8/7/24 Update: The same cat crass that I started with is still alive. No joke. It's been cut down at least once a week since I bought this on Jan 3. My observations on this unit are that it's still going strong, the included fertilizer is working great, and the pump is holding up and is still quiet! One thing that I experienced, though, is that the drain plug can and may be pulled up by the roots over time. The roots were so strong on the cat grass that it started a slow leak that I didn't notice and then one day, it just emptied itself. So... with that said, i blame the plants for this but the plug could be made better by making it screw on instead of a rubber plug. Just keep an eye on your roots and trim them back from time to time. My grass was a long term experiment and it passed with flying colors. Still, buy this, it's an amazing product! Pros: 1. Compact 2. Lightweight and easy to move 3. Integrated automatic light 4. Stupid easy to setup and get running 5. Silent! Cons: 1. Light is on a fixed schedule (18 on, 6hrs off), cycle resets when light is manually controlled 2. No water temp control so ambient room temp needs to be in the range for your crop 3. pump is on a pre-programmed cycle and can't be changed (not really a con but listed here for disclosure) I've been a Rainpoint customer for some of their other gardening products like drip timers. Their customer service has always been top-notch and the build quality of their products is very high. The hydroponic growing system is no exception. The tub is made out of plastic, is easy to clean and controls evaporation very well. I've been running the unit for just over a week now and the water level hasn't changed much at all. The system comes with grow plugs, media frames, and light stickers to control mold before germination starts. The included fertilizer is a nice bonus and will last for a few grow cycles. Others have covered setup and prep so I'll just jump to my crop experience. My setup is growing 3 bunches of cat grass, a pink heirloom bean, a mangosteen, and a loquat. The cat grass (wheat grass) is a super quick sprouter. Typically, it takes about 4 days for it to sprout when I plant it in a pot. With this unit, it sprouted roots in 24hrs and by the next morning, the first signs of green started to appear. The video shows a timelapse over 3 days to show the light cycle and the growth rate. Super happy with it. Normally, I used to plant cat grass in larger pots and it would always be wasted. The cat would graze and the plant would die in a few days after sprouting. With this grower, I can plant 6-10 seeds in a single "pot" and it's just enough to cut every 2 days. With 3 pots growing a little grass on a rotation, she has a daily supply of cat grass to munch on and now I have a floor full of hairballs. I guess that's a win win. No waste, renewable, and happy cat gut? The single pot has been harvested 3 times already and it's not showing any signs of giving up. My 1lb bag of cat grass seeds will probably never be used up at this rate. As the grass grows taller, the light can be adjusted to accommodate taller plants. Next, I'll be planting some heirloom tomatos to see how those do. Tip: When putting the stickers on, make sure the center part of the sticker is put on too. I left one off to see what would happen and the seed did mold very quickly with it off. The plants are strong enough to break the light seal so don't worry! DO NOT remove the stickers, even after the plants grow in. Very happy with this product! I think I'm going to buy another to give as a gift. My mom will definately love having a low maintenance source of fresh herbs in the kitchen :)

I've been using this hydroponic system for about three weeks and am impressed with how well it works and how easy it is to use. I have a few other RainPoint products (solar-powered outdoor watering system and two WIFI pumps) – all of them work well and are a great bang for the buck and this one is up to that same level of quality. Getting started with it is easy and RainPoint's instructions are thorough and easy to follow. It comes with everything you need to get started except seeds – make sure you buy good-quality and fresh seeds for best results. After setting the system up, I used a mixture of kale, lettuce, and chard seeds, and got my first sprouts in less than 48 hours! Within a few more days, most of the 13 pods already had sprouts. The instructions said it could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for sprouts to form, so I was pleased to see how quickly them came up. Once you have things set up, there's almost no maintenance required. Once you start getting sprouts, you should remove the the little plastic covers, and otherwise, all you have to do is add a little plant food once per month and keep the water level high. In my three weeks, the water level has hardly dropped at all and I haven't needed to add any. The pictures range from about the 3-week mark going back to the 1-day mark. I live in a cold climate and during peak winter even my greenhouse gets to cold to grow many plants. This is a great way to keep growing throughout the winter and you can set it up almost anywhere. There's a good chance I'll be getting another!

