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If you enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients, you’re likely buying a lot of herbs and vegetables at the grocery store. In the warmer months, you might even be growing them in your own backyard. There’s nothing better than picking what you need fresh, after all. But in the colder months, especially in Canada, that becomes impossible. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have fresh ingredients all the time?
Well, with a hydroponic garden, you can! These little indoor gardens sit right on your counter (or anywhere else you want them) and grow your herbs and vegetables almost entirely without your input. They grow entirely in water, so there’s no messy soil, and they have automated lighting systems and alerts for water and plant food refills. Don’t they sound great?
If you agree that they do, and you’d love to have a hydroponic garden for yourself, we’re here to help you find the best fit. Hydroponic gardens will vary in price, overall size, plant capacity, maximum plant height, light wattage, and more! And at the end of the day, every feature matters. That’s why we encourage you to think about all of them.
This comprehensive guide will investigate the best hydroponic gardens in Canada right now and outline the criteria you should consider while making your purchase decision. Let’s dive right into our top five products.
Top Pick: AeroGarden Harvest Indoor Garden Hydroponic System
Upgrade Pick: AeroGarden Bounty Elite Indoor Garden
Compact Pick: Click & Grow Indoor Herb Garden Kit
Budget Pick: Idoo 12-Pod Indoor Herb Garden Kit
Also Great: AeroGarden Bounty Basic Indoor Garden
The AeroGarden Harvest Indoor Garden Hydroponic System has a lot working in its favour. One of the things we like best is its level of automation. Since it manages the lighting system all by itself and alerts you when water or plant food is needed, you’ll be able to grow delicious herbs and other plants without much input or guesswork. How’s that for convenience?
We’re also really happy with the display. It consists of only three icons — water needed, plant food needed, and light on/off in case you’re managing that manually. Super easy to understand and it looks great, too. The entire machine is sleek in design, so it won’t become an eyesore on your countertop. The 20-watt lights are also incredibly energy-efficient, so you can grow indoors without drawing too much power. Thank goodness.
There are a couple of reasons this option might not suit you. First, with only six pods, you won’t be able to grow as many plants at once as you could with larger gardens. Hopefully, you won’t be going through too many plants on a weekly basis. Also, this isn’t the most durable hydroponic garden around, so it’s better suited to people who won’t be using it all year round.
All in all, the AeroGarden Harvest Indoor Garden Hydroponic System is a great all-rounder as long as you’re not looking for a lifetime companion or a grow-in-bulk type system. It’s reliable, user-friendly, and overall, one of the best hydroponic gardens out there.
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 4.5/5
Reviewers have great things to say about the AeroGarden Harvest Indoor Garden Hydroponic System. The garden is very easy to set up and use right out of the box, and since it gives alerts when water or plant food is needed, they never have to worry about remembering a schedule or checking levels. It looks great on a countertop, too.
Buy If…
You don’t want any guesswork involved in the plant-growing process
A simple display appeals to you
Energy efficiency is important to you
You’d appreciate a kit to get started
Don’t Buy If…
You go through a lot of fresh ingredients
Longevity is important to you
Dimensions: 6” x 10.5” x 17.4”
Weight: 8 lbs
Colour: Black and silver
Plant Capacity: 6
Maximum Plant Height: 12”
Light Wattage: 20
Warranty: 1 year
We like absolutely everything the AeroGarden Bounty Elite Indoor Garden has to offer, and we bet you will too. With nine available plant pods and a maximum growing height of 24”, this garden is perfect for high yields. It even comes with a trellis to support your plants as they mature. Perfection. Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to use this garden with Alexa to stay on top of things even when you don’t want to physically interact with the machine. How nice is that?
This hydroponic garden sure gives you a lot of options, too. It’s capable of fully automating the lighting conditions, but it can also be dimmed and turned on/off manually and even function on a sunset/sunrise schedule to closely mimic outdoor growing conditions. How fun! And since all of the buttons are part of the touchscreen display, you’ll never have any difficulty making adjustments. We love that for you.
