hydroponic starter kits

The 3 Best Hydroponics Starter Kits to Start an Indoor Garden

Hydroponics is simply a way of growing plants without soil.   It is so easy to grow vegetables hydroponically.  It’s easy to grow herbs hydroponically.  Growing vegetables with hydroponics means that you can grow your own food indoors, with no mess all year round.  You can even grow hydroponic vegetables indoors in parts of your house where you don’t have much light, as some hydroponics systems come with special LED lights.  Our guide to the best hydroponics starter kits tells you all about what you can do, how you can grow hydroponic vegetables and herbs and a little detail on the science behind it.  So, read on for the best hydroponics starter kits.

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The Best Hydroponic Starter Kit

This starter hydroponic kit gives you everything you need to start growing fruits and veg hydroponically. It’s small, neat and SERIOUSLY easy to use!

What is Hydroponics?

In its simplest terms, hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil.  Hydro is a Greek word meaning water, and Ponos, from which we get ponics means work.  And so hydroponics, as the name suggests is where water supplies nutrients to the roots of the plant.  

Hydroponics means that you can grow a massive variety of edible plants indoors, all year round.

Plants need FOUR things to grow.

  • Water
  • Sunlight
  • Carbon Dioxide – which comes from the air
  • Nutrients

When you grow vegetables in the ground or pots and containers they take their nutrients from the soil.  With a hydroponics system, those nutrients are dissolved in the water that the plant’s roots sit in.  It is much easier for a hydroponic plant to absorb the nutrients from water than it is from seeking the nutrients out in the soil.  This tends to mean that hydroponics plants grow bigger, and quicker.

Best 3 Hydroponics Starter Kits UK At a Glance

Name of Hydroponics Starter KitHighlightsWhat It Looks LikeRead Reviews & Buy Now!
AeroGarden Bounty Basic• Counter tip measures 40.6 (l) x 15.2 (w) x 20.3 (h) centimetres
• Stainless steel
• Energy efficient 50 watts LED grow light
• Sunrise/Sunset auto-dimming
• Grow up to 9 plants up to 60 centimetres tall
• 9 pod herb seed pot – with 2 Genovese Basil, Thai Basil, Curly Parsley, Italian Parsley, Thyme, Chives, Dill and Mint.
• Includes Aerogarden miracle-grow liquid plant food
• Non-GMO
Buy the Aerogarden Bounty Basic NOW!
IDOO Indoor Garden Hydroponic Starter Kit• 2 LED Modes for vegetables and fruits – illumination and growth 16 hours a day
• Includes 24 seed sponges
• 2 supplied packs of nutrients
• 12 seed pod kits
• Grows plants up to 28 centimetres high.
• Unit measures 35cm (l) X 26cm (w) X 39cm (h)
Buy the IDOO Indoor Garden here
Click and Grow Nutrient Solution Free Hydroponic Kit• The kit comes with 3 mini tomatoes, 3 basil and 3 green lettuce pods.
• Plant pods contain no GMOs, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.
• A wide selection of more than 50 plants to fit your needs… Or experiment with your own seeds!
• Growth Guarantee – Click and Grow will replace any plant pods that don’t germinate for free.
• Unit measures 62 x 18.4 x 39.6 centimetres
Buy the Click and Grow Hydroponic Kit here

The Best 3 Hydroponic Starter Kits in the UK

In this section, we’ll cover the hydroponic starter kits that come with everything you need to grow your own herbs, fruits, and vegetables hydroponically.  We’ve covered the best hydroponic plants to grow in separate guides (vegetables, fruits, and herbs).

Reviews of 3 Best Hydroponic Starter Kits

The main difference between hydroponic starter kits and buying all the elements yourself and putting together a system is convenience.  If you’re just getting started, then we think it’s a whole lot easier to try it out with an all-in-one kit.  If the convenience and benefit of hydroponics work for you then here are our reviews of the best home hydroponics kits, what type of system they are and what’s available in the UK.

1. Best Hydroponics Growing Kit – Aerogarden Bounty Basic

Aerogarden UK is one of the best-known brands in the world of home hydroponics kits and you won’t go far wrong with the Aerogarden Bounty Basic.  It’s the best hydroponics starter kit that we’ve come across.   This countertop stainless steel hydroponic kit measures 40.6 (l) x 15.2 (w) x 20.3 (h) centimetres and comes with an energy-efficient 50 watt LED grow light.    You can grow up to 9 plants up to 60 centimetres (2 feet) tall in this system.  You’ll find your plants sprouting in days, harvesting in weeks and they’ll last for months too.  We think that the Aerogarden Bounty Basic is the best aerogarden hydroponics door growing kit around, it is a great buy hydroponics system. You can check delivery times on this fabulous starter hydroponics kit here.

