Beginner - Bountiful Indoor Garden https://bountifulindoorgarden.com Grow Herbs, Fruits, and Veggies Indoors with Minimal Effort Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:59:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://bountifulindoorgarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FavIcon-Container-Garden-0512x0512-1-150x150.jpg Beginner - Bountiful Indoor Garden https://bountifulindoorgarden.com 32 32 How to Choose Your Hydroponic Growing System https://bountifulindoorgarden.com/how-to-choose-your-hydroponic-growing-system/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 10:35:15 +0000 https://bountifulindoorgarden.com/?p=1665 Ready to buy a hydroponic growing system, but not sure what features matter? Start here!

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How to Choose Your Hydroponic Growing System

You’ve seen those hydroponic growing systems for sale, and you’d like to buy one, but you’re not sure which one fits your needs. This article will help you choose an indoor garden.

Indoor gardens have come a long way since the days of plants in pots of soil crowded around a window, eking out a meager existence fighting over light from the winter sun. Advances in technology and new techniques have revolutionized indoor gardening in recent years.

An exciting example of technology and techniques merging into an awesome product is the hydroponic growing system. Hydroponic growing systems have flooded the market. Why? Because they work, they’re convenient, and they’re relatively inexpensive. (See related article, How a Self-Watering Hydroponic System Works.)

Of all the manufacturers selling hydroponic growing systems, AeroGarden is perhaps the most well known.

AeroGarden hydroponic growing system products are extremely popular and are generally the standard against which products from all other manufacturers are judged. Therefore, all the AeroGarden products are included in the matrix. Products from popular competitors will be included as well.

Let’s Clear Up Some Confusion

Choosing your first hydroponic growing system can be maddeningly confusing. They all look so much alike. Why choose this one over that one? What features matter most and which ones are of little value?

To assist you in making a decision, this article offers you a matrix of products and features. The article explains the meanings of the values in the chart.

Every attempt has been made to present accurate information, but products evolve and features change. Please confirm any information you read here before making your purchase to be sure you’re getting what you wish for.

Garden Environment

The table below describes the three core garden environment properties.
  • Number of plants it can grow
  • Power of the light
  • Highest the plant can grow before it bumps into the light
You’ll probably start your comparison shopping with these three properties.
AeroGarden
Series Model Pods LED
(watts) 		Max
Plant
Height
(inches)
Sprout Sprout 3 10 10
Harvest Harvest 6 20 12
Harvest Elite 6 20 12
Harvest XL 6 25 18
Harvest 360 6 20 12
Harvest Elite 360 6 20 12
Harvest Slim 6 20 12
Harvest Elite Slim 6 20 12
Bounty Bounty Basic 9 30 24
Bounty 9 40 24
Bounty Elite 9 50 24
Farm 12 12 60 24
12XL 12 60 36
24 Basic 24 120 12
24Plus 24 120 24
24XL 24 120 36
iDOO
Series Model Pods LED
(watts) 		Max
Plant
Height
(inches)
10-Pod ID-IG303B 10 24 15
12-Pod ID-IG302S 12 22 14.5

You don’t need to know a bunch of technical information such as exactly how bright the light is per watt. Just pay attention to where a hydroponic growing system LED wattage lands in the range for comparison.

If you find a hydroponic growing system that supports a 24 inch plant like the Bounty but offers a 10 watt LED like the Sprout, you should question whether that unit can grow healthy plants. Why?

The greater the maximum plant height, the more powerful a LED grow light you want. The effect the light has on a plant decreases rapidly as the distance increases between them. You’ll see the correlation between LED wattage and maximum plant height in this chart.

To ensure the light is as close to the plant as possible, the hydroponic growing system you select should allow you to set the light very low against the growing tray and raise it until it reaches its maximum height as the plants grow taller.

The wattage of products in the chart ranges from 10 to 120 watts per garden. The (relatively) meager 10-watt LED in the AeroGarden Sprout hosts 3 plants under 10 inches tall. That’s suitable for small herbs and lettuce. Conversely, the two super-bright 60 watt LEDs on the 24XL support plants up to three feet tall, such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash.

The highlighted hydroponic growing systems stand out against the other units for the properties included on this chart.