There are only two things that could possibly sway you in a different direction. Due to the sophistication of this hydroponic garden, it might be a bit overwhelming to get started if you’ve never used one before. Just something to keep in mind. Other than that, the high price tag might be the only reason you decide to keep browsing for other options.
All in all, the AeroGarden Bounty Elite Indoor Garden is one of the best hydroponic gardens money can buy. And although you will have to spend a bit more than average to make this one yours, all of its top-notch features make it a privilege to own.
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 3/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers are blown away by the AeroGarden Bounty Elite Indoor Garden. They absolutely love how versatile the settings are and how much space there is for growing different plants. The Wi-Fi connection is reliable, and many of them have used the vacation mode when travelling for a few days. Every plant grows flawlessly and they’d all buy it again.
Buy If…
You want to grow a variety of plant types
A connected garden would be ideal
You’d appreciate the option to control the growing conditions
You’d love a touchscreen display/control panel
Don’t Buy If…
Affordability is a priority
You’re new to hydroponic gardens
Dimensions: 16” x 6” x 8”
Weight: 13.3 lbs
Colour: Silver
Plant Capacity: 9
Maximum Plant Height: 24”
Light Wattage: 50
Warranty: 1 year
The Click & Grow Indoor Herb Garden Kit was an easy favourite for us. We love it most for its affordable price tag, but it’s also one of the simplest options around, and that holds a certain appeal, too, don’t you think? It can be set up anywhere thanks to its ultra-compact design, and since it doesn’t have any buttons or a display, it will easily blend in with your decor and look perfectly natural.
The pods for this garden are unique in that they include a smart soil system rather than requiring you to add plant food occasionally — this takes even one more task off your plate while you’re growing your plants. Who wouldn’t love that? You’ll even get three basil pods included with your garden to get off to a great start.
The main downfall of this option is its limited capacity. It only has room for three plants to grow at once, so if you go through herbs quickly or you like to have a variety of fresh plants on hand at all times, this won’t be a good option for you. It also isn’t outfitted with any type of alert system, so you’ll have to take a look at the water float to know when it needs a refill. In other words, if you forget to check it, you’ll be in trouble.
All in all, the Click & Grow Indoor Herb Garden Kit is the perfect option for folks looking to grow only a few plants at a time and who are in need of a compact indoor growing solution. Fans of a minimalist style will also appreciate this option. And people shopping on a budget. There’s lots to love!
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 4/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 4.5/5
Reviewers are quite happy with the Click & Grow Indoor Herb Garden Kit. It’s one of the more streamlined options they’ve seen since they don’t need to worry about adding plant food, and they appreciate that it can fit literally anywhere. Some people would prefer that it had space for more plants, though.
Buy If…
You’d appreciate a hands-off indoor gardening approach
Affordability matters to you
A compact and lightweight garden would be ideal
Simplicity is best
Don’t Buy If…
You’d like to grow a variety of plants at once
You’d prefer a garden that will remind you about water refills
Dimensions: 11.8” x 4.7” x 8.3”
Weight: 3.7 lbs
Colour: White
Plant Capacity: 3
Maximum Plant Height: 18”
Warranty: 1 year
The Idoo 12-Pod Indoor Herb Garden Kit has a surprising amount to offer considering how affordable it is. With a very reasonable price tag and the space for 12 plants to grow at once, this is one of the most economically efficient options out there. And with the unique option to completely turn the machine off for 10-hour stretches of time, this is one of the only options that could do well in a bedroom if it needed to.
This is also one of the only hydroponic gardens that offers multiple growing modes. For growing herbs and vegetables, the lighting system brings in blue light, but for growing fruits and flowers, there’s a second mode that increases the red light output for more favourable conditions. How’s that for helpful?
The main issue you’ll run into with this hydroponic garden is the arm height. Since there are only 11.8 inches of space between the pod and the light, your plants won’t be able to grow very tall before they’re getting burned by the light or just outgrowing their space. This option is better suited to use as a seed starter rather than a start-to-finish indoor garden. Just something to be aware of.
All in all, the Idoo 12-Pod Indoor Herb Garden Kit was an easy choice for our budget-friendly pick this year. Whether you’re looking for an option that’s easy to use, has a high capacity, or is suitable for a wide variety of plant types, this one will be a good fit.