This hydroponic kit from Aerogarden comes with a 3-step water level indicator, dimming grow light and auto sunrise/sunset dimming too!  The starter kit comes with a 9-pod herb seed pot that includes 2 Genovese Basil, Thai Basil, Curly Parsley, Italian Parsley, Thyme, Chives, Dill, and Mint.  Also included is the Aerogarden-formulated miracle-grow liquid plant food, enough for a full season of growth. It’s all-natural & non-GMO.  Buy this best buy hydroponic start kit now!

Key Features of the Aerogarden Bounty Basic Hydroponic kit

  • Counter tip measures 40.6 (l) x 15.2 (w) x 20.3 (h) centimetres
  • Stainless steel hydroponic grow kit
  • Energy efficient 50 watts LED grow light
  • Sunrise/Sunset auto-dimming
  • Grow up to 9 plants up to 60 centimetres tall
  • 9 pod herb seed pot – with 2 Genovese Basil, Thai Basil, Curly Parsley, Italian Parsley, Thyme, Chives, Dill, and Mint.
  • Includes Aerogarden miracle-grow liquid plant food
  • Non-GMO
  • One of the best hydroponics kits for beginners

Buy the Aerogarden Bounty Basic Hydroponics Starter Kit here

Need extras for your Aerogarden Hydroponic Garden?

2. The IDOO Indoor Garden Hydroponic Starter Kit

This IDOO Hydroponics kit is great for getting started with indoor gardening and comes with everything that you need to get started growing your own food inside.  It can grow up to 12 plants at a time without soil or mess.  Follow the IDOO six-step process and get started today!  Smart soil sponge pods help your plants take root and absorb water.  The water pump runs automatically, turning on and off every 30 minutes. 

An auto fan also runs every 30 minutes, promoting airflow. The IDOO indoor garden comes with a 23 Watt LED light and two modes for growing fruits and vegetables – vegetable mode increases the blue light, and fruit plants increase the red light, which is a known and tested method for increasing the efficiency of growth and yield.   That makes this a great buy hydroponics kit. check out more Idoo indoor garden reviews here. The fans on this IDOO LED hydroponic system are quiet and there’s an easy-to-follow instruction booklet. The best hydroponic system UK kit comes with two bottles of fertiliser and 24 sponges, and you can buy replacements too.  Buy this awesome indoor garden from IDOO now

Key Features of the IDOO Hydroponics Growing System

  • 2 LED Modes for vegetables and fruits – illumination and growth 16 hours a day
  • Includes 24 seed sponges
  • 2 supplied packs of hydroponic nutrient starter kit
  • 12 seed hydroponic grow pods
  • Grows plants up to 28 centimetres high.
  • Unit measures 35cm (l) X 26cm (w) X 39cm (h)

Buy the IDOO Indoor Garden Hydroponic Starter Kit here

Need extras for your Idoo Hydroponic garden?

3. Click and Grow Nutrient Solution FREE Hydroponic Starter Kit

The Click and Grow Smart Garden system is different from the others that we recommend, in that with this hydroponic system you don’t need to add any nutrient solution to keep your plants growing.  This hydroponic plant kit from Click and Grow smart soil-based plant pods gradually releases all the nutrients your plants need to thrive, while automatically stabilizing pH levels and oxygenating the roots even when wet. The watering system is passive and works via capillary action, which makes for a completely silent indoor grow kit.  So, just plug it in, fill the water reservoir, pop your plant pods in, and off you go.  Seriously, seriously simple.  Get yours here

With Click and Grow you can grow any plant you want, so long as it’s in the Click and Grow seed plant pod.  Selections include Mediterranean herbs like parsley, thyme, basil, rosemary, oregano, sage, and coriander. The hydroponic lettuce kit comes with salad greens including green lettuce and romaine lettuce, arugula, bloody sorrel, and leaf mustard.  Plus you can also grow fruiting plants like mini tomato and wild strawberry, several different kinds of chillies and peppers as well as decorative flowers. When you buy hydroponic kits from Click and Grow there are more than 50 plant pods available!  The Click and Grow seedless pod also allows you to put whatever seeds you want in and grow!  Buy this awesome unique hydroponic system from Click and Grow now

