classroom or home.
Why Should I Consider a Hydroponic Garden System?
Hydroponic gardening is a wonderful way to keep growing year-round, especially for those who live in climates that have shorter growing seasons. These gardens can be an ideal way to sprout seedlings which can be transplanted in the spring, as well as to grow yummy stuff when the snow is flying.
We can't recommend a more fun way to keep your culinary creations fresh and exciting than with a snip of fresh herbs to finish them off. And who doesn't love fresh basil leaves on a homemade pizza?
Another added benefit to growing herbs in your indoor hydroponic garden? They smell delicious and it's great for your peace of mind to give them a pinch and just inhale their aroma.
In fact, in a recent study by WebMD, rosemary oil can actually improve your cognitive powers according to this article by Jana Holstein. Now, who couldn't use a pinch of that every now and then?
Do Hydroponically Grown Vegetables Last Long After Picking?
The beauty of growing your own greens in water is that there's really no need to wash them, so once refrigerated they will last for a couple of weeks.
Speaking from experience, since I keep two systems running at once (an AeroGarden and a Lettuce Grow Farmstand) I can easily hit the point where I'm literally overwhelmed with produce. That's when I start calling my neighbors and delivering a goodie bag to them. They love it and I'm occasionally gifted a nice bottle of wine in return, even though I never expect it.
Honestly, the joy of watching your little plant babies grow is reason enough to invest in a hydroponic garden. Don't try to cost it out, just weigh out the time and gas spent driving to the store versus nurturing your own crops and you'll quickly be convinced.
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