Home Hydroponics: The Indoor Veggie Garden

Technology, plants and healthy eating are three things I love. So, the points at which those Venn diagrams intersect is pretty exciting to me. A prime example of that is growing veggie, herb and fruit plants using hydronics. While there are some impressive commercial hydroponic operations making a lot of noise, a slew of startups have launched smaller format hydronic growing apparatuses for the home. So far, I've tried out two of them over the past few years: Rise Gardens and Lettuce Grow. I'm optimistic that this technology will continue to get better over time so that many people can be empowered to grow their own food without needing sunny garden space and a green thumb.

A Quick Introduction...

Rise Garden

Rise Garden hails from Chicago, founded by fellow Kellogg Alums Hank Adams. They weren't the first on the market, but possibly the most robust at the time of launch. Chalet was the first retail store to carry their product in 2020 before COVID hit and helped set up systems for some of the first adopters. Prior to that, I tested out one of their initial models. Fundamentally, they used a modular tiered system styled like shelving. The sleek design fits into the home furniture setup without looking too out of the ordinary. You can have has many as three shelves of plants. They also boast a wide array of 'seed pods' which are the format their delivered in. You can use an app to track your 'garden'.

Lettuce Grow

Lettuce Grow has some star power behind them, founded by actress Zoey Deschanel. They also boast former bachelor Matt James and landscape and plant influencer Nick Cutsumpas as spokespeople for the brand. The 'farmstand' design is futuristic looking, with an tall, undulating structure with plants popping out around the whole surface. It's modular with the ability to add more rows of plants. Another distinguishing element is it's ability to go inside or outside. You can also use an app to track your 'farmstand'.

My Analysis

The Upside

The ability to grow your own food in general is a massive boon to nutrition. Store bought produce which was harvested a week or more prior to bringing it home has had much of its nutrition degrade over that time. You can truly taste the difference (assuming you're growing it right). The reason restaurants and stores boast 'fresh' food is because it's just better. That was the first thing I noticed when I tried my first lettuce from Rise Gardens.

Part of cutting down the huge supply chain this food would otherwise go through is the environmental benefit. Think about how much less gasoline is used to transport it from the farms to your local store. Many of those trips are international. Additionally, hydroponics cuts down on the amount of water used as the approach of both units is to recycle the water. That way, there's minimal waste. The counter to that is the energy usage from the artificial lights.

There certainly is a cost benefit. If you take the approach of harvesting small amounts and allowing the plant to continue to grow in over a reasonable timeframe, that's when you can really save money. Stay tuned for a more detailed analysis of this as I have yet to calculate the savings exactly. Especially as food prices continue to rise, this benefit could grow. However, the one cost you can't forget is the addition to your energy bill.

The Downside

While I'm optimistic about advances that would automate more of the process, the maintenance is definitely not easy. If you have the passion to grow your own food and you already care for plants in some way, it won't phase you. But, it may be more burdensome than the average homeowner would want. Weekly maintenance includes refilling the water, adding nutrients, and pruning depending on the plants you're growing. You can expect about 20 minutes twice per week, not including harvesting which is the fun part. Then, there's the cleaning. I try to tidy up around the edges weekly. Every 4-5 months you need to do a deep clean. Both companies do their best to downplay this and it isn't the end of the world when you get the hang of it, but it isn't for the faint of heart. What gets you through it, is the passion for the process that most gardeners can understand!

Looking Forward

The technology has a lot of promise and I can imagine it developing to become more and more automated which will remove much of the maintenance. Due to rising food costs, this will only become more of an option. There are many businesses in this space and I'll continue to keep my eye on it as I continue to weave it into my personal life. I also hope to establish a longer term partnership with some of them through my business, Chalet to help bring this to more people in the Chicagoland area!