Hydroponic gardening has become increasingly popular with home gardeners in recent years. It's the ability to grow plants (particularly crops) in water indoors, typically supported by a smart hydroponic growing system. But, this piece of tech isn't always affordable, often costing upwards of $100, alongside ongoing maintenance.
That's where my latest find comes in: a plant pot hydroponic growing system at Walmart, currently on sale for less than $30.
The design of this hydroponic growing system is stylish, resembling an indoor plant pot. It's 2-in-1, offering the option of soil growing or hydroponic growing. It has an LED grow light with a timer and includes a starter kit, with baskets and labels.
Why try hydroponic growing?
There are lots of pros and cons of hydroponic gardening to consider before investing in a smart hydroponic growing system (like this LetPot model on Amazon).
The pros include the fact it allows you to extend your indoor garden with water culture alone, it can often be done on a tabletop, and it's relatively low-maintenance.
This growing method also uses less water than soil growing, reducing resource usage.
However, what you can grow hydroponically is somewhat limited. Leafy crops and herbs are perhaps the easiest vegetables to grow in water, but the likes of root vegetables are much more challenging and not always suited to water culture.
There is also a science to hydroponic gardening and it can be easy to accidentally make hydroponic gardening mistakes.
This includes getting the water-based nutrient balance correct for the plants you're growing (using products like this hydroponic fertilizer from Amazon).
The maintenance of hydroponic growing can also be costly, with smart systems requiring electricity for water pumps and lights.
With all of this in mind, the Walmart pot plant hydroponic growing system for under $30 is a real steal to test out if water-based growing is something that aligns with your gardening desires.
Why shoppers love the Walmart hydroponic growing system
Reading through the reviews of the Walmart plant pot hydroponic growing system, it's obvious this a beginner-friendly product for those just starting to experiment with water culture.
'I'm a long time gardener. I'm just getting started with hydroponics. I'm fully capable of building my own system, but I chose to buy a complete kit to learn the process,' one 5-star reviewer writes. 'Doing this takes allows me to focus on learning the metrics. This one was the most versatile for the money,' they add.
It's true that this product offers some flexibility around how you use it. You can either fill the largest chamber with water to try growing hydroponically, or if that isn't working out for you, rather fill it with soil.
A lower chamber holds water to support moisture management in this method, with a provided piece of cotton rope delivering water to plant roots.
'[It]can be used as an automatic watering pot for plants or a germination station,' one shopper explains.
As for the ease of hydroponic growing with this kit, customers are satisfied.
'I would suggest anybody who wants to grow their own food while the winter is here to buy this,' one shopper writes. 'My green onions and basil are growing very nicely,' they add.
It should be noted the Walmart pot plant hydroponic growing system is a very basic hydroponic garden set-up.
'Be advised this system does not use a pump as it is based on the Kratky method,' one reviewer writes.
This is a low-effort hydroponic method where plants are suspended above a reservoir of water, roots submerged. No water pumps are used to circulate the water, something you will find in a more expensive smart hydroponic growing system.
The downside of this is the water will need changing more frequently to keep it clean.
However, a shopper notes: 'a pump can be added.' You can find a water pump on Amazon for less than $10.
Customers also note it is easy to put together, almost immediately ready for growing: 'Easy to assemble, easy-to-use, already have seedlings growing and it's only been a week,' one person notes.
The Walmart plant pot hydroponic growing system has capacity for six plants and includes a starter kit of baskets for seeds, which has proven to impress buyers:
'The pod pot organization is light-years ahead of any other system I've seen,' one reviewer says. 'Planting, managing and harvesting is much, much easier and the extra space between the pods permits more growth,' they add.
It also has a timer function for the incorporated grow light, which has made it even more low-maintenance for customers.
Another bonus is its design, resembling a regular indoor plant pot and neatly subtly slotting in to an indoor garden display without bringing a laboratory feel.
'Looks cute on kitchen countertop,' one shopper describes.
While it may not have all the gadgets an upmarket hydroponic growing system provides, the Walmart pot plant hydroponic growing system still delivers results. For just $29.99, it's an affordable way to find out if hydroponics is for you.
Shop hydroponic growing accessories:
These vases are designed for small-scale hydroponic growing or plant propagation. They have an amber hue but are still transparent to observe root growth.
This smart hydroponic system brings function and form with it's beautiful green color and wood finish detail. It has capacity for 12 plants, supporting growth with a water pump and grow light.
Use these herb harvesting snips to take cuttings from your hydroponic garden. It has precision blades for clean cuts, ensuring not to hinder plant health when harvesting.
If you're keen to experiment with water culture, why not also try growing houseplants without soil?
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.