Posted at 12:00 p.m.
Our indoor planters in hand, we can already imagine the dishes flavored with fresh herbs and the crunchy greens that we can put in our mouths. But we will have to temper our expectations. If the intention is to stock up on vegetables and greens of all kinds all year round, the risk of disappointment is high. You’ll get a few kale or arugula leaves at a time, unless you dedicate full planters to them. It goes without saying that the harvest is clearly insufficient to prepare a salad for four.
But smart planters are far from devoid of interest. Given their small size—perfect for slipping onto a kitchen counter—these devices allow you to grow and harvest in small quantities.
Where they do well is in growing sprouts of vegetables and herbs. In particular, they are a great solution for herbs that are difficult to store when purchased fresh at the market, including basil, and provide access to varieties that cannot be found in grocery stores.
Cilantro and broccoli sprouts? A great source of vitamins to incorporate into pasta and salads. All in much less time than with traditional gardening methods.
The designers have taken care to make our lives easier. Whether or not you have a green thumb, the result is guaranteed. The process indeed requires a minimum of interventions once launched, except to fill the water tank once a week, sometimes less, and to integrate nutrients as needed. Impossible to water too much since the plants irrigate themselves. Two out of three models are also equipped with integrated lighting that switches on and off automatically. You can place your planter anywhere in the house. In any case, it will be necessary to deal with a sustained white light which may not be the desired mood lighting.
Having edible plants on hand at all times is a luxury, it was said. Have an indoor planter too. These devices are not cheap and we are crossing our fingers that the seeds and soils, for which each company has its own recipe, will still be available in a few years. The three systems tested offer little latitude to use the products of our choice.
In the absence of having found the perfect indoor garden, which would borrow characteristics from the three formulas with, in addition, greater flexibility in terms of the choice of soil and seeds, we are delighted to have been able to add flavors and the freshness of our dishes, the time to bridge the gap between two gardening seasons. But we might find ourselves wanting to keep herbs close at hand at all times. A few sunflower sprouts added as a final touch adorn the plate so well!
HerbiaEra CS1: the miniaturized vegetable garden
PHOTO FROM HERBIAERA WEBSITE
HerbiaEra’s miniature vegetable garden
When its water level becomes critical, this intelligent planter, designed in Lotbinière, notifies us via a mobile application (HerbiaEra) and an indicator light integrated into the device. It comes with a substrate already sown in which nutrients adapted to the plant are also integrated. Once the substrate and the water are in place, all you have to do is place a small dome on the device to create a greenhouse effect, while the shoots are emerging. Each culture block has a lifespan of 5 to 8 months, after which it can be composted and started afresh with new soil.
Our opinion : As the reservoir is deep enough to hold 2 L of water, it is possible to take a watering holiday for three weeks or more – the mobile application is interesting, but incidental. For lighting, however, we are left to ourselves. It will be necessary to place the plant on the edge of a window and to tinker with a horticultural lighting system in winter. Too bad the gardener lacks “intelligence” in this regard.
The seed offer is limited to two varieties of basil, but should improve at some point with nasturtiums and cherry tomatoes. The formula allows you to cultivate a maximum of two varieties of plants at the same time, but which can be brought to maturity, unlike other devices. Unfortunately, the company does not yet offer seedless substrate, which would allow us to grow the flowers, herbs or greens of our choice. However, you could try your luck with your own soil.
$189.99 per planter and $14.50 for two blocks of substrate
Vegehome: diversity on the menu
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PHOTO FROM VEGEHOME WEBSITE
The garden
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PHOTO FROM VEGEHOME WEBSITE
The Oasis
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The Montreal-based Vegehome offers us two indoor planters: the Garden, equipped with nine seed tanks and the Oasis, three times larger, in which herbs and exotic vegetables grow in hydroponics. Once the water tank is filled, place small capsules filled with substrate and seeds in the openings provided for this purpose. Caps create the greenhouse effect until the shoots emerge. The devices are equipped with an automatic lighting system and an indicator light that notifies us when the water reserve needs to be filled. Nutrients can be added to the water every two weeks to accelerate plant growth. A first harvest is already possible two to six weeks after starting.
Our opinion : In terms of design, Vegehome is the most successful of the three products tested. Its seed offer is wide with a choice of 27 herbs, greens, cabbages, peppers and cherry tomatoes. The selection includes lesser-known varieties like mini romaine and pomegranate xalbadora.
The promise of growing all these varieties satisfactorily there, however, is puzzling. The plants are cramped. Our cabbage is too skinny to consider using it other than to flavor a mixed salad. Furthermore, we will have to resolving to use capsules surrounded by single-use plastic. The option to use own seeds is not offered. However, the company is working to expand its range of plants. Vegehome remains a good option to obtain a variety of herbs. It could also be useful for starting seedlings that will go into the ground in the spring.
$124.99 for the Garden, $349.99 for the Oasis. The price for two capsules varies between $4.75 to $6 depending on the variety.
Novagrow: full of vitamins
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PHOTO FROM NOVAGROW WEBSITE
Novagrow Garden
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PHOTO FROM NOVAGROW WEBSITE
The cultivation area can be doubled thanks to an extension that allows the planters to be stacked.
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PHOTO FROM NOVAGROW WEBSITE
Shoots mature in two weeks.
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Novagrow’s garden, winner of gold at the Grands Prix du design 2021, stands out from the other two planters thanks to a formula that promises a bountiful harvest of shoots and microshoots, not seedlings. Its system is based on a principle of hydroponics. It uses a compostable bamboo mat that remains moist at all times. All you have to do is drop the seeds in – the system allows three varieties to be grown at a time – fill the reservoir with water and incorporate nutrients. A tray creates the greenhouse effect in the first stage of germination. Lighting is facilitated thanks to an automatic management system, but it will be necessary to fill the water tank every week.
Our opinion : The system is efficient. The abundant shoots are ready to harvest in two weeks, after which the cycle repeats itself. Novagrow offers an interesting variety of 20 organic seeds: bok choy, broccoli, chervil, chives, borage, buckwheat and shiso, among others. It also offers us the possibility of using those of our choice, provided that we obtain the Novagrow carpet. This indoor garden is the best formula to quickly obtain microgreens of vegetables and fine herbs in the form of sprouts, and to distinguish themselves from the offer in grocery stores.
$196 for the single version, $368 for the double version. The seed packets come with a bamboo mat and are sold for $1.99 each.