Key Features of the Click and Grow Hydroponic kit

  • The hydroponic plant growing kit comes with 3 mini tomatoes, 3 basil, and 3 green lettuce pods.
  • Plant pods contain no GMOs, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.
  • A wide selection of more than 50 plants to fit your needs… Or experiment with your own seeds!
  • Growth Guarantee – Click and Grow will replace any plant pods that don’t germinate for free.
  • Unit measures 62 x 18.4 x 39.6 centimetres
  • One of the best hydroponic grow kits for indoors

Buy the Click and Grow Hydroponic Starter Kit here

How Hydroponics Works

There are two main ways in which a hydroponic plant grows.  The first is where the roots of the plant dangle in the water, absorbing the nutrients that are added to the water.  The second way that hydroponics works is that plants are grown in a soil substitute – this can be clay pebbles, coconut fibre, coir, or peat moss. 

What do Hydroponics Systems Need?

Each hydroponics system will need some key elements to it.  What you’ll find with hydroponics starter kits is that they come with all of this ready for you simply to start growing.  All the beginner hydroponic garden kits that we recommend come with

  • All hydroponics systems need a container or reservoir for water
  • Hydroponics systems need a source of nutrients, which are usually either a solution or are dissolved in the water
  • Many hydroponic systems also include a growing light – you’ll want to ensure its LED for maximum efficiency
  • Some hydroponic systems include a growing medium (like coconut fibre, coir, or peat moss
  • If your hydroponic system is using the method of growing directly in water then they’ll need an air pump too
  • If you’re looking at an indoor hydroponics kit, which these all are, then you want something quite stylish too.

Why use a hydroponics system to grow vegetables?

The first reason to grow hydroponics to grow vegetables is because of efficiency.  Hydroponic plants tend to grow about 30% faster than traditional plants.  And they tend to produce a higher yield.    So they’re winning for me so far, quicker and more vegetables is GREAT. These are the easiest vegetables to grow hydroponically.

Hydroponic systems are easy to use and they can be used ALL YEAR ROUND.  Tomatoes from home all year round?  I’m sold.  Strawberries too.    There’s little carbon footprint from the porch to the kitchen right? And these home hydroponic kits and indoor hydroponics kits not only look good but work really well too.

And for those of you (and I include myself here) who occasionally forget to water quite as regularly as I should, hydroponics works really well.  It’s all done for you. The best hydroponic kits and systems come with grow lamps so they even get light as well!

City-states like Singapore are big proponents of hydroponics.  Many apartment owners don’t have any outside space so growing edible plants inside is a great benefit of hydroponics.  No space, no light, no problem. Hydroponic kits make a superb gift for gardeners – it means they can grow every month of the year!

What edible plants can you grow with hydroponics?

I always think that it’s easiest to start with growing sure winners.  And some types of vegetables, herbs, and fruits REALLY work well with hydroponic systems, so let’s start there.  These are the easiest vegetables, herbs, and fruits to grow using hydroponics.

  • Herbs like Mint and Basil grow well using hydroponics.  You’ll want to harvest them regularly to keep them bushy. Our guides to growing Mint and Basil in pots are here if you want to try them traditionally.
  • Salad leaves and greens such as spinach, kale, romaine, and lettuce leaves grow superbly well in hydroponics.  You can grow them to baby leaf size, harvest individual leaves or grow the plants to full size.
  • Cucumbers are an excellent choice for hydroponic systems – you’ll need a location that has good airflow.
  • Dwarf or Patio Peppers and Tomatoes grow superbly well in hydroponic systems.
  • Strawberries are known to thrive in hydroponic systems.

Here are our guides and articles on growing food hydroponically

This is a series of articles that we’ve put together about hydroponics – so there are many more details on

All our guides to the best growing kits

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Final Words on the 3 Best Hydroponic Starter Kits

We seriously love hydroponics growing.  No mess, no soil, and it’s so easy to grow your own hydroponic vegetables all year round, no matter what the weather outside and no matter that you don’t have any outside space at all.  Indoor grow kits for vegetables are used incredibly effectively in many places around the world – why not use a home hydroponic kit to grow your own vegetables? Today’s hydroponic systems are energy-efficient and good-looking machines that will prove a great talking point in your house AND put food on your table! These hydroponic growing kits are the best hydroponic kits for beginners and make it seriously easy. Go on, what are you waiting for?

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