The Best Indoor Herb Gardens for Green Thumbs

Best Overall

AeroGarden Harvest Indoor Garden

5

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Even if your home doesn’t have optimal lighting, the AeroGarden Harvest has a 20-watt LED light system on a timer, which provides simulated sunshine that allows your herbs to thrive. There’s no messy soil required, and it only takes a few steps to complete the setup. With this option, you can grow not only one, but six herbs at a time. (The kit comes with basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint pods.) Caring for them is easy, thanks to an indicator that lets you know when it’s time to refill the water or add the provided liquid plant food.

As your herbs continue to grow to new heights, the AeroGarden grows, too. The extendable lamp can be adjusted up to 12 inches. The overall design is simple, clean, and compact enough to fit anywhere in your kitchen.

AeroGarden has a ton of different versions of this offering, so if you're looking for something slimmer or a model that offers more grow height, check out the rest of the Harvest line here.

Price at time of publish: $165

What's Included: 6 seed pods (basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, mint), liquid plant food, quick planting guide | Capacity: 6 | Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 6 x 10.5 x 17.4 inches

Best Budget

iDOO 12 Pods Indoor Herb Garden Kit

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On a budget? The iDOO Indoor Herb Garden Kit grows up to 12 plants at a time (you’ll have to purchase these separately) at a friendly price point. It self-waters from the tank and has a visual window on the side so you can see when it’s time to refill. However, it does not provide reminders for when it’s time to add additional nutrients.

The 23-watt LED lights are on an extendable arm, and it features a fan for optimal pollination, air flow, and temperatures. You can enable vegetable mode or flower/fruit mode on the full-spectrum panel, which operates on a 16-hours-on and 8-hours-off timer schedule. If you prefer another size, iDOO offers both seven- and 20-plant growing systems, too.

Price at time of publish: $80

What's Included: Sponges, seeding covers, tags, 2 nutrient bottles | Capacity: 12 | Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 13.8 x 12 x 8.9 Inches

Best Basic

Urban Leaf Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit

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Made of sustainably sourced materials, the Urban Leaf Indoor Herb Garden Kit is a more basic option for tight kitchen spaces. This does not have as many bells and whistles as other options, so natural sunlight or artificial grow lights and a more hands-on attitude are needed to allow your herbs to thrive in their home. 

This kit comes with seeds to sprout non-GMO basil, parsley, and cilantro in your simple wooden planter. Take your DIY skills a step further and give your planter a paint job to match your kitchen aesthetic.

Price at time of publish: $30

What's Included: 3 coco coir pots, bamboo labels, 3 seed packets (basil, parsley, cilantro), soil discs | Capacity: 3 | Material: Wood | Dimensions: 12 x 4 x 4.5 inches

Best Modern

Rise The Rise Garden

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Available in cloud or charcoal colors, the latest version of the modular Rise Garden features your choice one, two, or three levels (36, 72, or 108 plants). This couldn't be easier to maintain: The included 30-watt LED full-spectrum lights mimic natural sunlight, and the 9-gallon self-watering system only needs to be replenished weekly. The smartphone app will send you a reminder and guide you through everything else you need to know, including tips, tricks, how to balance the pH of your water, and when to add nutrients. This garden is even compatible with Amazon Alexa.

With your new garden, you will receive a 16-pack of starter plants. This includes an assortment of lettuces, herbs, and leafy greens. Seeds available for purchase, however, are seemingly infinite. Here's a look at some of the options: mini strawberries, shishito peppers, gochujang peppers, sunflowers, baby eggplant, Genovese basil, rosemary, baby cauliflower, snack-size red and orange peppers, lavender, celery, kale, dill, and chamomile. With even more to choose from, let it be known that not all smart gardens offer this much variety.

While this garden is available for purchase on its own, you can also get the optional Rise Garden Membership for an additional $30 a month. This gives you $100 off your garden, up to 96 plants and all the nutrients you need for a year, 15 percent off seeds, nutrients, and accessories, and more. It requires a commitment of at least one year before canceling, though there is a seasonal option with which you can cancel after three months.

