Hydroponic Growing System | Indoor Herb Garden | LED Grow Light

A hydroponic growing system grows plants in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. The roots get food, water and oxygen delivered to them, with no soil in the way. This guide explains the types of system, what to measure, what the numbers on a product page mean and how to pick the right indoor garden for your home and your cooking.

Why Americans are growing food indoors

Fresh herbs cost four or five dollars a bunch and half of it wilts in the fridge. A packet of lettuce is gone in two days. Meanwhile most of us have a counter, a windowsill or a spare corner that could be producing. A hydroponic kit turns that space into a small supply of basil, mint, lettuce and greens you can cut fresh, whatever the weather is doing outside.

It also skips some of the parts of gardening that put beginners off: no digging, no weeds and no bags of soil in the apartment. You still top up the water, add nutrients and keep the system clean.

The three types of home system

Countertop pod gardens. A tank, a pump, a built-in LED light on an adjustable arm and a tray of 8 to 12 pods. It is a simple first system. It fits a kitchen counter and runs its light on a timer. Time to harvest depends on the crop, so check the seed packet. Larger 12-pod models with a taller light arm handle compact tomatoes and peppers.

Deep water culture bucket kits. One plant per bucket, roots hanging in aerated nutrient water, with an air pump keeping the water oxygenated. These take bigger plants than a pod garden, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and large herbs. They need a grow light and a bit of floor space, which is where a grow tent comes in.

Grow tents with lights. A reflective fabric tent on a light frame, with a grow light hung inside. The tent keeps light in and gives you control over temperature and airflow. A 2x2 tent suits a couple of bucket plants in a closet or spare room. A 4x4 tent is a larger setup for growing indoors through winter.

Measure before you buy

Measure the counter or shelf, then check the ceiling or cabinet height above it. Pod gardens list their footprint and their maximum light height, and that height is what limits how tall your plants can grow. For a grow tent, measure the floor space and the room height, and remember you need to open the door and stand in front of it. Compare those numbers with the assembled dimensions on the product page, which we list for every item.

Think about where the light will fall at night. A countertop garden's LED is bright enough to light a kitchen, so most people put it on a timer that switches off in the evening.

What the numbers mean

Pod count. How many plants grow at once. Eight pods is plenty for a household's herbs. Twelve lets you add a few lettuces or a tomato. More pods also means a bigger tank, so you refill less often.

Light wattage. Countertop gardens run 20 to 30 watts, which is right for herbs and greens. Standalone grow lights range from a 9 watt bulb for a single plant to 100 watt panels for a tent. Match the wattage to the area you are lighting, which each product page states.

Tank size. Bigger tanks go longer between refills and keep nutrient levels steadier. Anything over four liters is comfortable for a weekly top-up.

Pump and air pump. Pod gardens use a small water pump that runs on a cycle. Bucket kits use an air pump and air stones. Our air pump lists its flow rate and the tank size it suits.

Lights, and when you need a separate one

If you buy a countertop garden, the light is built in and you need nothing else. Buy a separate LED grow light when you are starting seedlings in trays, growing in buckets, or giving houseplants more light through a dark winter. Clip-on lights with a base suit a single plant or a small tray. T5 strip lights in packs of four cover a shelf. A 70 to 100 watt panel lights a 2x2 tent.

Nutrients and seed starting

Check each product page to see whether nutrients are in the box. Over time you need a bottle of liquid plant food or an A and B nutrient set, which you add at each refill. Replacement pods, grow sponges and rockwool cubes let you start the next crop while the current one is still producing, so the next crop is ready to go in.

Keeping it producing

Harvest herbs little and often, cutting from the top so the plant bushes out. Rinse the tank and the pump between crops. Keep the light at the height the product page recommends, lowering it for seedlings and raising it as plants grow. If leaves yellow, check the nutrient level first.

Your buying checklist

Measure the counter and the height above it. Decide what you want to eat: herbs and greens point to a pod garden, tomatoes and peppers point to buckets and a light. Check the pod count, footprint and wattage on the product page. Add nutrients and spare pods to the order so you are never caught short. Check the delivery estimate for your state. Then order, knowing you have 14 days to change your mind.

The short version

Start with a countertop pod garden and grow herbs and lettuce. Add a grow light for seedlings and winter houseplants. Move to a bucket kit and a tent when you want tomatoes. Read the specs twice. Everything we sell lists them.