June
2, 2021
4 min read
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For those of us without yards — i.e., living in cities and townhouses — herb gardening might not seem like a possibility. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a nearby community garden you can join, this is where the best indoor herb garden kits come in.
Often electronic, these kits typically rely on grow lights, LED systems that simulate outdoor lighting, to conduct photosynthesis. Because they vary in features and functionality, some require soil to grow plants while others do not. Likewise, more autonomous kits will even water the plants for you on a scheduled timer.
No matter which method you prefer, we’ve highlighted the best indoor garden kits for herbs, vegetables, fruit, salad, and more.
Best Overall: Modern Sprout Brass Growhouse V2 ($199)
Best Hydroponic: AeroGarden Harvest Elite ($130)
Best for Fruit and Vegetables: Veritable Connect ($330)
Best for Salad: AeroGarden Harvest ($107)
Best Starter Kit: Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 ($100)
Best for Kids: Creativity for Kids Plant a Pizza Garden ($22)
Coming Soon: Pico Max ($75)
Best Overall: Modern Sprout Brass Growhouse V2 ($199)
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Modern Sprout
Although it does make a gorgeous addition to any home decor, the Modern Sprout Growhouse V2 is more than just a pretty face. Its built-in, full-spectrum LED glow light is effective and environmentally friendly. A user-friendly companion app makes it easy to control from across the room. What’s more, you can mount it to the wall as well.
Best Hydroponic: AeroGarden Harvest Elite ($130)
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AeroGarden
A soil-free alternative to our number one pick, the AeroGarden Harvest Elite uses “pods” to grow everything from basil to cherry tomatoes. Its high capacity allows it to hold up to six, 12-inch plants at a time, and the entire watering process is automated using an integrated display with front panel controls. With AeroGarden, it’s never been harder to kill plants.
Best for Fruit and Vegetables: Veritable Connect ($330)
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Veritable
Grow full-size tomatoes, bell peppers, and chilis — no hassle required — with the Veritable Connect. To set it up, all you have to do is plug it in, fill up the water reservoir, and place Veritable’s proprietary Lingot seeds in the planter, then wait three to four weeks to harvest. In addition to an LED glow light, it also has an app for seamless supervision on the go.
Best for Salad: AeroGarden Harvest ($107)
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AeroGarden
If all you want to do is assemble a delicious medley of plant-based cuisine, the AeroGarden Harvest is the perfect gateway to gardening. A simple control panel gives you a heads up when you need to add water and feed your plants while the lights are automatically managed by the device. To top it off, there’s a sprawling selection of seed kits to choose from.
Best Starter Kit: Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 ($100)
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Click and Grow
As its name suggests, the Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 is one of the most effortless starting points for beginner gardeners. Pre-seeded plant pods range from yellow tomatoes to lavender all the way to Japanese Mibuna. It comes with basil, to start, so you don’t have to invest in seeds from the get-go if you’d rather try it out first.
Best for Kids: Plant a Pizza Garden ($22)
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Creativity for Kids
What better way to get your kids into gardening than with pizza? No, it’s not a real pie from your local ‘za joint, but the Plant a Pizza Garden from Creativity for Kids can be used to grow flavorful toppings including basil, oregano, tomatoes, and peppers. All your little one has to do is add water and watch them grow. And there are, in fact, stickers involved to sweeten the deal.
Coming Soon: Pico Max ($75)
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Altifarm Enverde
One prospective pick we have on our radar is the Pico Max. From Altifarm Enverde, the company behind the original Pico, Pico Max is something of a cross between the Aerogarden Harvest Elite and the Modern Sprout Growhouse V2, letting you plant just about any seed in an automated, self-scheduling contraption, albeit one that is battery-powered and can be daisy chained to other Pico Max devices.