There are plenty of easy-to-use indoor grow kits for beginners. These take the guesswork out of planting, and some even connect to a smartphone app to help you with plant care.
The AeroGarden Harvest features a sleek, Scandinavian design and can grow nine lettuce and herb seed pods at once. Its smart display panel alerts you when it’s time to water or add nutrients.
AeroGarden
If you’ve never grown anything before, the AeroGarden makes the process simple. Each unit comes with seed pods and a liquid nutrient solution that will get your plants growing five times faster than normal. These systems have a programmed care schedule, which includes reminders to add water and nutrients on a set schedule. They also alert you when it’s time to change the light bulb and add more plant food. Some models allow you to connect to your phone or Alexa to make this more automated. They also have a vacation mode that lowers the amount of water used.
The units come in several sizes, with the Harvest model allowing for 6 plants. They’re a good fit for any counter and don’t require much natural light. The Elite model has some extra bells and whistles, including voice compatibility with Alexa, a vacation mode, and a sleek stainless steel finish. You can even purchase a grow light add-on to help the unit reach full brightness in less time.
All AeroGardens have a focus on natural products, and they try to use organic or heirloom seeds where possible. They don’t use any pesticides or herbicides, either, and their plant food is a liquid instead of chemical spray. The systems do have some disadvantages, though. The nutrient solution is not aerated, so you may notice some mold growing in the tank. This can be avoided by wiping down the inside of the container with a 2-1 water-vinegar mixture.
Lettuce Grow
Lettuce grows best in full sun but will grow in partial shade in warm climates. It likes well-draining soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. A light mulch helps to suppress weeds and maintain soil moisture. Lettuce is also susceptible to pests such as aphids and cutworms, but these can be controlled by removing the affected leaves and spraying the plants with a mild insecticide or homemade solution.
Founded by actor Zooey Deschanel and her husband, this company’s Farmstand is one of the more splashy new entrants in the indoor garden space. The stacked modern hydroponic system lets you grow up to 36 lettuce plants in one body and is suitable for year-round gardening inside or outside, even in freezing temperatures. The system waters itself and only needs a 15-minute maintenance session once per week.
The stand comes with pre-sprouted lettuce seedling pods and uses glow rings to provide the right kind of light for your veggies and herbs. The water tank sits at the bottom and is run, along with the lights, via timers that plug into a standard outlet, which you can replace with smart ones if you choose (though Lettuce Grow recommends keeping the pumps and light on for 14 hours each day).
You fill the stand with water, which is filtered and reused. You’ll need to check the soil’s pH level with the supplies included and add nutrient mixture every other week.
Sow Much Fun
If you want to get your hands dirty but can’t find the time for traditional gardening, a beginner indoor grow kit is a great option. These kits are designed to make it easy and fun to grow plants in your home or office. They include everything you need to start growing your own veggies and herbs. They also come with seed starter cubes and a watering system that circulates water and nutrients throughout the soil to help the plants thrive.
Whether you’re a novice gardener or simply a foodie, this grow kit is a fun and delicious way to learn how to cultivate your own fresh produce! The hydroponic grow kit includes a 3-pod planter, automatic LED lights on telescoping poles, water level indicator, fun veggie and flower character puffy stickers, seed, plastic germination bags to ensure germination, and detailed instructions.
The Brooklyn-based company behind this grow kit believes that healthy, delicious food should be accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy. Rather than focus on gadgetry, the team focuses on creating products that make it easy to grow fresh and healthy veggies, herbs, flowers, and microgreens. They have a strong commitment to sustainability and give back by donating one of their grow kits to a classroom every time you share a picture of your new organic gardens with #growonegiveone.
Toysmith Deluxe Root Viewer
Kids can watch the roots of veggies grow with this deluxe garden kit that doubles as a year-round indoor experiment. It includes a clear 9 x 11.5 inch plastic planter, premium soil, radish, carrot and green onion seeds (enough for several plantings), a root viewer and instructions.
This kit is perfect for the kid that loves to get creative with their gardening! This flower growing kit comes with a flower-shaped potting pot, a flower-shaped planter, a fairy figure, toadstools, paint and wheat grass seed. Kids can create their own unique fairy garden landscape and watch the seeds sprout into a beautiful, magical scene.
Give your favorite gardener a gift that’s both fun and functional with this vegetable garden kit for kids. They’ll be able to watch the seeds sprout, grow and even harvest their very own vegetables!
For the beginner gardener that lives in an apartment, this kit is a great way to bring home grown vegetables. It’s small enough to fit on the windowsill and it’ll help them be a bit more self-sufficient! Plus, they’ll be able to enjoy fresh alfalfa sprouts in salads and sandwiches.