Garden User Interface

You want to look for several factors in a user interface on your hydroponic growing system.
  • Ease of use
  • Helpful feedback
  • Control over growing conditions
You’re here to garden, not manage the settings on one or two (or twelve, because you’ll get hooked on growing food in these things!) hydroponic growing systems. The most basic units have little more than a power button. High-end units have touchscreen control panels plus Wi-Fi apps and can synchronize schedules with other units.
AeroGarden
Series Model Interface Wi-Fi App Vacation
Mode
Sprout Sprout Buttons No No
Harvest Harvest Buttons No No
Harvest Elite Digital Display No Yes
Harvest XL Buttons No Yes
Harvest 360 Buttons No No
Harvest Elite 360 Digital Display No Yes
Harvest Slim Buttons No No
Harvest Elite Slim Digital Display No Yes
Bounty Bounty Basic Digital Display No Yes
Bounty Digital Display Yes Yes
Bounty Elite Digital Display Yes Yes
Farm 12 Touchscreen Yes Yes
12XL Touchscreen Yes Yes
24 Basic Touchscreen Yes Yes
24Plus Touchscreen Yes Yes
24XL Touchscreen Yes Yes
iDOO
Series Model Interface Wi-Fi App Vacation
Mode
10-Pod ID-IG303B Buttons No No
12-Pod ID-IG302S Buttons Yes No
Buttons

Devices on the chart with only buttons operate entirely manually, except the iDOO 12-Pod, which has Wi-Fi. The interface is simple and intuitive. The device communicates garden status to you with lights that illuminate, blink, or change color. Some gardens may have an audible alarm.

Digital Display

The digital display enhances the garden device by offering you detailed feedback regarding the state of your garden. Rather than interpret a flashing light, you just read the text or view the icons on the digital display to learn what the garden is attempting to communicate to you.

Touchscreen

The ultimate in interaction with your hydroponic growing system is the touchscreen. The menu system guides you through set-up and offers lots of feedback. The screen is large enough to just explain to you what you need to know.

Wi-Fi

The devices with Wi-Fi communicate with an app you install on your iOS or Android phone. You can manage many settings from your phone using the app. You may be able to synchronize multiple hydroponic growing systems, if they are compatible. Wi-Fi connectivity is a tremendous convenience you don’t want to overlook.

Before you buy a garden with Wi-Fi connectivity, make sure it will work on your wireless router. Is the hydroponic growing system connecting via 2.4GHz or 5GHz? Make sure your wireless router supports that frequency. Most routers handle both frequencies, but things change.

Vacation Mode

Finally, the vacation mode gives you peace of mind knowing your garden is less likely to run dry while you are away on vacation. The device reduces the amount of light it shines on your plants each day, slowing their growth and also their water intake. Somebody was really thinking when they came up with this feature!

Garden Dimensions

Can you fit that hydroponic growing system on your countertop? Or, once you’ve gotten hooked on growing your own food indoors, how many growing systems can you fit?

As you consider the dimensions, picture your hydroponic growing system in various locations within your home. The kitchen counter is a convenient location for a garden, but plants look lovely anywhere you put them. Your hydroponic growing system can add a nice touch to the living room or dining room.

You’ll find below the dimensions of each hydroponic growing system. I highlighted no rows because each model is perfect for you if it fits where you want it.

AeroGarden
Series Model Width
(inches) 		Depth
(inches) 		Height
(inches)
Sprout Sprout 3.5 12 14
Harvest Harvest 10.5 6 17.4
Harvest Elite 10.5 6.25 17.4
Harvest XL 10.5 6.25 24
Harvest 360 9 9 17.4
Harvest Elite 360 9 8 17.4
Harvest Slim 15 5 17.5
Harvest Elite Slim 15 5 17.5
Bounty Bounty Basic 17.25 11.25 34
Bounty 17.25 11.25 34
Bounty Elite 17.25 11.25 34
Farm 12 18 14 34
12XL 18 14 46
24 Basic 36 14 24
24Plus 36 14 34
24XL 36 14 46
iDOO
Series Model Width
(inches) 		Depth
(inches) 		Height
(inches)
10-Pod ID-IG303B 15.75 8.25 20
12-Pod ID-IG302S 13.8 10.25 21
Leave Extra Space

As you compare dimensions you’re probably thinking in terms of placing the garden along a wall. Will it fit between the mixer and the toaster? But remember that plants grow in all directions. Be sure you leave space between the garden and the wall for the plant to fill out.

You also need room to reach behind if you are picking tomatoes or peppers. Reaching through the plant or over the top of the light assembly may not be feasible.

Leave Extra Height

And on the topic of tomatoes and peppers, remember that the plant does not know to stop growing when it reaches the light. It may grow taller than the height of the garden unit. If you place your hydroponic growing system under a kitchen counter or shelf, plant height may become an issue.

Your plant is unharmed by growing beyond the light, although those branches are missing out on the benefits of the light. Just be sure enough of your plant gets that light to make up for the parts that do not. You may consider pruning the plant to keep all its leaves under the light.

