Fennel & Fifth

Indoor gardens and hydroponics

By the Fennel & Fifth team · Updated

An indoor garden grows plants in water with added nutrients instead of soil, and many have a light built in. University of Minnesota Extension says hydroponics needs plants, a container, water, a way to anchor the plants, nutrients and a light source (UMN Extension). Before you buy, compare the height when fully grown, the outlet it needs, and the pods and plant food it keeps using.

Countertop smart gardens, hydroponic towers and floor gardens, plus the pods and refills they use. Compare size when fully grown, plant count, power, noise and the pods and plant food each one needs.

Young green seedlings growing in a tray

Related guides: Will a hydroponic tower fit in your apartment? · What can you grow with little sun?

12 of 12 indoor gardens and hydroponics match

We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. It never decides what fits or what we say. Prices and stock can change. How we choose stores

AeroGarden Bounty

Type
Countertop garden
Where it goes
  • Kitchen counter
Works with
  • Little or no daylight
  • Some window light
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
  • Tomatoes and peppers
Plants at once
9
Height, fully grown
34 inches
Power use
Not listed
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A kitchen counter with no window light. It grows nine herbs, greens or tomatoes.
Drawbacks
34 in tall with the light fully raised. Takes AeroGarden pods only.
Check price at Scotts Miracle-Gro (opens in a new tab) Full specs

AeroGarden Harvest Lite

Type
Countertop garden
Where it goes
  • Kitchen counter
  • Shelf or under a cabinet
Works with
  • Little or no daylight
  • Some window light
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
Plants at once
6
Height, fully grown
16.4 inches
Power use
15 watts
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A counter or shelf with no window light. It grows six herbs or greens.
Drawbacks
Seed pods and plant food are sold separately. The light rises for up to 12 in of plant height.
Check price at Scotts Miracle-Gro (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Click & Grow Smart Garden 3

Type
Countertop garden
Where it goes
  • Kitchen counter
  • Shelf or under a cabinet
Works with
  • Little or no daylight
  • Some window light
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
Plants at once
3
Height, fully grown
18.5 inches
Power use
8 watts
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A counter or shelf with no window light. It grows three herbs or greens at a time.
Drawbacks
Three plants at a time. Takes Click & Grow pods only.
Check price at Click & Grow (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 Pro

Type
Countertop garden
Where it goes
  • Kitchen counter
  • Shelf or under a cabinet
Works with
  • Little or no daylight
  • Some window light
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
  • Strawberries
  • Tomatoes and peppers
Plants at once
9
Height, fully grown
15.6 inches
Power use
13 watts
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A counter or shelf with no window light. It grows nine herbs, greens, mini tomatoes or strawberries.
Drawbacks
23.8 in long. Takes Click & Grow pods only.
Check price at Click & Grow (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Gardyn Home 4

Type
Tower or floor garden
Where it goes
  • Floor
Works with
  • Little or no daylight
  • Some window light
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
  • Tomatoes and peppers
  • Strawberries
Plants at once
30
Height, fully grown
64 inches
Power use
80 watts
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A floor spot with little or no daylight. It holds 30 plants under built-in lights.
Drawbacks
64 in tall on a 24 × 12 in footprint. Takes Gardyn's own pods. The maker doesn't say generic pods work.
Check price at Gardyn (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Gardyn Studio 2

Type
Tower or floor garden
Where it goes
  • Floor
Works with
  • Little or no daylight
  • Some window light
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
  • Strawberries
Plants at once
16
Height, fully grown
54 inches
Power use
52 watts
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A floor spot with little or no daylight. It holds 16 plants under a built-in light.
Drawbacks
54 in tall on a 17 × 12 in footprint. Takes Gardyn's own pods. The maker doesn't say generic pods work.
Check price at Gardyn (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Lettuce Grow Farmstand Nook

Type
Tower or floor garden
Where it goes
  • Floor
Works with
  • Little or no daylight
  • Some window light
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
Plants at once
20
Height, fully grown
55 inches
Power use
Not listed
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A floor spot with little or no daylight. It holds 20 herbs and greens under built-in lights.
Drawbacks
55 in tall and about 16 in across. The maker doesn't say whether you can use your own seeds.
Check price at Lettuce Grow (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Lettuce Grow Original Farmstand, Large (36 plants)

Type
Tower or floor garden
Where it goes
  • Floor
  • Balcony or patio
Works with
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
  • Tomatoes and peppers
  • Strawberries
Plants at once
36
Height, fully grown
79 inches
Power use
Not listed
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A sunny balcony or patio, with room for 36 plants.
Drawbacks
Up to 79 in tall, and it needs 4 sq ft of level space. To grow indoors it needs the Glow Rings kit, sold separately.
Check price at Lettuce Grow (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Lettuce Grow Original Farmstand, Medium (24 plants)

