Hydroponics Growing System Plant Germination Kits Hydrophonic Planter for Indoor Garden Vegetable Herb Microgreens Growing Aerogarden Gardening 6 Large Pods(≈ 5X Small Pods)

This grow tower was a little tricky to assemble (the water pipes were hiding in the metal pipes, instructions have tiny pictures and are unclear). After it was assembled and running, I'm very happy with it. It is a bit louder than my countertop growing machine (splashing noises) but it uses the space more effectively. I put a little coconut coir on top of my pebbles, soaked my seeds for a few minutes, then put them on the coir 2 days ago and I already have little sprouts!

I've been using the table top aquaponics systems for a while and have had great luck with them. But you can't really grow anything more than herbs in those and I wanted something bigger that I could grow tomatoes, spinach, etc. That's where this system comes in to play. It is MUCH larger than the table top units. This is almost 5' tall and has significantly larger growing cups and trays.Once it is fully and correctly assembled it is very sturdy and doesn't leak at all. It has very good water flow between all the trays as well. The grow lights are easily adjustable per tray.The grow media are ceramic rocks (they are kind of like lava rock). They include two bags of this media, which is more than enough for the 36 grow cups. I haven't planted anything yet but I'm hoping this type of media will work better than the foam grow media in the table top units. The foam tends to get moldy, I believe these rocks won't have that same issue. I'll know soon enough.The water pump and the grow lights are on separate power circuits. They include a WiFi smart plug to control the lights. So the pump can run 24x7 and the lights can be set on a schedule to turn on only at night, for example. In my case I used my own Kasa smart plug instead of the plug they included as I already have the Kasa app and other plugs around my home.The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because the instruction sheet isn't clear enough about how to assemble the water pump system. The pictures on the sheet are far too small to be able to see what they are trying to describe . I did, eventually, figure it out and it works very well once you get it put together.One of the keys is that you have to use a rubber mallet to carefully pound the trays on to the stainless steel posts. If you don't do this then the white water line that goes from the pump in the bottom tray up to the top tray won't be long enough to make the proper connection. Hopefully the photos I included of how the plumbing goes together will help others to figure it out.

Having a winter garden in our northern climate is always a gamble, so I was excited to get this hydroponic system to try and grow our greens and lettuces indoors. I am a veteran gardener, but I am a hydroponics novice. I did a lot of reading before starting and found some helpful sites, particularly University of Minnesota, which has a comprehensive paper on small scale hydroponics. Armed with good advice from a previous reviewer's post, I set up this 36-cell rack with very little problem. It was time consuming, but straightforward. (But get a magnifying glass to read the instructions.) I pre-sprouted my seeds in moist paper towels and most of the lettuces and Asian greens sprouted in less than 48 hours. The ceramic stones that are included in this kit are more than enough to fill all 36 grow baskets. Before I planted the baskets, I sprinkled about a teaspoon of moistened coir on top of the stones to keep the tiny sprouts from disappearing into the crevices. Then I covered the cells with the handy little domes and crossed my fingers. I checked on my seedlings every time I went by the stand and it is like time-lapse photography! Every few hours, there was a new marvel taking place before my eyes! First, I got to see the rootlets grow and start making their way downward to the water; then the tiny cotyledons developing; and now - IN LESS THAN A WEEK - I'm getting true leaves developing on many of the plants. I picked up several of the baskets and found roots already extending through the bottom. This system is so well thought out that it makes hydroponics easy even for beginners. In fact, it's the perfect system for beginners because it's simple and trouble-free. The pump is tiny but quiet and efficient; the lights are so easy to adjust up and down; the stand is sturdy and well designed. My only complaint is that the casters fell off a couple of times while I was moving the rack into place; but once I had the trays full of water and the baskets filled, they stayed put with all the weight. Still, I do wish the caster stems were locked in more securely. I do recommend that you check the pH of your water before you start. Our well water is about 8.0, much more alkaline than is optimal for most plants. I noticed some threads of brown slime after several days, so I treated the water with a pinch of citric acid and that got the pH down to around 6.0, which seems to have taken care of the issue. If you're thinking about getting into hydroponics and don't want the hassle of building your own system, this is the one for you. I highly recommend it.

I love the idea of this, but there is a good amount of set up required. I used the advice of the other reviewer to put it together. It has the capability of growing three layers which is great to have enough lettuce to actually eat. Some of the other planters are so small, you eat all the lettuce in one meal! You can use your own seeds and I love that I can pick from a wider variety then some of the other table top growers. I have not planted anything yet, but will update when I do.