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I’ve been a gardener for more than 10 years, but until the last few years, my gardening pursuits have primarily been relegated to the outdoors. Although I love and cherish my front yard garden, I’ve found that indoor garden systems require far less maintenance and let me grow veggies year-round. I’ve used my indoor garden for three years now and can genuinely say it’s changed my gardening experience completely.
For this guide, I tested additional indoor vegetable and herb gardens over the course of many months. I’ve planted, grown, pruned, and eaten a whole lot of plants in an effort to help others shop for their very own indoor edible garden. I also spoke with Deane Falcone, chief science officer of Crop One, a vertical farming company, to get expert insight on indoor growing.
Read more about how Insider Reviews tests and research home products here. The best indoor gardens in 2022Best indoor garden overall: Rise Triple Family Garden, $1,079 on Rise GardensThe Rise Triple Family Garden is a smartly designed hydroponic system that’s useful for eager gardeners looking to expand and grow out of season. Best small indoor garden: Rise Personal Garden, $279 on Rise GardensThe Rise Personal Garden is a countertop hydroponic system perfect for those living in tight quarters.
Best indoor herb garden: Aerogarden Harvest Elite, $140. 47 on AmazonThe Harvest Elite is an ultra-compact, low-maintenance countertop garden that’s ideal for growing herbs and baby greens. Best indoor garden overallSteph Coelho/InsiderThe Rise Triple Family Garden is a smartly designed hydroponic system that’s useful for eager gardeners looking to expand and grow out of season.
Capacity: 36 plants, more with add-onsPricing: $679 for a single-tier unit, $879 for the two-tier, and $1,079 for the three-tierReplacement pods: 4-pack for $4. 99, 12-pack for $7. 99 Best for: People who don’t have space for an outdoor garden and those who want a steady supply of homegrown food 12 months out of the yearPros: High-capacity design, automatic lighting, water sensors, companion app that reminds you when to perform tasks like adding nutrients and harvestingCons: Some technical hiccups, “Reserve” replacement pods are overpricedI purchased the Rise Family Garden in early 2020 and have been using it for well two years now.
It’s become a conversation piece and an integral part of my kitchen. When my outdoor garden struggles in the heat, the Rise is produces picture-perfect produce. It’s available in one, two, or three-tier options.
I’ve been using the three-tier model, which comes with trays that allow you to grow up to 36 plants. You can purchase add-on trays to increase that yield to 108 plants. The bottom tier is the tallest and ideal for growing crops like tomatoes or peppers.
The other two shelves are shorter and perfect for growing things like baby kale, lettuce, herbs, and beets. Each unit comes with a starter pack of nutrients and some seed pods to get you started. Once it’s assembled, you just fill the reservoir and plug it in.
The garden’s water pump helps circulate water throughout the unit. You’ll need to connect the garden to WiFi to take advantage of all its smart features like water reminders, automatic plant care, and remote light control. I’ve loved every minute of growing with the Rise.
My unit has virtually replaced my outdoor garden. There have been some technical hiccups here and there — like flickering lights or connectivity problems — but customer service has been quick to respond and help me out when I encounter issues. The unit does require regular maintenance, but it’s far less than what I usually have to do outdoors.
Things like watering, adding nutrients, and cleaning every six months aren’t too time-consuming. A hydroponic garden like the Rise might not completely replace an outdoor growing space. There’s not enough room to grow potatoes, for example, which grow underground.
But it’s an impressive alternative. Based on my experience as a gardener, produce grows considerably faster in the Rise indoor garden compared to outdoors. And everything is just as tasty too.
Best small indoor gardenSteph Coelho/InsiderThe Rise Personal Garden is a countertop hydroponic system perfect for those living in tight quarters. Capacity: 8 plants, more with add-onsPricing: $250Replacement pods: 4-pack for $9. 99, $12.
