Start growing herbs and veggies indoors with this top kit

Which indoor vegetable garden starter kit is best?

Growing your own vegetables is a great way to save money and get in touch with nature, whether you want to grow them entirely indoors or transplant them outside later. Indoor vegetable garden starter kits contain the items you need to begin your growing journey.

If you’re looking for a reliable kit you can use to start seedlings, the Spade to Fork Indoor Vegetable Garden Starter Kit is ideal.

What to know before you buy an indoor vegetable garden starter kit

Types of vegetable garden kits

There are several types of indoor vegetable garden starter kits.

• Indoor growing kits: These are designed for starting indoor vegetable gardens. You’ll generally receive everything you need to start, including seeds, soil and containers. They usually focus on vegetables that are easier to grow inside, such as leafy greens, tomatoes and bell peppers.
• Seed starter kits: These are designed for starting seeds you’ll transplant to an outdoor vegetable garden. They often include cloches or humidity domes and seedling trays, but may not include the seeds.
• LED and hydroponic growing kits: These indoor growing systems, fully integrated with LED lights, are designed to grow herbs and vegetables through to harvest. You’ll need a large version to grow anything bigger than herbs and leafy greens.

What’s in the kit

The contents of an indoor garden kit can vary widely depending on the type of kit. Here are items you might find in your kit, though you won’t get all of them in every kit.

• Seeds: Seeds may be included, suitable for either indoor or outdoor growing, depending on the type of kit you choose.
• Soil: You’ll usually get small soil discs to start your seeds, but you’ll need more soil when you transplant them to bigger containers.
• Pots: Expect to get small biodegradable pots big enough for seedlings.
• Humidity domes: These create a humid environment that encourages speedy germination.
• LED lights: LED lights are useful when growing vegetables entirely indoors.
• Labels: Labels or markers help you keep track of which seedlings are which.

What to look for in a quality indoor vegetable garden starter kit

Organic and non-GMO

You might prefer to choose seeds and soil that are organic and non-GMO. This is great if one of the reasons you’re growing your own produce is to avoid pesticides or genetically modified organisms.

Smart features

If you choose an LED indoor vegetable garden, it may have smart features. These can tell you when to add water and nutrients, and when to switch on and off the lights.

Detailed instructions

Unless you know exactly what you’re doing, you’ll be thankful to receive a kit with detailed instructions. These help you know when to repot your seedlings and other helpful details.

How much you can expect to spend on an indoor vegetable garden starter kit

You can spend anywhere from around $10 to $20 on basic seed starting kits to around $1,000 on large, elaborate hydroponic growing systems with LED lights.

Indoor vegetable garden starter kit FAQ

What are the fastest vegetables to grow indoors?

A. Some vegetables grow more quickly indoors than others. Swiss chard, for instance, is ready to harvest just four to six weeks after sowing it, and many other leafy greens are similarly speedy to grow. Bell peppers and tomatoes are ready to eat in around eight to 12 weeks, and dwarf varieties lend themselves well to indoor growing.

Can you start any type of vegetable indoors?

A. Although some vegetables are harder than others to grow to maturity indoors, you can start any type of vegetable indoors. Root vegetables, for instance, aren’t ideal for indoor growing because they’d need large, deep containers. However, you can start them inside and transplant them when the conditions are right.

Can you grow vegetables indoors all year round?

A. Yes, a great thing about growing vegetables indoors is that you don't need to wait until warmer weather or when the chance of frost has passed. Since most people keep their homes fairly toasty all year, these are ideal conditions for many vegetables. That said, some vegetables grow better under LED lights in winter because of the short daylight hours.

What’s the best indoor vegetable garden starter kit to buy?

Top indoor vegetable garden starter kit

Spade to Fork Indoor Vegetable Garden Starter Kit

What you need to know: This kit contains everything you need to grow seedlings, which you can then transplant outdoors or into bigger indoor containers.

What you’ll love: It has seeds to grow cherry tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, green beans and radishes. Also included are soil pucks, plant markers and compostable peat pots. Everything is certified organic and non-GMO by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

What you should consider: A handful of buyers said their seeds didn’t germinate, but that could be due to a number of factors.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Top indoor vegetable garden starter kit for the money

Home Grown Herb Garden Starter Kit

What you need to know: This kit is very easy to use and is perfect for those who are just starting out gardening.

What you’ll love: The ceramic pots look nice while you're growing parsley, thyme, cilantro and basil. It comes with everything you need, including markers, so you'll know what's what.

What you should consider: Some said it needed more seeds.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

AeroGarden Farm 24Basic

What you need to know: This hydroponic growing system comes with seed pods to grow tomatoes, leafy greens and herbs.

What you’ll love: The LED lights are height-adjustable so you can grow much taller plants than most LED gardens. The smart features help you grow efficiently. It’s extremely easy to use: just keep it topped up with water and add nutrients when instructed to.

What you should consider: It’s expensive so it isn’t for the casual grower.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.