Indoor gardening setup, do they work?

NickWk

In the past, I had a sunroom I dedicated almost exclusively as a greenhouse. After moving a couple years ago I have spent time establishing an outdoor garden but am intrigued by these small footprint vertical hydroponic garden setups. I want to have fresh herbs and a few small veggies always on hand in the kitchen. Some are too small to fool with, others are too expensive to try without knowing anyone that has had luck using them. Does anyone have experience with any of these? Care to share your experience and or pics of your setups?

TxTom

I just now Googled "hydroponic garden user groups". Here's my results....

Have you tried any of these sites geared towards hydroponic garden users?

NickWk

@TxTom I have tried a couple enthusiast groups, most of them involve people who build and use their own setups. I’d really just like to know if one of these $500-1000 kits they advertise on late night tv are really any good for the average human with little to no hydroponic experience.

What does this have to do with cuddling? I don’t know, 🤷🏻‍♂️Sometimes I feel like a vegetable and people still accept me. I figured I would just ask, not the strangest question I’ve seen here.

BoomerSpooner

https://www.chia.com/

Simply amazing and well under $100 to get started.

lesmis33

I want to have fresh herbs

You can get a small hydroponic indoor herb garden for less then $100.
https://www.amazon.com/iDOO-Hydroponics-Countertop-Germination-Automatic/dp/B08ZCN278C/?th=1&tag=seriouseats-onsite-backup-20

Veggies are harder but the one I linked at least doesn't make you buy pods, but it that means it is more complicated to plant. My mom had one for a bit until she started cultivating her outdoor garden more. She uses basil as a natural pesticide since it is really aromatic. Makes me wish I had a house and a backyard so I could have an awesome garden Anyway, I digress.

I eventually want one of these bad boys set up in my apartment: https://neoplants.com/product
Not edible though lol.

NickWk

@lesmis33 so on here and another post I have had, people have suggested the countertop model for herbs and to forgo the indoor veggie attempt. I guess I can accept that. I like the model you suggested with no pods.

Now the purification plant sounds great but the advertising of a bioengineered plant just has me thinking one morning I will not wake up and someone will find me weeks later in bed with a plant wrapped around my neck feeding off my corpse.

lesmis33

Now the purification plant sounds great but the advertising of a bioengineered plant just has me thinking one morning I will not wake up and someone will find me weeks later in bed with a plant wrapped around my neck feeding off my corpse. @NickWk

stormydaycuddle

One year I grew a full garden with tomatoes, jalapenos, green beans etc on my balcony. It was THE best.

JasonCuddles

I have a basil plant by a window right now. In a regular dirt pot with nothing special. It does okay. Some things are harder to grow than others. I don't see any reason why you couldn't get a shelf and just stack plants on that by a window for cheap and effective.

BoomerSpooner

Wrong thread

JWestfall

@NickWk I PMed you more details. I'd say don't buy an expensive system, except (as you/others suggested) you can grow a few herbs in a sunny window, albeit with a cheap grow light for supplemental light (like $50 on AMZN). @stormydaycuddle yes an outdoor garden, even a small one, can be such a blessing! I eat so well in August/September.

cuddlefaery

@BoomerSpooner nah, don't even need one of those fancy ones. Get a random pot from the thrift store and a handful of chia seeds from the bulk bin at the health food store. Wheat berries, oat groats, and other whole unprocessed grains also work. Side benefit - cheap pet grass for when your fur baby feels like being a cow 🤣

sillysassy

I know this isn’t quite the “indoor garden” you are thinking about…. But @justjennn and a few cuddly peeps were down in RiNo this last weekend and came across this SUPER COOL new restaurant with a hydroponic indoor farm. They sell a ton of fresh herbs and vegetables and it was truly amazing to see this vertical aspect (especially since I used to be a FARMER!!)

I know everyone’s already mentioned a million resources but the VERTICAL aspect gives you a lot more possibility than a single window shelf etc. people use old pallets etc etc etc. Thank you PINTEREST ❤️

https://thefarmandmarket.com/

justjennn

@sillysassy wasn't that place just amazing!! Loved every second of our walkabout down there!

Hollydollhugs

I definitely want to do this. I’m going to start sprouts soon.

Lovelight

@NickWk I believe @TxTom was just trying to help, not implying you don't post that here. To my knowledge and years of being here, various discussions have been welcomed as long as they are cilvil and don't break the Terms and Conditions. If cuddling was all that was discussed, I believe the forum wouldn't be as lively, and beneficial for many. So you're good. 😊

As for your question, I'm not a gardener in the slightest. So my guess is likely worse than yours. However if that involves me doing the work of a gardener plus that of worker bees and more, for me it probably wouldn't work lol. Though having some fresh herbs and vegetables sounds really good! So who knows, I might someday get into some kind of gardening.

DallasKale

I saw the place that @sillysassy posted when I was visiting Denver last year. Didn't know they actually sold the stuff they grew, that's super cool.

To the original question, I have a few friends with little <$100 hydro kits that work better than I would have expected. They pretty consistently end up with more herbs than they know what to do with.

bekah_cuddles

I received an AeroGarden Harvest for Christmas and have been enjoying lots of Caprese salads with all the basil I've pruned! Only my Thyme pod didn't germinate, but they're sending a replacement.