One of the most consistent sources of joy over the past year has been tending, observing, and consuming the little harvests from my growing collection of Click and Grow indoor smart gardens.
What is Indoor Gardening / Hydroponics?
In the course of learning about how to best care for the plants and the smart gardens, I’ve accidentally on purpose gotten curious about hydroponics… which is a whole super interesting universe of ideas, methods, and endless DIY inspiration. Indoor gardening is a pretty wide category which includes hydroponic systems as well as simply collection of herbs in small pots on the inside of a kitchen window. Essentially any method of growing plants which you might end up eating could be considered “indoor gardening”. While I’m very intrigued with the idea of one day building larger hydroponic systems (and of course getting an Arduino or other development board involved), I really enjoy the out-of-the-box and ready to go aspect of Click and Grow for right now. My landlord appreciates that they’re not leaky, freaky, or gross. Also, I am known to share extra basil 🙂
How did I get started with Click and Grow?
Well over a year ago, a close friend who I chat with online daily received a small Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 as a gift from her employer. Neither of us had really heard about them before she received the gift, but as I watch her grow lettuce and herbs in it I really was intrigued.
Soon, curiosity combined with envy and the next time Click and Grow had a sale I picked up a Smart Garden 9 Pro (with the Bluetooth controlled lights). From there I became mildly obsessed and have since picked up a Smart Garden 27 (3x Smart Garden 9s and a custom, slim-minimalist plant stand for them), and another Smart Garden 9. There’s now the capacity to grow 45 plants which gives me the room to get experimental and enjoy a variety of fresh flavors regularly. Each time there’s a sale I debate getting another 9 or 27 – we’ll see how this week goes with the 25% off sale… if I finish a tidying goal before the sale is over, then I may go for it!
Other Options…
Of course, you don’t have to buy a Click and Grow, there are other brands with similar products with pros and cons that may appeal to you more. Other systems may have features which are You can also create any number of home-made solutions for indoor gardens. I loved the simplicity, aesthetics, and silent operation of Click and Grow, so this was an easy decision on my part. YMMV along with your needs. Other options – some with more custom features and an integrated pump may give higher yields, but with the noises associated with a water pump cutting on and off throughout the day.
How does a Click and Grow Smart Garden Work?
They are almost startlingly simple. Each unit, regardless of size works in the same method. The base of the Smart Garden holds a relatively small amount of water–filled to the correct level it’s about 4 liters. There’s a little float in the refill inlet to give you a quick visual assessment of the water level. Top it back up when the float has fallen to the bottom – or sooner. I like to check on the water level more regularly than I probably need to, but I like to take “work from home” breaks in the “garden corner” anyway.
Each plant pod sits in a plastic plant cup with a wick that protrudes from the bottom – and pulls up just the right amount of water to keep the plant pod moist and ready for growth. When first starting the pods, you’ll want to use the u-shaped lid as well as the clear germination dome to keep the humidity high in there.
The plant pods themselves are very interesting as they contain Click and Grow’s “Smart Soil” which they describe as being inspired by NASA experiments with growing plants in the Space Station. As someone who has been keenly interested in the space program since childhood, this had my attention. If you haven’t already, please check out this cool article about the Advanced Plant Habitat and similar experiments in space! I was thrilled to see that at one point over the past year they were growing pak choi in the Space Station at the same time as I was growing some here in my home office. Similarly, check out the amazing Growing Beyond Earth Maker Contest now in it’s third year. Robotic planting and harvesting? YES, YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION.
Plants and Experiments on the Space Station:
Easy Cleaning
The other big thing I like about Click and Grow is that they’re very easy to clean if necessary. I deep clean them when when necessary – once I had a bit of algae growing in one where light had gotten to the reservoir (due to a mistake on my part – I’d temporarily covered one of the empty spots with a clear dome, then left it there too long). All that needed to happen was to carefully remove the top light bar (which I left in place on the stand – because I didn’t want to undo the wire management scheme) then take the base/tank to a large sink. My kitchen sink worked just fine.
The tank lid takes some care to unseat, but allows for complete access to cleaning the tank. Once you’re done, it all snaps right back together. However, since I haven’t made the algae-creating mistake, I’ve been able to harvest and replant without needing to do a full tank deep clean.
Why Should You Try Indoor Gardening with Click and Grow?
With a somewhat small initial investment, you have this perfect little setup. If you follow the instructions closely, then you’ll soon be a proud indoor gardener trimming fresh herbs right onto your dinner and/or making the freshest salads imaginable. Sure, there are cheaper options, and you can always DIY, but these well designed little gardens take the fuss out of it all. And that’s been a real source of joy this past year. This is one of the lowest effort, highest reward hobby activities I’ve ever experienced.
Knowing that the Click and Grow gardens are engineered for success has let me experiment... and skip a lot of frustration! Share on XKnowing that the Click and Grow gardens are engineered for success has let me experiment with seeds I’ve saved from extra tasty peppers, starting plants for a friend’s garden (more on that later), and let me skip a whole lot of frustration.