Other Lighting

Another factor that may become an issue with a garden under the cabinets is any under-counter lighting system. Your garden simulates night and day with its timer and counter lights may interfere with that schedule. It may not be a big thing, but something to consider as you ponder where to place your indoor garden.

Stacking

The 24XL stands almost four feet tall and it’s taller than that if you set it on a stand to keep it off the floor. Moreover, the Farm series is stackable, so your garden could be six feet tall with a 24 Basic stacked atop a 24XL (or vise versa).

Garden Accessories

You can get more from your hydroponic growing system with some included or optional accessories. These gardens are very versatile!

The table below highlights availability of three garden accessories.

  • Seed starter tray (optional)
  • Microgreens tray (optional)
  • Trellis attachment (optional/included)

A seed starter tray holds more grow plugs than the regular tray. The seed starter tray has specialized built-in pods to hold the grow plugs. You start a seed in each grow plug and transplant the grow plug to soil once the seedling has grown enough. A seed starter tray is not intended to grow plants to maturity.

The microgreens tray provides a flat area for seeds to grow and be harvested as microgreens. The microgreens tray replaces the garden tray.

Finally, the taller AeroGarden gardens include mounts to support a trellis. When growing larger plants such as tomatoes or peppers a trellis helps keep things contained. For plants such as cucumbers, you can wind the vine around the trellis to maximize the plant’s access to the light.

AeroGarden
Series Model Starter
Seeds 		Microgreens Trellis
Available
Sprout Sprout 15 No No
Harvest Harvest 23 Yes No
Harvest Elite 23 Yes No
Harvest XL 23 Yes Yes
Harvest 360 23 Yes No
Harvest Elite 360 23 Yes No
Harvest Slim 23 No No
Harvest Elite Slim 23 No No
Bounty Bounty Basic 50 Yes Yes
Bounty 50 Yes Yes
Bounty Elite 50 Yes Yes
Farm 12 85 No Yes
12XL 85 No Yes
24 Basic 170 No Yes
24Plus 170 No Yes
24XL 170 No Yes
iDOO
Series Model Starter
Seeds 		Microgreens Trellis
Available
10-Pod ID-IG303B 10 No No
12-Pod ID-IG302S 12 No No

The highlighted cells in the chart indicate that accessories are available. The trellis is included with your AeroGarden. The trays are available for separate purchase.

If you have no interest in transplanting seedlings or growing microgreens, the availability of these optional trays should have no effect on your choice of hydroponic growing system.

You don’t need the seed starter tray to start seeds. You can start seeds in the regular tray and just move them when the seedling is ready. The starter tray allows you to start more seeds in the same space and do so without using any drop-in pods. With the seed starting tray, you just drop a grow plug into the build-in pods.

Common and Manufacturer Exclusive Features

Your hydroponic growing system should allow for some form of grow plug and come with a low water indicator and a LED grow light on a timer. These features are what all systems have in common. Certain very low-end kits may lack these features, but arguably those kits cannot be considered a hydroponic growing “system”. Manufacturers include features that make their hydroponic growing systems stand out.
  • The 10-pod and 12-pod iDOO systems have a built-in fan to agitate the plants. This helps self-pollinating plants like tomatoes and peppers grow fruit and can stiffen up leaves on your greens.
  • The AeroGarden Bounty and Farm series gardens offer dimmable lights and a sunrise/sunset light setting.
  • The iDOO models include a feature allowing you to switch your grow light between vegetable and fruit modes.
  • Some countertop models allow you to detach the lighting assembly. You can be a little more DIY with how you set up your device.
  • The AeroGarden Farm series is stackable.
One distinguishing feature not compared above is tub capacity. How much water does the hydroponic garden hold in its reservoir? The more water it holds, the longer you can be away from home without worrying about your plants running out. Compare your prospective gardening system units based upon how many liters of water each holds.

Buying Your Hydroponic Growing System

Hydroponic growing systems are an exciting and ever-evolving tool for growing food indoors. Prices are coming down even as manufacturers add features.

Accessories

Accessories can strengthen your investment in your garden. What accessories are available for the hydroponic growing system you’re considering? For example, a seed starter tray could save you some money if you have outdoor raised beds. Rather than buying seedlings from the nursery for $5 to $10 each, you can buy a $3 package of seeds and grow the seedlings yourself.  Even factoring in the cost of the grow plugs, it’s a deal. The seed starting trays also work well to provide you with seedlings for a full-blown hydroponic system, which lacks the ability to start seeds.