49 for 4-pack of “Reserve” plant podsBest for: People short on space who still want to enjoy the benefits of an indoor gardenPros: Compact, attractive, has all the smart features of its larger-size siblingCons: Intermittent water pump issuesThe Personal Garden is a miniaturized version of the family-sized unit, measuring only 18 inches in width. It’s a good choice for people who aren’t willing to sacrifice floor space but have some room to spare on their kitchen counter. Because of its smaller footprint, it also requires fewer water refills than the larger garden and is easier to clean.
Despite its smaller size, the mini garden is still a powerful plant producer. You can grow up to 12 plants, but the tray that comes with the unit holds 8. The Personal Garden has a small window at its base to let you know when the water level is low instead of the LED indicator found on the bigger unit.
Additionally, when the built-in water sensor detects that there’s not enough water, a blue light at the top of the unit will flash to alert you that it’s time to refill. I’ve had some trouble with this feature: The light will flash when there’s still plenty of water left. Customer service was responsive and helpful and sent me a new water pump that solved the issue.
Ultimately, the minor technical glitches haven’t soured my Rise hydroponic gardening experience. I’m always eager to check on my garden, replant seeds, and admire the vibrant, often fragrant plants in my kitchen. Once plants are big enough, you can expect to harvest enough lettuce to make salads several times a week or plenty of herbs to add to sauces or use as garnish every couple of days.
Best indoor herb gardenSteph Coelho/InsiderThe Harvest Elite is an ultra-compact, low-maintenance countertop garden that’s ideal for growing herbs and baby greens. Capacity: 6 plantsPricing: $140. 47Replacement pods: available in various bundles, the 9 pod kits are $19.
99Best for: Growing herbs without taking up too much countertop real estatePros: Takes up minimal counter space, easy to useCons: Plant spacing is tight, built-in lighting feels warmer in comparison to other plant lightsThis sleek little garden is perfect for growing kitchen herbs. Most people who dream of having fresh basil or parsley on hand all the time make the mistake of wasting money on small potted grocery store herbs. I often get asked the question: How do I grow herbs in my kitchen? The answer: a small hydroponic unit like this one from Aerogarden will provide you with a continuous supply of herbs if you plan things right.
While Aerogarden sells plant pods for tomatoes and peppers, those plants are probably better suited for larger units. The compact Harvest Elite’s spacing is too tight for a bountiful harvest from fruit-bearing plants. In the month or so that I’ve been using the Aerogarden, it’s been a breeze to maintain.
The unit reminds me to pop in a cap-full of nutrients and add water now and then, and the lights turn on and off automatically. Periodically, the light height needs to be adjusted to accommodate the growing plants. My only complaint is that the LED grow light is surprisingly warm to the touch.
I haven’t had any issues, but I worry about potential plant burn should I forget to raise the height of the affixed light. Our indoor garden testing methodologySteph Coelho/InsiderTo test the gardens featured in this guide, I used them all for at least a month and some for longer. Here’s the criteria I used when evaluating each unit.
Setup: I was looking for gardens that were easy to set up and use. Was the setup complicated? Would it be simple for someone new to gardening? Performance: It’s tough to evaluate growth rate among gardens because there are so many variables involved, so I was more concerned about whether taking care of the garden was intuitive. Also, if a garden produced consistent growth failures, it wouldn’t pass the test.
Special features: The beauty of indoor gardening units is that they can feature a lot of cool tech that’s impossible to use outside. When testing the gardens, I was looking to find out if any smart features were easy to use and whether they added any value to the product. What else we testedI was able to grow produce in all the gardens I tested, but some were less intuitive to use and lacked coveted smart features.
Here are the others we tested:What else we recommend and why:Gardyn Home Kit 1. 0: What makes this product different from the competition is the inclusion of two cameras that provide 24/7 monitoring. In my experience, this doesn’t pay off, largely because many features require you to subscribe to a yearly membership plan.