Sidestep these Click and Grow Mistakes
There are some ways to mess it all up though – but if you know what to do, it’s no big deal. I already mentioned the algae growth, but need to bring it up again. Usually when you see photos of Click and Grow related fail, you’ll notice that people have removed the white U-shaped lids from the tops of the plant pods. This is a mistake. You want to have the soil covered by those lids – because guess what will grow if they’re exposed to too much light? ALGAE! Likewise exposing too much of that constantly moist spongy substrate can also attract mold spores and then you’re growing a whole lot of “Do Not Want”.
Pro Tip 1:
When I remove the clear germination dome from a pod, I use a couple of pieces of tape to cover the little bit of soil that is visible through the U-shaped lid which is not covered in little plants. It’s about a half-inch square of soil, but I have found that this does help. Interestingly I was inspired to try this after seeing how the plants on the Space Station grow from tiny holes, and the rest of their growing medium remains covered. Likely because of that whole low gravity situation, but also to probably protect from contaminants of some kind.
Pro Tip 2:
Don’t let insects–especially fruit flies get into your smart gardens! A compromise I made when placing the smart gardens in my home office is that they’re kind of near one of the external doors. On the plus side, the door opens against them, so as long as I’m not standing with the door open to the outside, then the risk of allowing fruit flies or gnats in from the outside is pretty slim. But it’s something to note if you are someone who likes to keep windows open without screens – especially in the warmer months. You’ll only get gnats and fruit flies if they come in from the outside, so keep that in mind when choosing where to place your gardens.
All About the Click and Grow Companion App
I’ve really enjoyed the simple app that comes with Click and Grow – it keeps track of how long each plant has been growing, and has allowed me to keep track of the 45 plants that are in the “garden corner” of the home office here. I’ve consistently made notes of good and bad outcomes, mistakes, and triumphs so that I can continually improve. The app makes this easy. It also provides timed tips and advice (sometimes with video) related to each individual plant type.
Something you’ll immediately notice when setting up your garden is that the app gives each plant a name – it’s very cute and helps you to keep track of which is which if you plant more than one type of plant in the same smart garden. You’ll also get immediate notice of sales for new plants and gardens, a dangerous feature if you’re like me. Oh well.
What Grows Best in Click and Grow?
The answer to what grows best in Click and Grow partially depends on what you are looking to gain from your indoor plants. I’ve been thrilled with how well the green lettuce grows as well as other salad greens. They’re very solid. The tomatoes are very fun to watch and look really cool, but don’t expect to grow so many that you won’t also need to buy tomatoes for your salads. They’re small and there’s only usually a few. They are very rewarding and fascinating. If you’re looking for an educational experience for your household, I’d suggest trying tomatoes at least a few times.
Second to the leafy greens of all varieties, the herbs really shine in the Click and Grown. The basil is a slam dunk – it’s delicious and prolific. Growing cilantro has also been a great alternative to buying it (you know how that goes – you use about half the bunch and then overnight the rest of it turns into slime somehow). I am able to meet my guacamole-making needs (which are prodigious) by growing two cilantro plants at all times. It’s also great to add just a few super fresh leaves to the top of a curry or stir fry. The chives and dill are also wildly tasty and prolific too, and the parsley and and and. I think you get the point!
The hot pepper plants are wild to watch and hot hot hot! I collected a number of the peppers I grew and made a simple version of my Great Grandmother’s “Peppa Sauce” which is pretty close to the recipe on Our Daily Brine. Put that on some greens? OH YEAH. I also use it when making cold bean salads for an extra kick! Similarly, I used some of the hot chili peppers to season some Mexican style pickled carrots I made inspired by this recipe from Kevin is Cooking.
I haven’t tried any of the non-culinary plants yet, but do have some strong calendula plants going which should be blooming soon with edible flowers!
Recommended Items to Enhance Your Indoor Gardening Experience:
- An aesthetically pleasing indoor watering can (they tend to have long, slender spouts to help you not splash water around indoors).
- Unless you have great handwriting, I’d suggest getting a little Dymo labeler. I already had one for my electronics and robotics projects — as well as general organizational purposes (and labeling some switches in the garage so we don’t go nuts). When a new box of Click and Grow plants arrives, I print the labels ahead so that I can have them ready for replanting time. If you don’t already have a labeler, get one anyway…
Beyond Indoor Gardening – Moving Plants to Planters or Gardens
A local friend has a wonderful full-sun garden area in her backyard. Last year I brought over some basil plants, red kale, plants, a thyme plant, and a few tomato plants that had outgrown their pods and they took root and flourished. The thyme plant ended up in a medium size planter and has survived a number of extreme weather situations with ease… now it’s taking over the planter. This spring we’re planning to get the garden growing with strong seedlings I’ve started here in my home office. I’ve been collecting all kinds of seeds and testing their viability – so far so good! Here’s to a big tasty spring!
Have you tried indoor gardening with Click and Grow, a home made setup, or another brand? What were your experiences? Let me know in the comments!
Click and Grow Smart Garden 9
Pros
- Adorable design
- Easy to setup
- Delicious plants
- Huge variety of plants
- Self-Contained
Cons
- A little spendy
- Fruit flies can be frustrating if they get in!
Leave a Reply