When you live in an urban area, growing your own produce can seem like a crazy idea. With a lack of space, such a task is often written off without a second thought. But, by using the best indoor herb gardens, you can maximize the potential of smaller areas and grow your own supply of herbs from the comfort of your home.
There are plenty of reasons why investing in producing your own groceries is a good idea. Here are four of the most important:
- Sustainability – Becoming self-sufficient, or at least a step closer to it, is something we should all be trying to do. Once you’ve become confident with growing herbs, it’s easier to progress on to other fruits and vegetables. Who knows? Your future could see you crafting your own homemade soap or taking regular, sustainable fishing trips.
- Organic – Taking your herbs from seed to sprout gives you total control of how to care for them. You decide which products to use to enhance growth. Therefore, you can be confident the resulting deliciousness is 100% organic.
- Readily Available – Forgot to pick up the mint for mojitos or the basil for your pasta? No worries. There’s some growing on the windowsill. Make this dream a reality and never go short of your favorite green garnishes. Plus, this way those herbs you’re using couldn’t be fresher.
- Cost-Efficient – Owning your own indoor gardening equipment can save you money in the long run. The price of herb seeds is a fraction of pre-grown, shop-bought packs. Herbs can also be grown to fill your individual demands, minimizing the amount of produce wasted.
Indoor gardens come in a range of forms, from decorative jars to smart gardens with artificial light. Each style results in a fresh supply of herbs or small vegetables. Below are eleven of the best indoor herb gardens available for online ordering. Most come with everything you need to begin the growing process, including the seeds. Others may need additional pieces but will allow you to customize your setup. Be sure to check the number of pods in each, the power required and the expected growth speed to ensure you select the right indoor herb garden for you.
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1. AeroGarden Indoor Hydroponic Garden
BEST OVERALL
There’s no need to worry about your plants when winter comes around, as this AeroGarden Indoor Hydroponic Garden allows you to grow herbs, flowers and more throughout the year. The system has enough space to grow six individual plants at one once. These could be the included Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil and mint or other options of your own choosing. The system features a built-in, 20-watt LED light to maximize growth and comes with a three-ounce bottle of AeroGarden’s patented growth enhancer. The light turns on and off automatically, making tending your indoor herb garden an easy and nearly effortless task.
2. Click & Grow Smart Herb Garden
RUNNER UP
Included in the Click & Grow Smart Herb Starter Kit is everything you need to set up your very own table herb garden. Not only does the kit allow for a quick and easy setup, the simple layout and easy-to-follow growing instructions mean even the least green-thumbed among us can make something grow. Inside the Click & Grow kit, you’ll find three ready-to-grow basil plants. After plugging in the lamp and filling the water basin, you can sit back and relax. Approximately three weeks later, you’ll see your plants sprouting into life. For those who wish to experiment and explore other herb varieties, you can buy several other cartridges to put in the herb garden.
3. Mason Jar Indoor Herb Garden
MOST DECORATIVE
If you are new to the world of hydroponics, why not give it a go with these Mason Jar Herb Gardens? Instead of soil, your herb plants will only require nutrient-rich water and sunlight to grow. In addition, the transparent mason jars allow you to observe the whole process in action. Furthermore, these stylish jars don’t just provide a crop of your chosen herb, they also act as an attractive decoration for any countertop or shelf. There is a range of herbs to choose from, including parsley, sage and mint, and each herb comes in a correspondingly colored jar.
4. GrowLED Plastic Planters
BEST PLANTERS
You may find that your indoor herb garden LED lighting system doesn’t include seed planters. In this case, you can use the GrowLED Plastic Planters. This set of four planters is a versatile option which can fit comfortably under most lamp styles. They measure 3.5 inches square and feature multiple drainage holes, making them ideal for placing on indoor surfaces, such as tabletops and windowsills. They’re also available in a rounded design and pair well with a number of GrowLED’s lighting products.
5. Home Grown Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit
VALUE PICK
The set of five bamboo pots in this Home Grown Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit is great for growing herbs while acting as an attractive decoration. They each come paired with a drip tray, making display on any shelf in your home possible. You’ll also find a nutrition pack to encourage the five types of herb to grow along with markers to indicate exactly what is in each pot. Furthermore, the included ebook ensures this kit is great for first-time herb gardeners.
6. GrowLED Plant Garden
MOST STYLISH
Growing herbs at home doesn’t mean forgetting about your carefully selected interior design. The GrowLED Plant Garden is a stylish device which easily blends in with the furniture in any modern home. The curved corners and 4000K white light give the garden a somewhat futuristic feel. Although the pots aren’t included, GrowLED does have multiple models available in their catalog. And, once you see the quality of their lighting options, you’ll definitely want to invest in the full set-up.
7. EZORKAS Grow Light
MOST FLEXIBLE
If you’ve already given indoor herb gardening a try but haven’t quite mastered the art, the EZORKAS Grow Light might be exactly what you need. Four strips of LED lights, which are designed with blue and red bulbs for optimal plant growth, are attached to a durable base clip. This means they can be attached and directed as you please. Auto on-and-off timing can also be implemented using the control box, which is integrated into the power cable. It’s also worth noting that when placing your new lights over existing planters, it’s advised to keep a distance of around three feet.
8. Vegebox Indoor Herb Garden
LARGEST CAPACITY
With nine pods and a 1.2-liter water tank, the Vegebox Indoor Herb Garden is on the larger end of indoor herb gardens. It features a 21-watt LED strip light which can encourage growth of up to 1.5 times faster than when it is not present. The light is mounted on a hinge which tilts up to 135 degrees for precision light distribution. Plus, the water tank’s large capacity means it should only need refilling once every two weeks.
9. iDOO Hydroponics Indoor Herb Garden
BEST REVIEWED
With nearly 2,000 reviews and a 4.5-star rating on Amazon, the iDOO Hydroponics Indoor Herb Garden is a popular choice of indoor herb garden. The advanced circulation system aids growth rates by increasing the amount of oxygen in the water delivered to your plants. There are three pre-programmed modes to select from to align with each stage of any plant’s growth. Additionally, the 24-watt LED light is adjustable to accommodate the regularly changing height of your produce.
10. Back to the Roots Water Garden
BEST FOR KIDS
Land and water join forces in the Back to the Roots Water Garden. This unique, indoor herb garden is a genius combination of aquaponic and hydropic technology. Below deck is a self-cleaning fish tank, which shares its unwanted waste with the growing area above in the form of poop-based fertilizer. Everything you need to set up the garden is included. All you have to do is buy some fish. You’ll also gain access to an educational kit that explains exactly how this clever system works.
11. AeroGarden Harvest Elite
BEST SPLURGE
Boasting a system able to grow herbs five times faster than soil-planted crops, the AeroGarden Harvest Elite is an advanced, countertop garden that utilizes hydroponics. Whether you prefer fresh herbs, salad greens, vegetables or flowers, this six-pod garden can produce a range of fresh produce. Several herbs are included in the kit, such as thyme, chives, dill and mint. Furthermore, the lighting is supplied by a 20-watt LED lighting system, which is controlled by a digital display control panel. This panel can also be programmed to take care of your plants when you’re away on vacation.