The only basic features you have access to include light and water schedule control and water-level monitoring. Plants that came with the system grew reasonably well at the start, but adding nutrients just wasn’t as intuitive as with the Rise Garden. However, the smaller footprint, 30-plant capacity, and camera monitoring might be enough to sway some.
A quick note: Since testing, Gardyn has released a newer improved unit with a few notable upgrades, including a higher-accuracy water sensor, a better pump system, and more durable columns. Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 PRO: The PRO boasts convenient app controlled-lighting but lacks a water sensor. Placing it on top of a shelf meant I couldn’t easily see when the unit needed refilling.
When you’re a forgetful waterer, a lack of audible and visual reminders can be a death sentence for your plants. Plants have a limited lifespan in all gardens, but because Click & Grow models aren’t true hydroponic gardens, plants grown in the Click & Grow have a shorter lifespan than our other picks. What we don’t recommend and why:Just Vertical EVE: I really wanted to love this one.
The small-space-friendly, wood-paneled design impressed me, but as soon as I started programming the lighting, I was unenthused. The undercarriage of the unit opens up to reveal a simple water tank and an overly complicated programming panel. I quickly realized that the horizontal growing configuration was going to be more trouble than it was worth.
Plants are positioned sideways on each side of the unit facing a center lighting fixture. It wasn’t long before plants started to grow tall enough to touch the light, burning their tips. Indoor gardening pros and consMy parrot wasn’t actually part of the testing process, but he did offer his opinions.
Steph Coelho/InsiderPro: Consistency in growing conditionsOne significant advantage of indoor gardening, says Dr. Falcone, is the ability to control nearly all variables. With an indoor garden, you control the weather.
Conditions tend to be a lot more consistent inside than they are outside. Pro: More tender, uniform producePlants have it good indoors and, in turn, produce is a lot more uniform. Because plants don’t have to react to changing conditions, they tend to be more tender and delicate than those grown outside, which can sometimes end up fibrous and tough, said Dr.
Falcone. Contrary to popular belief, food grown hydroponically can taste more flavorful than produce grown outside since you have so much more control over the growing conditions. Pro: Fewer pestsYou also don’t have to worry about pests to the same degree, he adds.
Insect infestations can still happen, but they’re much easier to control. My Rise Family Garden was infested with fungus gnats earlier this year because I brought in an outside plant without thinking, but thoroughly cleaning it out with vinegar stopped the problem in its tracks. Con: Creating consistent produce requires planningWhile indoor gardening is easy, it still requires some planning like a regular outdoor garden does.
“You plant everything at once. Guess what? You get to harvest everything at once,” says Dr. Falcone.
Succession planting — planting crops in staggered intervals — ensures that you’ll always have something fresh on hand. Of course, this means your indoor garden won’t look as full and vibrant. Con: Feels less like “gardening”Even as someone whose job involves indoor hydroponics, Dr.
Falcone also concedes that there’s nothing that can replace the aesthetic of outdoor gardening. Wanting to be outside and interact with nature is a big part of why he and his wife still garden outdoors. Con: Limited spaceWhile indoor produce will grow big if you let it, you’re generally limited in terms of space.
Tomato plants can’t grow as tall as they would outdoors, for instance. You’re ultimately constrained to the size of the garden you’re growing in. What to look for in an indoor gardenSteph Coelho/InsiderLightDr.
Falcone recommends using a grow light on a timer when gardening indoors. Thankfully, most high-quality smart indoor gardens have the lighting automatically set for the user. Additionally, gardens with LED grow lights are a good choice because they’re cool to the touch and require less energy.
Plants grown with plenty of light don’t just grow faster, they look sturdier and less lanky than those grown with speckled light. Companies that sell windowsill gardens and suggest you rely on sunlight are, frankly, full of BS. If you can’t garden outside in full sun, LED lights are the next best thing.
