amzWOW Clizia Smart Garden - hydroponics growing kits compatible with any seed - Smart Indoor Gardening System with LED Plant Grow Light - grow kit - indoor herb garden (Space grey)

I got this as a little gardening project with the kids. It's easy to set up. My 9 year old did it by himself. We used oregano and chive seeds. There is an indicator for when the water level gets too low. The light also has two different settings. Would make a fun present!

I succeeded in growing a number of herbs inside on my study windowsill, but there are a number of problems.1) A few days after they have germinated continued growth will need the use of a hydroponic fertiliser. The advertising blurb on Amazon suggests that none is needed - instruction manual is clear that some is needed.2) Thyme, Basil, Sage and Dill germinated. It was too wet for Rosemary to germinate - likes dry sandy soil. Oregano did not germinate - I don't know enough about Oregano to tell why.3) Each container has 9 holes - it is tempting to try and grow a different species in each hole. Sadly different things grow at different rates. I found that I could only sow the seeds in lines not individually. So only six species. I sowed far too many. Stick to one or two per hole. Dill took a long while to germinate - the shot up so tall that even in its own container it quickly outgrew the plants in the other container - making it impossible to light everything. Stick to one species per container i.e. a total of two species. Basil vastly outgrows Sage and Thyme. The latter two grow equally - might be able to coexist in one container.4) I had to stay up till 4am to set the light so that its cycle would not be interfered with by the natural light from the window. A proper timer to set on and off times would be better, or grow in a dark room with no other lighting - which makes it difficult to appreciate the plants.

Seems a bit odd to invest in more plastic to grow something as organic as herbs but this would suit those who prefer their apples to arrive nested in foam and cellophane rather than thinking they grow on nasty, dirty branches.If earth = dirt in your household then you can rest assured that this doesn't contain earth but Vermiculite which is an inert caramel coloured substance resembling a cross between wood shavings and popcorn. it can't get trodden into carpets and is easily Hoovered up.This kit is RELATIVELY well priced as these things seem to go for good money but I wouldn't call it cheap.It would be better value if it was more fully featured...Cons...Seeds benefit from bottom heat to get them to sprout. This kit is designed for seeds but offers no heat.Seeds like a humid environment so plastic domes are usually employed but none are supplied. Square empty coleslaw tubs work, though. These should be removed once seeds have sprouted to stop them rotting.The height of the LEDs is not properly adjustable, meaning much of the light energy will be lost.I understood 'hydroponic' systems to restore oxygen into the water with a pump. this has no pump so is more of an 'automatic watering' system. Or am I being churlish?No nutrients or seeds are supplied but I don't think this is a biggie. You only want to add nutrients once the seeds have sprouted anyway.. they have their own nutrients in the seed husk.There is no remote control and no overall control of brighness, daylength, LED colour. Also not biggies for me.It is only small, so don't think you could start your own neighbourhood herb farm.Pros..Lots of nice clean-looking white plastic, if that's your bag.It has an alarm for when the water gets too low. Very useful, so you can fill-and-forget to an extent.It may only have one timer option: 16 Hrs on / 8 Hrs off but that should be adequate and keeps it simple.Comes with iits own worthy power supply which fits via a DC pin connector, although I'd prefer a USB socket.LED offers white light which I much prefer over the blue and red ones which make me feel queasy.There's no mess.. even if you spill some Vermiculite it doesn't stain and is easy to sweep up.It's easy to clean.Could also be used for ferns/flowers for decoration on an otherwise dim corner or shelf.Or to overwinter tender stuff like chillies.Instructions suggest the growing medium (aforementioned Vermiculite) should be discarded after your plants have grown. I'd risk simply rinsing it and maybe nuking in the microwave to kill spores.This would be a good all-in-one kit for someone who wants to get started without any fuss or mess.But for the more adventurous, you'd get better results from a basic heated propogator (search B015WFRWUI) and cheap LED light bulb (search B08HMTMPQ1) or strip lights .

Brilliant idea to start seedlings when it is still cold outside, great because you can set timer and just let it do the work even let's you know when more water is needed

Bought as a gift and well-received. The recipient wanted to grow peppers and has succeeded so far in starting them. A much better result than using rockwool. Obviously a pump or motor would be a great addition, but at this price, and as a starter entry, so far nothing to complain about. I'll try to remember to update in a few months.

Just got this for my boyfriend, all the herbs have just started sprouting.Easy to set up, very good value

We were delighted to have the chance to try this. It’s essentially a water bath, a couple of small vermiculite-filled pots and a light. The light burns 4-5 watts, so, at 12 hours per day, will cost around 7p/day in electricity (assuming you’ve been smart enough to switch to a competitive tariff).The light is very bright and will certainly help seedlings get off to an early start. Assuming, that is, you provide heat, because there’s no heater built in. Indoors, you’ll probably be fine, sowing seeds that germinate at room temperature.The pots are only about 7 x 7 x 6 cms internally, so it won’t be long before most seedlings need to be potted on or planted out. Things like basil will do ok in there for a while but they’ll keep going for longer if potted up.This is a hydroponics unit, where the growing medium, vermiculite, contains no nutrients. You have to add specialised hydroponics fertiliser such as Formulex to the water once the seeds have germinated. It’s pricey and you really can’t get away with standard liquid fertilisers such as Miracle Gro.The unit is well-made and useful but, at £49.99, I was expecting more. A heater, for example. Or something bigger. If you live in a flat and just want to grow a herb or two, it’s a great way of providing light to the plants. As a seed germinator or young plant nursery, it’s less successful. Perhaps I’m being a little mean with three stars . It's probably worth four if the price comes down.

Looks very smart. I can see little leaves in a week time coming out now