Wi-Fi Connectivity

Watch for connected gardens to become more popular. With a single application on your phone you can manage multiple gardens. You can synchronize the light and feeding schedules. You can track your plant’s progress. Don’t discount how convenient you’ll find this feature as you keep buying more and more gardens. Because you can’t stop at just one!

DC Power Ratings

If you are living off-grid or in an RV, you may want to wire your hydroponic growing system directly to a DC source. Check the voltage of the hydroponic growing system before purchase. Some devices run 12V but others run 24V or something else entirely.  

Ease of Maintenance

Your hydroponic growing system needs your attention for cleaning and keeping the water fresh. When comparing devices, look for features that make maintenance easier and quicker.

  • On devices with a larger water reservoir, does it include a drain plug?
  • How do you drain the water on larger systems that sit on the floor?
  • For countertop devices, does the tub detach from the base?
  • What parts are dishwasher-safe?

Each manufacturer approaches maintenance differently. Some make it easier than others. You may need to dig into product reviews to see how people rate the ease of maintenance of each product.

Key Takeaways

Hydroponic growing systems work. They’re spectacular. And the market offers you so much variety in indoor garden systems. You can have a tiny garden with just a few herbs or a huge garden with multiple plants three feet tall. Manufacturers distinguish their products with innovative new features and conveniences.

This article provided you with a comparison based upon the number of plants a system can grow, the dimensions of the system, the interface you’ll use with the system, and accessories available for the system. You can use the charts to compare hydroponic growing systems from other manufacturers to be sure you’ll get the features you need to make your garden a success.

Once you see how fun and easy growing food indoors can be with your first hydroponic growing system, you’ll be right back here comparing models for the purchase of your second, and third, garden system.

Please check back with this article from time to time. It will evolve as the market grows.

Enjoy your bountiful indoor garden!

What’s next? Get the most from your indoor garden in the companion article, How to Plan Your Indoor Garden.

The post How to Choose Your Hydroponic Growing System first appeared on Bountiful Indoor Garden.

]]> How a Self-Watering Hydroponic System Works https://bountifulindoorgarden.com/how-a-self-watering-hydroponic-system-works/ Tue, 19 Sep 2023 23:10:24 +0000 https://bountifulindoorgarden.com/?p=556 Get the best self-watering hydroponic system by learning how they work.

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How a Self-Watering Hydroponic System Works

Self-contained self-watering hydroponic systems like those made by Mufga and iDOO are marvels of gardening technology. All you do is plant the seed, fill the reservoir, and add plant food. The device does the rest for you. Just amazing.

But how does the system work? How can these planters grow such healthy plants and do it so quickly? The answer is, some very thoughtful engineering.

What is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics is growing plants with their roots submerged in or bathed in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. You use no soil in a hydroponic growing system.

Hydroponics can be done indoors or outdoors. The water can be stagnant or flowing, or a combination of both. You can grow one plant in a jug of water or hundreds in long PVC tubes.

What is a Hydroponic Growing System?

A hydroponic growing system is a “garden in a box” for growing plants indoors.

The hydroponic growing system mimics the outdoor environment for the plant, but better. A timed LED grow light replaces the sun. The self-watering system simulates rain. A grow plug (a small cone usually made of peat moss) and nutrients added to the water substitute for soil as the anchor for the roots and food for the plant.  

A countertop system can grow 6, 9, or even 12 plants. Larger systems the size of an end-table can grow 24 or more plants. That sounds unimpressive until you know that a hydroponic growing system can grow a plant healthier, bigger, and quicker than one grown outdoors, and your indoor garden produces food year-round.

Convenience is the main attraction of hydroponic growing systems; you need only supply water and electricity and nutrients. These systems are so well-thought-out. There’s no gimmick; hydroponic growing systems work. 

But how, exactly, does a hydroponic growing system work?

Self-Contained, Self-Watering

The self-contained self-watering hydroponic systems on the market share a common design. The simplest device needs five components to function.

  • Water reservoir
  • Grow light
  • Water pump with circulation system
  • Tray with mounts for plants
  • Timer (controller)

Manufacturers have bundled these components into a compact, easy-to-use indoor garden. Manufacturers added conveniences like WiFi and Bluetooth to some models. You can monitor and control your garden with an app on your phone.

Components

How does the self-contained garden on your kitchen counter work? To understand the process, you need to know the components that make up your indoor garden.

Water Reservoir

The bulk of the size of the device is the water reservoir, a tub holding water. The water pump and water level sensor are mounted in the reservoir. The reservoir lid is a tray. Roots from plants suspended from the tray float in the water in the reservoir.