Ease of use and space I recommend looking for an indoor garden that has enough space for what you plan to grow. If you want a steady supply of greens to feed a family of four, go with a full-sized unit, which is about the size of a bookcase. If you just want fresh herbs from time to time to add to your recipes, opt for a smaller countertop garden.
Whatever you choose, it should fit your space in both aesthetic and size. An indoor garden should also be easy to use and clean. If it’s not, you’ll find yourself neglecting it.
Just like a well-designed outdoor garden is a pleasure to cultivate, a well thought-out indoor garden is more likely to become a routinely used household fixture. Hydroponic vs. soil-based systemsA hydroponic garden is soilless.
Plant roots sit in and get their nutrients directly from the water. By contrast, in a soil-based garden, the roots can’t grow past the soil pods and eventually become root-bound. In my experience, hydroponic units tend to produce plants with more life than units with soil-based pods.
Herbs grown in a hydroponic system will last months and months as long as you continue to harvest them. Cut-and-come again plants, like lettuce, will also continue to produce until they send out a flower stalk — at which time they become bitter. And unless you’re looking for a fun indoor growing project to do with kids, steer clear of potted herb kits.
The plants never last long, and they’re a pain to keep alive. Smart featuresSmart features aren’t a must, but they’re mighty convenient. Tracking growth in an app and receiving reminders to water or add nutrients is helpful for people who are new to gardening (or scatterbrained).
Look for features like water sensors, automatic nutrient reminders, and harvest tracking. They’ll make your life easier. The Rise app, for example, even alerts you when it’s time to harvest plants.
Sometimes the timing is a bit off, but the alert is still a good reminder not to let food go to waste. Indoor garden FAQsSteph Coelho/InsiderDo I need to connect my indoor hydroponic garden to my home’s plumbing?No. Most all-in-one hydroponic gardens have a water tank and a pump that circulates water and nutrients.
When the water level is low, you refill the tank with water from your tap. Can I grow root crops indoors?Technically it’s possible, but it’ll require experimentation and the produce probably won’t look very pretty. You’re better off sticking with plants that primarily grow above ground.
Does my water quality matter?As a beginner, you probably don’t need to worry too much about the water quality. “If it’s good enough for humans to drink, it’s certainly good enough to grow plants,” said Dr. Falcone.
However, advanced growers may want to use filtered water. Water quality can impact the pH of your system, which, in turn, can mess with nutrient uptake. This can affect plant growth and cause things like leaf yellowing.
If you want to get even more precise, you can keep tabs on pH with a meter (5. 5 to 6. 5 is a good range to shoot for with hydroponic growing).
You can add pH-lowering product to a hydroponic garden to make adjustments. Our top-rated garden also comes with a kit for calibrating your water pH, and the app makes it extremely easy and user-friendly even if you don’t have a green thumb. Besides vegetables, what else can I grow in my indoor garden?You can grow some fruits.
Strawberries, for example, grow well indoors, as do self-pollinating plants like tomatoes and peppers. For cucumbers and squash, you’ll need to do the work usually done by bees and other efficient insects. You can use a paintbrush or your finger to gently “tickle” the flowers to pollinate them, but a tool like the Bee the Bee Pollinator makes it more fun.
Additionally, many indoor gardeners experiment with growing flowers. If you have space under the lights, you can also give light-starved houseplants some love. How do I avoid pests like fungus gnats?Wrapping plant pods in foil (and poking holes to accommodate sprouting plants) almost wholly eliminates algae growth which is a huge attractant for certain pests like fungus gnats.
Do I have to use the nutrients or seed pods sold by a company?Nope! Seed packets are readily available at hardware stores, nurseries, and online. And hydroponic pods are easy to find at online retailers like Amazon. For plant food, Dr.
Falcone recommends using a complete mixture with a balanced ratio of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium). Check out our other gardening guidesConnie Chen/InsiderThe best garden hose nozzlesThe best gardening and landscaping toolsThe best gardening glovesThe best gardening booksRead the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/guides/home/the-best-indoor-herb-garden