Type
Tower or floor garden
Where it goes
  • Floor
  • Balcony or patio
Works with
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
  • Tomatoes and peppers
  • Strawberries
Plants at once
24
Height, fully grown
62 inches
Power use
Not listed
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A sunny balcony or patio, with room for 24 plants.
Drawbacks
To grow indoors it needs the Glow Rings kit, sold separately. A full 20-gallon tank adds about 167 lb of water (derived).
Check price at Lettuce Grow (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Lettuce Grow Original Farmstand, Small (18 plants)

Type
Tower or floor garden
Where it goes
  • Floor
  • Balcony or patio
Works with
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
  • Tomatoes and peppers
  • Strawberries
Plants at once
18
Height, fully grown
54 inches
Power use
Not listed
Pods and seeds
The maker's pods only
Made for
A sunny balcony or patio, with room for 18 plants.
Drawbacks
To grow indoors it needs the Glow Rings kit, sold separately. A full 20-gallon tank adds about 167 lb of water (derived).
Check price at Lettuce Grow (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Tower Garden FLEX

Type
Tower or floor garden
Where it goes
  • Floor
  • Balcony or patio
Works with
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
  • Tomatoes and peppers
  • Strawberries
Plants at once
20
Height, fully grown
55 inches
Power use
23 watts
Pods and seeds
Your own seeds or any pod
Made for
A sunny balcony or patio, with room for up to 20 plants and extension kits to add more.
Drawbacks
Takes a 30 × 30 in footprint. To grow indoors it needs the maker's 125 W LED Indoor Grow Lights, sold separately.
Check price at Tower Garden (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Tower Garden HOME

Type
Tower or floor garden
Where it goes
  • Floor
  • Balcony or patio
Works with
  • A sunny window, 6+ hours
Good for
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce and greens
  • Tomatoes and peppers
  • Strawberries
Plants at once
32
Height, fully grown
58 inches
Power use
23 watts
Pods and seeds
Your own seeds or any pod
Made for
A sunny balcony or patio, with room for up to 32 plants.
Drawbacks
To grow indoors it needs the maker's 125 W LED Indoor Grow Lights, sold separately. A full 13-gallon tank adds about 108 lb of water (derived).
Check price at Tower Garden (opens in a new tab) Full specs

Tick up to 3 to compare side by side.

We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. It never decides what fits or what we say. Prices and stock can change. How we choose stores

Questions people ask

Do indoor gardens need sunlight?

Not if the light is built in. Gardyn, Click & Grow, AeroGarden and the Lettuce Grow Farmstand Nook all have their own lights, per their makers. The Original Farmstand and Tower Garden are sold for sunny spots. Indoors, each needs the maker's light kit, sold separately (Lettuce Grow, Tower Garden). See indoor gardens that need no daylight.

Can I use my own seeds?

Often, yes, with the maker's empty pods: Gardyn's seedless yCubes, Click & Grow's Grow Anything pods and AeroGarden's Grow Anything kit (Gardyn, Click & Grow, AeroGarden). Tower Garden uses rockwool cubes in net pots, and you start seeds in its germination tray (Tower Garden). Lettuce Grow doesn't say.

Do I need a subscription?

None of the gardens we list needs one, per their makers. Gardyn's membership is optional, but its 30-day free trial renews into a paid monthly plan unless you cancel in the app (Gardyn). Lettuce Grow and Tower Garden offer optional deliveries.

What does an indoor garden cost to keep running?

Pods or seeds, plant food and electricity. University of Minnesota Extension lists nutrients and a light source among what hydroponics needs (UMN Extension). Most makers don't say how often pods and plant food run out, so we show the yearly cost as "Not listed" rather than guess. Each product page names the pods and plant food its maker sells, under "What else you need". For power, University of Missouri Extension multiplies hours on by the maker's watts and divides by 1,000 for kilowatt-hours, then multiplies by your price per kilowatt-hour (MU Extension).

How heavy is a hydroponic tower when it's full?

Water weighs about 62.4 pounds per cubic foot (USGS), or about 8.3 pounds a gallon (our math). A full 20-gallon tank adds about 167 pounds before the tower and plants (derived). Check your lease or building rules, especially on a balcony. More in will a hydroponic tower fit?

Are indoor gardens noisy?

Most makers don't give a decibel figure, so we show noise as "Not listed". Click & Grow calls its Smart Garden 3 silent, with passive watering (Click & Grow).