The plants drink the water through their roots, so you’ll need to top off the reservoir periodically. A larger reservoir allows you to go longer without adding water. The number and type of plants you grow also affect the time between reservoir refills.

The water reservoir detaches from the frame to make cleaning easier. The power cord to the pump disconnects easily. The pump and water sensor can be removed with little effort for a very deep cleaning or replacement.

LED Grow Light

A LED grow light differs from the lights you use to light your room, even if that light is also a LED light. The LED grow light provides plants with the wavelengths of light they need to grow. The LED grow light combines red and blue lights with white light.

The LED light is very bright, as it must replace enough sunlight to nourish the plants.

The LED light is on a timer that keeps the light on for about 15 or 16 hours per day.

Frame

The frame of your indoor garden provides a base for the water reservoir, a tower for the light assembly, and a protected housing for the computer. The frame presents a control panel on the front or top. Electrical power comes into the device through the base.

Reservoir

The frame provides a fitted base for the water reservoir. The tub rests on the base so the frame does not actually hold any water.

The water reservoir detaches from the frame to make cleaning easier. Simply detach the power cable for the water pump and lift the tub from the base.

Depending on the manufacturer, you may be able to run the tub through the dishwasher (after removing the pump and water sensor).

Light Tower

The frame provides an adjustable tower for the overhead light assembly. The tower allows you to set the height of the light assembly very low when starting a garden and gradually raise it as the plants grow.

The tower extends to twelve or fourteen inches for the average-sized countertop hydroponic system.

Control Panel & Computer

The frame provides a control panel for you to enter settings to be stored in the computer. The frame protects the computer in a housing below the reservoir.

You won’t see the computer.

Grow Tray

The grow tray rests atop the water reservoir like a lid. The grow tray has holes where you’ll insert pods and another hole for adding water to the reservoir. The pods dangle down into the water reservoir so the grow medium is partially submerged.

The grow tray takes in water pushed by the pump submerged in the water. The water flows through tubes to each pod, where the water spills out over the grow medium.

The tray might be dishwasher-safe.

For some hydroponic grow systems, the grow tray can be swapped out with a starter tray. The starter tray provides many small holes for starting seedlings you can transplant outdoors or into soil-based containers. The starter tray is typically an optional accessory.

Pods

Pods are plastic wire-frames in the shape of a cone about 4 inches long. A pod holds the grow medium which holds the seed. The grow medium is (typically) sorghum peat moss formed into a cone shape. The peat moss replaces the soil.

You may find pods for sale with grow medium and seeds already in them. This is a convenience if you just want to drop the pod in and be done. The company should guarantee germination within a set time frame (likely about 21 days).

Alternatively, you can buy the parts and insert your own seeds. You drop a seed down the hole at the top of the grow medium cone, drop the grow medium in the pod, and drop the pod into a hole in the tray. To prevent algae growth, you paste a sticker over the top of the pod. The sticker blocks the light from hitting the water but allows the plant to grow up through the center.

The pod comes with a clear plastic dome. Place this dome over the hole in the tray to retain some humidity inside the pod. It’s like a teeny-tiny greenhouse built for just one plant.

Once the seedling grows large enough to touch the transparent dome, remove the dome.

Computer

The computer drives the control panel and manages the timers for the pump, light, and feeder notification. If the device includes Bluetooth or other conveniences, the computer runs those as well.

The computer turns on the LED light for about 15 to 16 hours per day. The length of time the light stays on is determined by the manufacturer, but some units allow you to adjust how long the light stays on.

The computer runs the pump for a short time every 30 to 60 minutes, again depending on the manufacturer. The timer on the pump is not something you can adjust in most cases.

The computer is embedded in the base of the frame. It is not user-serviceable.

Control Panel

The control panel is your interface with the hydroponics system. The device communicates to you and you issue commands back through the control panel.

The minimum features of a control panel on a Hydroponic Growing System cover four basic functions.

  • Initialize a "growing season"
  • Set the daily "turn on" time for the light
  • Turn the light on or off apart from the timer
  • Reset feeding timer

The control panel includes an indicator (at minimum, a light) that communicates to you when the water reservoir is running low and needs attention.

The control panel may include more functions than the basic four. If the device includes a fan, the control panel may include a power and speed control. Some devices allow you to customize light colors emitted by the LED light to fit the stages of plant life.

Some units have a LCD screen for more advanced control over the growing process.

Water Level Sensor

You want your garden to always maintain a minimum water level in the reservoir. Your plant suffers if the water remains below the minimum level for an extended period of time. For this reason, the garden system should include a water level sensor.