This is an all-in-one basic hydroponic unit which supports plants up to 12" tall. It consists of a unit which is a tub, a cover with places for 13 plants, a submersed circulation pump, and an LED light panel. There are 13 conical baskets which hold the 13 planting sponges in the water, caps to cover the unused plant locations, and two bottles that contain dry plant food (two different types), which you dissolve before adding them to the water. Setup is easy if you follow either the user manual or quick start guide. My first test is a combination of various seeds and a few cuttings. Both the light and the circulation pump are controlled by touch sensitive pads on the top of the light panel. The light has two different color temperatures, one for vegetables and one for fruits and flowers. The lights operate on a cycle of 16 hours on and 8 off. If you turn the lights off they come back on in 10 hours. Whenever you start the lights, that starts the cycle over. The pump also operates on an intermittent on-off cycle. These cycles are not adjustable. There is no temperature control for the water, so ambient air temperature needs to be suitable for your plants. The light is quite bright, as one might imagine, so it's important to put it in a location where this will not bother you. The light can also cause substantial static on AM radios, so this needs to be factored into where you place it if that's a consideration for you. The tank is nicely watertight. There's a drain hole with plug (and a spare plug) to make it easier to change water - though this does mean removing the cover and all plants to remove the plug. The circulating pump is inaudible. The system comes with two different plant nutrients, shipped in squeeze bottles with measuring caps. The instructions say to fill both of these with water, dissolve all of the nutrients, and add 25ml to 5L of water (the tank capacity). On the whole the system is compact, fits together well, and is very easy to set up. The manual includes instructions on planting seeds and pruning the plants, as well as transplanting once the plants have enough roots. On the whole it is sufficiently sturdy for its intended use. You can use it for indoor gardens (as long as your plants will fit in the space provided) and for starting seeds before outdoor planting.

I recently embarked on my indoor gardening journey with the Rainpoint Indoor Hydroponics Growing System, and it has truly exceeded my expectations! From the moment I opened the beautifully packaged box, I knew I was in for something special. The setup was a breeze, thanks to the straightforward instructions in the quick start guide. Within no time, I had my system ready to go—all it needed was seeds and water. The comprehensive manual provided additional guidance for those seeking more detailed information. The system's build quality is exceptional, and the wooden tone at the base adds a charming decorative touch. Friends and family have consistently complimented its aesthetic appeal. Being a first-time hydroponic gardener, I was initially uncertain about choosing the right crops. To my delight, the seeds germinated successfully, and within a week, I had thriving tomatoes, green onions, and lettuce. The efficiency of the system became even more evident as all my plants flourished within a month. The provided nutrients sustained the growing cycle admirably. I've also learned the importance of proper pruning techniques, especially as my tomatoes outpaced the rest of the plants. In summary, the Rainpoint Hydroponics System has made indoor gardening not only accessible but also enjoyable. If you're looking for a reliable, aesthetically pleasing, and efficient hydroponics system, look no further. It has added a delightful touch to my home, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase!

If you are new to growing hydroponically or if you live in an apartment and want to grow your own fresh herbs, garnishes, etc., I highly recommend this very easy-to-use, complete hydroponic system. I planted a couple each of the following seeds: Arugula, basil, romaine lettuce, and kale. 3 days later, the 2 arugula seeds sprouted. 5 days after starting, 2 romaine plants had sprouted. After 6 days, 8 of the 9 plantings had come up. This is much faster than when growing in soil. 3 weeks later, all the plants were 2 to 4 inches tall, healthy, and not "leggy" at all which tells me that the included grow lights work well. (Just be sure to keep the lights 3 - 4 inches above the leaves.) It's now been just over 3 weeks since planting and the plants are really taking off (see picture #4) NOTE: I also used two of the growing holes to root cuttings from an old, dying "Wandering Jew" hanging basket and they have set roots and should soon be ready for transplanting back into a new hanging basket with fresh, fertile soil. Nice! The only drawback to this hydroponic growing system is its small size. But again, if you're living with limited space or just want to easily start some plants indoors and then transplant them into your garden in the spring, then this product should be perfect for you. All-in-all, this provides a great introduction to hydroponic growing and could not be any easier to use.

