We used first-hand experience and research to evaluate dozens of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled growing systems on ease of use, size, controls, and versatility. Our best overall pick is the Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 PRO because it’s easy for beginners, offers an intuitive app, and waters and delivers nutrients automatically. Here are the best indoor smart gardens to consider. The accompanying Click & Grow app is intuitive and provides a huge amount of information about the plants, their growing habits, as well as water and light controls and alerts. Instead of using a classic hydroponic system, Click & Grow gardens use Capillary Precision Irrigation (CPI). CPI technology helps control moisture in the soil by doling out water and nutrients at certain intervals that are best for the plants. An automated timer controls the lights, which you can preset to go on and off in line with sunlight. The grow light schedule is also adjustable in the app, or you can use hand gestures to turn these lights on and off. The 7-liter water tank has an observation window, allowing you to check levels manually or via the app. Having such a large tank means the water will last around a month, although it does make the VIVOSUN growing system a little bulky. In our experience, Wi-Fi was temperamental, and we often had to re-pair our phone, but it didn’t seem to impact the plants. From here, you can grow 32 different plants at any one time. The Natufia Smart system constantly monitors the water levels, humidity, and temperature, helping create the optimum climate for your plants to thrive, alongside time-release nutrients and pH tanks. While this system is a true investment not suited to all spaces or budgets, it also offers two monitoring options: via the touchscreen or the app. Sensors inside the tank monitor water levels, temperature, and humidity. You can view the readings on the Gardyn app, where you also get alerts when the system needs attention. Two 5-megapixel cameras also let you remotely check in on the progress of your plants. You need a membership if you want more monitoring assistance from Gardyn’s AI assistant Kelby. However, this subscription provides plant coaching from Kelby and 10 yCubes to use toward a selection of over 50 plants a month. Due to the unique size and shape of SeedPods and how they slowly release nutrients with each watering, it’s not possible to use third-party seeds in this garden. The tracking features on the Edn iOS app, which let you monitor water levels, adjust the light, and watch which plants are growing in which pods, are also only accurate when used with SeedPods. Unfortunately, there is no Android app yet. This model includes humidity and water-level sensors in the base and a high-definition camera for recording plant growth and checking in on your garden via the app when you’re away from home. This app flags any issues, offers tips, and sends harvest alerts. You can also ask Alexa to check in on your plants, although this connection often dropped out during testing. You get notifications when it’s time to add water or nutrients, and you can monitor pH levels and adjust the schedule of the built-in 60-watt LED grow lights via your phone. Rise Gardens are modular and the Personal Garden is the smallest option, with space for eight seed pods. However, if you want to expand, you can then add more modules, vertically, to grow up to 12 plants at one time. Its extendable arm allows you to adjust the height (up to 14.5 inches) depending on the types of herbs or other seeds planted. Alongside its 22-watt grow light is a fan that helps disperse heat, increases pollination, and keeps bugs at bay. You can monitor and control all of these features via the app. In our first-hand experience with this model, we struggled to get connected to Wi-Fi at first, but once connected, it was stable. The app allows you to control the light level, which means you can introduce delicate seedlings to less light at the start before gradually increasing intensity as they mature. In this way, it mimics the light and shade a plant may receive outside. Instead of seed pods, the watertight planter holds pots where you can plant any seeds of your choice. The Growhouse doesn’t have an automatic watering tank, so you need to water plants manually—but this helps prevent overwatering. Other growing systems are available, including aeroponics, hybriponics, and Capillary Precision Irrigation (CPI). With aeroponics, the water and nutrients circulate vertically using air. Hybriponics is Gardyn’s proprietary system which combines the aeroponics circulation method with hydroponic solutions. CPI technology was developed by Click & Grow and is an irrigation method that helps control moisture in the soil, distributing water and nutrients in mediated amounts at specific times.
Size
Most indoor smart gardens will fit on a shelf, countertop, or windowsill. As a result, they typically measure around ten to 20 inches long and up to 20 inches high. Vertical gardens maximize space by growing vertically. A growing number of mini gardens are also on the market—such as Edn’s SmallGarden—that cram a lot of tech into a small frame and are best suited for the tightest of spaces. “Indoor smart gardens are usually quite small, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow much in them,” says Jenkins. If you’re hoping to grow taller plants, like tomatoes and bell peppers, you will need extra headroom, so look for indoor smart gardens with extendable grow light arms or tall designs.
Control Options
All of the smart indoor gardens we researched and have had hands-on experience with allow you to control the grow lights schedule via a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-connected app. Some gardens and accompanying apps let you set which spectrum and intensity of light you use at different times of the day. Others give you greater control over the release of nutrients and water. Gardens with built-in sensors and cameras allow you to check in on your plants remotely, and you can control any that are Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant compatible via your voice.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Victoria Woollaston is a freelance science, technology, and lifestyle editor with more than a decade’s experience testing and reviewing consumer products. She’s had first-hand experience using a range of both indoor and outdoor smart gardens and grows herbs and vegetables for her family. “The LED lighting works in combination with the watering and feeding systems to boost growth, so plants are more likely to grow and grow quickly,” says Jenkins. The idea is to make it easier to successfully grow herbs, microgreens, soft fruits, flowers and more while saving on time and space—and with little know-how and effort. “Even in a basic model there’s usually a mix of automatic and user-friendly functions, so even if you’re not green-fingered or are quite forgetful your plants should still survive,” says Jenkins. The only limit that comes into play is a particular smart garden manufacturer doesn’t allow third-party seeds, meaning you’re restricted to planting only the seeds they sell. To learn more about the different types of indoor smart gardens, including which specifications are most important, Woollaston spoke with Fiona Jenkins, gardening expert at MyJobQuote. Using her expert insights, she narrowed down the best indoor smart gardens to those that suit most living spaces and people with a range of gardening experience and budgets. Each one offers Wi-Fi or Bluetooth compatibility at a minimum and comes with an accompanying app that offers remote control over the lights and other features.