The water level sensor is inside an enclosed tower in the water reservoir. The sensor is not directly connected to the computer. AeroGarden devices used a rod with a bobber (floater) at the top and at the bottom a material the sensor in the frame can detect. The sensor in the frame detected the proximity of the rod through the floor of the water reservoir and top of the base of the frame.

As the water level goes down, the bobber drops, which increases the reading on the sensor in the frame below the rod. When the sensor in the frame detects the rod getting close, the computer activates the low-water notification on the control panel.

When you pour water in the reservoir, the bobber rises, which reduces the power the rod has on the sensor in the frame. Eventually the distance between the rod and sensor grows so much the computer turns off the low-water-level indicator light.

You want a device with an automated water sensor that catches your attention if the water level drops too low. If your device offers only a window into the water level and you forget to add water to the reservoir, your plants can die.

Water Pump

A water pump inside the reservoir pushes water through the tray to the pods. The computer activates the pump at regular intervals. The water pours down on the grow medium inside each pod to wet the seeds and roots.

A filter protects the pump from ingesting the roots and debris that finds its way into the water reservoir.

The pump is replaceable.

A lever on the pump assembly allows you to adjust the volume of water the pump pushes to the tray.

How the Self-Watering Garden Works

The self-watering hydroponic system is an ingenious self-contained garden. In a compact package you can grow a variety of plants with very little effort. It’s amazing. But how exactly does this thing work?

Your device has four systems that work independently but when put together make your hydroponic system grow a bountiful garden.

Lighting System

The lighting system is a rectangle or circular LED assembly that hovers above the grow tray. The assembly height is user-adjustable so the light can be raised as the plant grows taller.

The lighting system for a typical countertop hydroponic system is 20 to 30 watts. That is enough power for the LED assembly to produce a very bright light. The LED assembly includes some red and blue LEDs mixed in with the white LEDs. The light level and mixture of colors simulates sun light.

The computer turns on the light at the same time every day. The computer leaves the light on for approximately 15 hours.

The light cycle system operates independently of all the other processes inside the garden. This is important to understand. It’s just a timer turning a light on and off once a day.

Water Cycle System

The water cycle system is a powered water pump and a series of tubes through which water flows.

The computer runs the pump for five minutes every thirty minutes. (This time interval varies by manufacturer.) The pump pulls water from the tub and pushes that water through tubes embedded in the tray. The water exits the tubes at the hole for each pod and pours down onto the grow plug inside the pod. The water thoroughly soaks the plug, which also soaks the seed or plant itself, before the water falls back into the tub.

The water pump operates independent of the other systems in the garden. Like the light system, the water cycle system is just a power switch on a timer.

Water Level System

The water level sensor is a nice piece of engineering. It solves the problem of determining the water level in the tub without actually wiring a powered sensor in the tub itself.  

The tub has a column in it. Remove the column and inside you’ll find a rod-shaped bobber. (Pay attention to which end goes up so you reassemble it correctly.)

The bobber floats, so it rises and drops with the water level. The frame has a sensor that detects when the bottom of the bobber gets close. The bobber gets closer to the sensor as the water level drops. When the bobber drops below the minimum water level, the computer activates a light or sends a message to inform you of the low water level.

The water sensor system works independently of the other systems, although some manufacturers might program the computer to disable the pump if the water level is too low.

Feeding Notification

The garden notifies you when it’s time to feed your plants. Feeding notification could be implemented one of two ways.

One way to implement a feeding notification system is through a simple timer that reminds you to add water at set intervals, like two weeks. For the simple timer, you press a button to clear the notification and reset the timer.

A more sophisticated feeding notification system uses a sensor to read the percentage of nutrients dissolved in the water. With a sensor, the computer alerts you when the percentage of nutrients falls below a set threshold.

The feeding notification system works independent of other systems in the garden. That means if you fail to respond to the notification, the other garden systems will just keep going.

The Whole System

The three timers (light, pump, and nutrients) and the water level indicator may function independently, but when combined they form a system. This system pampers your plants in ways living outdoors in soil cannot.

And you get a bountiful harvest for it.

Key Takeaways

The explanation of how the various components work together and systems work independently hopefully took the mystery out of the internal workings of these indoor gardens.

Better still, knowing how the system works aids you in diagnosing and resolving problems and maybe even  improving on the system. You’ll have a better foundation for determining whether various accessories will improve the performance of your hydroponic system or increase the yield of your garden.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more efficient means of growing certain foods than a Hydroponic Growing System. Use what you’ve learned here to select the best gardening appliance for yourself.