Performance: 4.5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 4.5/5
Reviewers have mostly good things to say about the Idoo 12-Pod Indoor Herb Garden Kit. They really appreciate how many plants they’re able to grow at once, and the different modes make it really easy to adapt the growing conditions depending on the plant types they’re putting in. They would prefer a more adjustable arm height, though, since there’s not much space for plants to grow to a mature height without being burned.
Buy If…
You’d love to grow a bunch of plants all at once
You’ll be growing fruits as well as vegetables and herbs
You’ll need/want to keep the garden in your bedroom
You don’t want to spend much
Don’t Buy If…
You’ll be growing taller varieties of plants
Dimensions: 10.2” x 13.8” x 14.8”
Weight: 5 lbs
Colour: Black
Plant Capacity: 12
Maximum Plant Height: 11.3”
Light Wattage: 23
Warranty: 1 year
We are big fans of the AeroGarden Bounty Basic Indoor Garden, folks. One of the best things about it is the included seed kit — you’ll get a full nine-pod heirloom salad seed pack included with your garden so you can get off to a great start the instant you set it up… no other purchases necessary! And since the plants can grow up to two feet in height, you won’t have to worry about transplanting them to different containers as they mature.
This garden is a great option if you struggle with a green thumb, too. It has reminders/alerts to let you know when it’s time to add water and plant food — you’ll never accidentally neglect your plants. And with one of the largest water tanks around, you won’t have to fill up very often! How nice is that?
Honestly, the only problem you might run into with this hydroponic garden is the amount of space it’ll take up on your countertop. With a nine-plant capacity and a 24” growing height, it’s one of the larger options and will need a fair amount of open space to live. Just something to be aware of before you buy. Otherwise, the higher-than-average price tag might be the only other downside. But trust us, it’s worth it.
All in all, the AeroGarden Bounty Basic Indoor Garden was an easy addition to our top five this year. No matter what you’re looking for in a hydroponic garden (as long as it isn’t a super budget-friendly price), you’ll find it and more in this option.
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 4/5
Quality: 5/5
Reviewers couldn’t be happier with the AeroGarden Bounty Basic Indoor Garden. A few of them even mentioned they’d have a second one if they had the space for it. This machine is very easy to set up and use, the pods grow quickly, and the alerts help them give their plants everything they need without any guesswork involved. They highly recommend it.
Buy If…
You’d make use of an heirloom salad seed kit
You want a garden that can serve as home base for a plant’s entire growing period
You’d appreciate a garden that communicates with you
You don’t want to fill up the water tank all the time
Don’t Buy If…
You don’t have a lot of counter space open for a hydroponic garden
You’d prefer something budget-friendly
Dimensions: 11” x 16.5” x 30”
Weight: 11.6 lbs
Colour: Black
Plant Capacity: 9
Maximum Plant Height: 24”
Light Wattage: 30
Warranty: 1 year
Some hydroponic gardens only cost around $100, while others can easily exceed $300. In general, more expensive hydroponic gardens will have a higher plant capacity, higher maximum plant height, more versatile growing conditions, and possibly even Wi-Fi connectivity.
Hydroponic gardens come in a variety of sizes, and that means that the plant capacity can differ quite a bit. Some models are very compact and can only grow three plants at a time, others can accommodate up to 12 plants at once. Your ideal plant capacity will depend on how much counter space you have for the machine and how fast you’ll go through your fresh ingredients.
The maximum plant height of a hydroponic garden will typically fall between 11.5” and 24”. We recommend looking for the most adjustable plant height you can get, as shorter options will limit how much your plants can grow before being burned by the lights or needing a new pot to grow in.
Not all hydroponic gardens will be able to accommodate all plant types, so the versatility is something to look at before you buy. The maximum plant height will play a role here, as some plants need more room to grow than others, but you’ll also need to look at how adaptable the growing conditions are. Different plants will need different light cycles and even types of light to grow properly, so if you plan on growing a variety of plants, you’ll want to prioritize the flexibility in those features.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes. The products in this list are ranked by independent third parties. Rankings are based on both reviews and independent testing.