Price at time of publish: $749

What's Included: Starter plant variety pack (assorted lettuces, herbs, and leafy greens), pod trays, net cups, nursery (level 3 option also includes pH balance, Thrive, and Sprout plant nutrients) | Capacity: 36, 72, or 108 | Material: Solid wood frame, steel cabinets and shelves | Dimensions: 39.5 x 16.25 x 36.25

Best Large

Lettuce Grow Farmstand

4.7

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The whole family will love getting involved in taking care of Lettuce Grow’s signature product: the Farmstand. Available in sizes ranging from 12 to 36 plants, these work well when placed indoors or outdoors. The smallest option has a 3-foot-8-inch-tall base, which contains the recirculating water and pump, and contains 12 plants. Teach your budding gardeners about hydroponic growing as you add water and nutrients to the reservoir and test the pH levels.

Lettuce Grow recommends adding on their Glow Rings for optimal indoor growing. (You won't need those if you plan to put your Farmstand outdoors.) Take your pick of pre-sprouted seedling packs, including fan-favorite herbs, leafy greens, fruits, and veggies. Caring for seedlings takes five minutes of maintenance per week (adding water to the tank, balancing the pH if necessary, and adding nutrients). Beyond that, the Farmstand is self-watering and self-fertilizing.

Lettuce Grow kindly sent us a 24-plant model (including four indoor grow lights) to review. We found it was super easy to set up, though we wish we had a hose on standby to fill the 20.5-gallon tank. Instead, we ended up walking back and forth from the sink with an empty milk gallon 20 times. (Luckily after the initial filling, less trips are required.) The brand does have a dolly available for purchase that would make it easier to bring the tank closer to a sink or hose and eventually move it back to where you want it.

In what felt like no time at all, our seedlings began to grow. This was a really cool experience, and it was so lovely to always have scallions for avocado toast, chives for scrambled eggs, all the lettuces you could possibly imagine for salads galore, and the cutest baby tomatoes. Adding more water, balancing the pH, and adding nutrients really did take about five minutes every week. We did sometimes forget, but if you're like us, there's an app for that.

We will say: 24 plants is a lot for one or two people, so unless you have a household of produce lovers (this would even be great for a classroom), think about how many plants you will realistically consume, and do not order more. We sort of lost track of which plants were which and sadly had some go to waste because they were growing faster than we were able to keep up with, but on a similar note, it is incredible how abundant the harvests are. You will never need to go to the grocery store for salad greens again.

Some things to note: The water can be a bit loud (it's pumped to the top and trickled back down to the tank), the grow lights are very bright (the plants need this to grow, but we would not recommend putting this in a dimly lit space you plan to be in for long periods of time; rooms with natural light should be just fine), and there isn't a ton of variety when it comes to indoor seedlings. Right now, the brand offers 25, and the majority are lettuces and leafy greens. (You can grow larger vegetables, such as squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and eggplant, if you put your Farmstand outside.)

For those interested in a more compact option, Lettuce Grow will soon be launching the Farmstand Nook, which features a 9-gallon water tank, which is nearly 60 percent smaller than the above 20.5-gallon version and therefore much easier to fit inside your home. It also comes with smarter technology, including a digital smart timer and digital pH pen.

Price at time of publish: $399-$699 ($250-$550 for grow lights)

What's Included: Plant food, pH testing kit, seedling grow cups, scoops, stir stick | Capacity: 12 | Material: Upcycled ocean-bound plastic | Dimensions: 3 feet, 8 inches tall (12 plants); 4 feet, 3 inches tall tall (18 plants); 4 feet, 10 inches tall (24 plants); 5 feet, 5 inches tall (30 plants); 6 feet, 1 inch tall (36 plants); all are 22 x 22 inches wide