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]]> Why Your Outdoor Garden Should Be Indoors https://bountifulindoorgarden.com/why-your-outdoor-garden-should-be-indoors/ Mon, 18 Sep 2023 20:01:44 +0000 https://bountifulindoorgarden.com/?p=339 Bring your garden indoors for year-round produce without the back-aches.

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Why Your Outdoor Garden Should Be Indoors

Have you ever watched a video on gardening and wished you had the perfect weather for it? You do! Where can you go for the perfect weather for your garden? Indoors!

If you’ve not been following the advances in gardening you’ve probably missed the wonderful new technologies and techniques that have vastly reduced the amount of space, water, and effort that goes into growing a garden.

Not Your Grandfather's Garden

What goes into the typical backyard garden? First, you need a decent-sized back yard. You’ll need a tiller to clear a large plot. In early spring, you’ll churn the topsoil and clear any debris that built up over the winter. Bring in the hoe, rake, and shovel to finish the job. Depending on where you live, you might need to construct a fence to keep the wildlife from pilfering your plants. A weed barrier around the entire tilled area might help keep yard growth from creeping into your garden, so set that up. And bring in a water source, maybe on a timer. You haven’t even put the first seed into the ground yet.

After you prepared your garden site, you can finally sow your seeds. Unless you have a fancy seeder, you’ll do this by hand, on your knees, in the dirt. Add water, and call it a day. Now, you wait.

When the seedlings show themselves, you clip any competing seedlings so you have only one plant per recommended spacing. Such a waste of seeds. Add water, pull any weeds, and call it a day.

As your plants grow, you continue to pull weeds and battle pests. It seems every plant requires a different solution to repel bugs.

Finally, harvest time arrives. You spend the day bending over your plants, collecting goodies. Throw away the veggies the bugs got first.

An outdoor garden requires much hard work and success isn’t guaranteed. Bad knees or a bad back makes tending to an outdoor garden difficult or even painful. Gardens are wonderful projects, but you’ll find there are newer ways to grow your food without the large back yard, tiller, digging, or weeding.

Not Your Father's Garden

Raised bed gardening improves on the plowed rows technique. The biggest problem with growing in rows directly on the ground is the sheer amount of land required. You plant seeds a few inches apart in rows separated by feet. You’re wasting all that space between rows.

If the plants can be planted several inches apart in one direction, then why not in all directions? That’s the question answered by square foot gardening, which is often associated with raised bed gardening. (Learn more about square foot gardening in the incredibly popular book by Mel Bartholomew, All New Square Foot Gardening. {paid link}) If you have a small outdoor space for a garden, raised beds are the way to go.

But raised beds are still outdoors. They solve the space issue. For example, you can plant nine (9) green bean seeds in a single square foot block. But you still need to construct the bed itself. You can do it yourself by following instructions in a book {paid link}, but easy-to-build raised bed kits are available {paid link}. So, like a plowed garden, you invest a significant amount of time before dropping a single seed in the ground.

Raised beds are clearly superior to rows for the home gardener. Just understand seeds for weeds inevitably still find their way into your garden. Bugs still attack your plants. You’ll need to keep a watering schedule or set up a garden hose on a timer. A raised bed is better than plowed rows, but it’s certainly not a set-it-and-forget-it solution.

Bring Your Garden Indoors

You cannot plow rows in your kitchen tile or set up a raised bed in the center of the living room. What does an indoor garden even look like? Some aspects of your indoor garden will look very familiar, but others will amaze you in how innovative they are.

Here are some reasons you’ll love having your garden under your roof.

Why Indoors?

Once you learn all the ways your garden can be better indoors, you’ll wish you’d started one earlier.

Weather is Not a Factor

When you move your outdoor garden indoors, you eliminate weather as a factor in the success of your garden. You don’t delay planting because the outside temperature is too cold or dread going outside because it’s too hot. You won’t watch hail eliminate your garden in just a few minutes. You don’t plead to the clouds for rain or curse them for providing too much rain. You are the weather so far as your indoor garden is concerned.

Year-Round Garden

Your growing season is now year-round. Instead of planning for one planting season in the spring and maybe another in the fall, you’ll plant any time you want.

Those seeds you might put in the ground in January can be planted alongside April seeds when you grow your garden inside.

Then, as soon as one plant dies off, start another. 

Climate Controlled

You control the temperature, humidity, and light levels that affect your garden. Your house temperature probably remains between 68° and 78°, a favorable temperature range for most plants.

You can plant any day of the year. No longer must you delay and delay again your plantings due to a forecast of a late spring frost.