Got this for my wife who always wanted a hydroponics system for to grow her herbs indoors. I found a review of this online and thought I'd give it a try. It's a great kit from Rainpoint who is well known for quality garden products. Well, she is really happy with it. It comes with everything (except seeds) you need. Plus the pump is very quiet and the lamp provides plenty of light. It has a built in timer which switches the light on and off on schedule to simulate daily outdoor light. It is easy to set up with well written instructions and tips for growing. We've got some herbs started and even tomatoes. Recommended!

Upon unboxing everything was neatly organized. In my personal opinion too many plastic bags could have been managed with wax or paper instead. Setting up the tank, pump and lighting was simple, The wood grain look on the tank adds a classic look to a modern accessory. The directions provided were very easy to follow when setting up the pods. A suggestion for improvement here would be to have a method to help deliver smaller seeds into the sponges; perhaps a cone with a hole and you pour the seeds with water down into the sponge. The seeds would stick to the tweezers and was probably the hardest part of getting the system going. The viewing window makes it easy to see how much water is in the tank and after a month the system has not used more than a liter. The system is mostly quiet and every. once and a while I hear a light hum from the pump. I would like to be able to connect this to my wifi like your sprinklers and control the lighting and schedule from the app. My lettuce has not sprouted after a few weeks, however my basil has taken off. These are happy plants and looking forward to transplanting a few. I only have two critical critiques of the system. First is the light, it seems flimsy and has a tilt. I'm concerned it will break as it doesn't seem to be supported well. The second is the light post. The periodic height adjustments are not a concern, however, the light stem is stiff and requires more effort than expected, with the light block being flimsy I'm concerned I will slip while lifting the stem and rip the light off. This is a very aesthetically pleasing system, easy to use, and looking forward to the bounty that comes from it. If you can also include where to purchase more sponges and nutrients for when that time comes that would be a valuable addition to the included paperwork.

I was rightly excited about this Rainpoint unit. I do have a smaller one by a different company at home and was curious what the differences would be. Admittedly, I was intimidated by the number of packages included in the box, but it contained everything needed, and part of it was just the sheer number of growing "holes" available. It was easy to use, easy to set up. If you do everything as described, it takes a few hours to set everything up, as it suggests soaking seeds for 5-6 hours prior to starting it up. One thing I found helpful was preparing the plant food at the same time as I started soaking the seeds, which I did with wet paper towels in ziploc bags. That way, the medium in the plant food bottles has time to dissolve in water, as it can take a while. This was also really fun to do with my kids, who are toddler-kindergarten age. A few more things: When moving the lights up and down, be careful not to accidentally press on the touch-sensitive buttons on top, as that will change the light settings, which turn on for 16 hours, off for 8 hours. I accidentally did this twice. I was also afraid it would be flimsy, but it actually works quite well. It doesn't say this in the quick start guide, but it does state in the manual that you can add plant food every 1-2 weeks. I'll try every 2 weeks for a while, like I do with my other hydroponics unit, but there's no light or alarm to remind you to replace the food, so you'll have to make up your own reminders. One question I have is that I planted peppers and greens in the unit, but the light setting distinguish between vegetables and flowers/fruits. When germinating, the directions state to utilize the vegetable lights. However, once the peppers start flowering, I wonder if by changing the lights to the flowers/fruit lighting, it will cause my greens to bolt at all. (If I remember, I'll try to update). It does not come with its own seeds, which for me is fine, but for someone who has no idea what seeds are about and just want an easy way to grow things at home, I would suggest including either pre-packed seed pods or small seed packets to try. I feel like seed starting can be intimidating if you haven't done it b before, but less so once you've done it at least once before. Overall, it's easy to use, a good size for the price, has everything you need. If I need additional individual growing media in future, I know I'll have to order them separately, but that's fine. My only suggestion would be a way to set up a timer or alarm to remind the user to feed what's in there, with perhaps more detailed guidance based on what's growing in there. EDIT on 12/31/2024 - I've had this unit for about a year, changed the review from 4 to 5 stars. It's going strong, works well, no issues as of yet. I had paused while in the midst of the spring and summer garden season, and started it back up about a month or so ago, and the dill, micro-tomato, basil, and lettuce growing in there are doing so well!