Fresh, Not Frozen

Why freeze an entire harvest when you can have fresh food any time of the year? You maintain a continuous supply of veggies, greens, and herbs by planting the next generation of seeds to coincide with the expected end-of-life of your current crop.

No Weeding

Just about the only weeding you’ll be doing is thinning seedlings in potted plantings. Your indoor garden environment is controlled. If you’ve cleared weeds from long rows of plants or plucked hundreds of tiny plants that invaded your raised bed, you’ll certainly appreciate this nearly weed-proof garden.

Few Pests

Bugs have an uncanny ability to find the plants you most want to protect, but they’ll have a hard time finding your indoor garden.

If you grow your plants in soil, your garden may attract more bugs than plants growing in a Mufga or iDOO hydroponic system. But you’ll probably never step into your living room to find a neon green caterpillar gorging itself on the very last leaf of your doomed tomato plant. If you’ve grown tomatoes outdoors, you’ve likely experienced the dejection of realizing all your effort went to feed one caterpillar.

Less Bending, Kneeling, and Squatting

When tending to your indoor garden, you’ll do less bending, kneeling, and squatting than you would for an outdoor garden. This alone might clinch the deal for you if you have knee or back issues!

Preparing your garden and then keeping your plants healthy is actual work! Even a raised bed requires you to transport and spread the peat moss or other filler.

Quicker Harvests

You’ll often harvest your produce in less time by growing plants indoors, depending on your set-up. Since your plants compete less with weeds and don’t need to fend off pests, you’ll get your produce in less time, and it’ll be less damaged. Your plants get just the right nutrients to expedite their growth.

When you want to start a new planter, you can have seeds “in the ground” in an hour or less, especially with the new hydroponic kits from companies like Mufga and iDOO.

Predictability

Your harvest is never guaranteed, but it is certainly more predictable when your garden is grown in the protection of your kitchen or living room.

Over time, as you become familiar with the process, you’ll get to where you can predict how much food you’ll harvest and when. If you want to go the scientific route, you can log when you planted, watered, fed, and harvested so you can plan ahead on the next round.

Cleaner

Keeping your indoor garden neat and tidy takes very little time. Your plants may shed some leaves or flowers, but overall cause very little mess.

You won’t need to clear out the leaves that fell from nearby trees or grass clippings.

No DEET Necessary

Flying and biting insects can turn a pleasant afternoon planting, pruning, or harvesting into a rush job so you can escape back inside. They can really ruin the joy.

Mosquitos, ticks, and fleas are hardly a problem when you’re tending to your indoor garden. You won’t need need to coat yourself in DEET or sunscreen and then shower afterward.

Conversation Starter

When you invite guests into your house, they’ll be curious how you are able to grow so much of your food indoors. You can demonstrate how you’ve used a variety of growing techniques to produce such a bountiful indoor garden. Perhaps some of what you’ve grown ended up in your dinner!

Educational Opportunity

Your children and grandchildren may spend very little time outdoors nowadays, so getting them interested in a garden is much easier when the garden is in the house. You can show them hydroponics, aquaponics, vertical gardening, and soil-based planters. You can explain why you chose the grow medium for specific plants. You can demonstrate how plants can grow without soil.

Children can learn much from growing plants indoors, then get rewarded with the food they eat.

Where Outdoors Wins

The great outdoors beats your indoors for growing gardens several ways.

If you grow a large volume of food, you probably don’t have the space indoors to match the quantity you can grow outside. Most people looking to grow a garden indoors want to have enough fresh food for their immediate needs.

Some plants sprawl out, covering large amounts of ground space. These plants can probably be grown indoors, but require planning and space.

Sunlight certainly trumps LED grow lights for sheer quantity of light. Even on the cloudy days, plants benefit from sunlight. You can place plants near windows to capture some free sunlight but artificial lights are the norm for growing food indoors.

Your outdoor plants enjoy numerous visits from pollinators. You’ll take the place of pollinators for your indoor garden.

And, of course, it’s always nice to just be outside yourself. But if your garden is growing so well indoors, you can just relax when you’re outside.

Key Takeaways

Your grandfather grew a garden in rows plowed into the soil. Your father built raised beds and used square foot gardening. You can just grow your garden indoors. Instead of growing enough food for storage over winter, grow just enough to use each day and keep your garden steadily producing all year. You can still store or give away any excess.

Your indoor garden is a food source, a hobby, a conversation piece, and an educational opportunity. Plus, it just looks beautiful and maybe even cleans up the air a bit.

The post Why Your Outdoor Garden Should Be Indoors first appeared on Bountiful Indoor Garden.

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