iDOO for Dad, Hydroponics Growing System Kit 12Pods, Indoor Herb Garden, with LED Grow Light, Built-in Fan, Auto-Timer, Adjustable Height Up to 11.3", for Home School Office

This is my first indoor/hydroponic garden so I don't have anything to compare to. Thus, this review is based solely on my initial thoughts on this product. I have the 12 hole garden and received it earlier than expected. Packaging is well done and the product arrived in one piece. Nice box with quality foam packing molded to the garden inside. Once opened and removed the garden comes out in two pieces; the light panel and the main body. All other parts/accessories are packaged neatly inside the water tank area (along with the light panel arm). Assembly is easy and straightforward with well written instructions. I was able to have everything put together in less than 15 minutes including mixing the nutrients and adding seeds to the sponges. The footprint is not very large so I was able to find a corner behind my bar to give it a home. Build quality seems robust and the materials seem quality. Here is where I can't compare to the other brands, but I can assume it's close to equivalent. As for features, it isn't very high tech, no app to control anything or warnings for low water levels so of you are looking for something with less user input this may not be for you. I prefer less tech sometimes as it means less things to break and easier to modify to my needs. I've had it for two days now, so I will update this review after a few weeks once I start getting some growth. My only complaint so far is the light panels max height of around 11 inches. It limits what can be grown. However, the power for the panel is external and with a few minor modifications I think it can be extended higher to accommodate taller plants at some point. So far I am pleased with the garden and hope to be enjoying the bounty to come soon enough. I started with 6 herbs as a test (Basil,Dill,Oregano, Parsley, Cilantro, and Thyme) and will go from there.

Seriously?!? Can it get any simpler than the iDOO 12 pod indoor hydroponic herb garden?!? I had the whole thing up, planted and running in maybe an hour...My arugula sprouted in 1½ days and I woke up this morning (day 3) and the four different basils are just beginning to sprout. So...I just ordered my second iDOO from Amazon. Excellent product. Insanely easy. Very cool (literally and figuratively) using only a 23W LED panel. I highly recommend this hydroponic garden!Update 4/7/21: It's been 6 weeks since I began my adventures in hydroponics with the iDOO 12 pod indoor... and I've been extremely pleased with the results and I added two current pictures. I began by planting all 24 pods (I have 2 units) - the blank spots in the pictures are plants I've already transplanted. All of those transplants were successful but for one. I had Thai basil next to lemon basil. They had both grown so fast and so bushy that I had to transplant them; however, their respective root balls had grown so incredibly tangled that I was unable to tease them apart (at least without likely causing serious damage.) I finally decided to pick a spot midway between then and used scissors to cut straight across. End result- lemon basil thriving but the Thai basil is lingering on life support (that, in and of itself, is a good sign since today is day 3.)Additional thought: an earlier reviewer mentioned how fast basil sucks up the water. My experience is the same. I started with sweet, Thai, lemon, purple and cinnamon basil varieties and I was having to add 1 liter (between 2 units) every other day. The burn rate I experienced was just over 5 weeks to use all of the part A & B nutrients supplied in the kit so for a single unit, figure about 11 weeks. I've started the second unit's nutrients as of this posting. I've looked all over Amazon for more iDOO parts A & B nutrients and all I can find is a kit with the nutrient + sponges + baskets + covers (the latter two being non-consumables, so kind of an underhanded way to inflate the price if you ask me.) I'm intending on buying an "off-brand" variety of hydroponic nutrients from the many offered on Amazon and I'll update with my results. I figure if iDOO doesn't want to make $ selling individual consumables (if I'm not changing out a plant, I don't even need additional sponges but a plant's gotta eat, right?) then I'll go with an alternate source. (iDOO, you listening?)Other than non-support wrt the nutrient solutions ( I expect this will be of little consequence due to all the alternate sources on Amazon) I still rate this product 5 stars. The project has been fun and I'm amazed at how quickly some plants grew on a day-by-day basis! I've had no problems with the lights or pump on either unit. The timers have both been creeping forward (~20 minutes in 6 weeks being the worse between them.)It's been fun, basically automated with minimal user support-what's not to love?After all that, I forgot to add the biggest plus-an absolutely incredible constant variety of fresh herbs. I'll never go back to dried herbs because I've discovered that fresh tastes so much better! One word of caution: don't eat an entire sage leaf-WOW a little goes a long way. I like sampling all the basil varieties by eating a leaf off the plant to contrast and compare against each other so I thought I'd try that with the sage. I won't do that again.

I used this to start my herb garden. I love that it has 12 pod spaces. I also love that the basket and sponges worked wonderfully to hold my seeds. I had 100% germination for all my herb. It's easy to set up and comes with everything you need except the seeds. It's a great value for everything you get: the unit itself, grow sponges, sponge holder basket, sticker cover for the tbasket, individual humidity domes, empty space covers to help keep algae out, a place for small stakes or plant labels, and plant food. It's easy to see the water level so you know when to top it off. Please note that unlike the leading name brand, this unit does not have a button to tell you when to add food and water. You must keep track of it yourself.Now for the major con: it is incredibly difficult to find reasonably priced replacement sponges and baskets. I'm reusing my baskets, but you can't reuse the sponges. I found some here that fit ok, but they aren't the same ones that came with the unit. You can buy a replacement kit for $40. It contains new baskets, sponges, food, domes, and label stakes. But, that's half the cost of the unit! Also, you don't get new stickers for the basket, which you definitely need so you can't keep the algae to a minimum.I still love the system, but replacement products need to be more accessible.

I normally purchase vegetables that I transplant into large pots each year, but wanted to try something different. I decided to do a hydroponic garden. I reviewed several brands & types and finally chose the IDOO 12pod. There were some delays in receiving it (it was delayed twice), but it finally arrived and I was like a kid opening a Christmas present. It was easy to set up, although I did review a YouTube video just to be sure I was doing everything correctly. It came with the grow light, seed pods, baskets to sit them in, hats to go over the top once planted, nutrients, & tags. Seeds have to be purchased separately. I planted my seeds and prayed for the best. Below is the initial setup - 1st pic, and then with veggies growing. I did not fill up all pods and in this planting I did veggies that will be transplanted into pots. There are small lid covers to use in the spaces where you are not planting anything to keep water from evaporating too quickly. The light is very bright but the fan and agitation of the water is whisper quiet. The timing sets automatically so you can plan what is best for you. MY IDOO comes on at 8 am and cuts off at midnight - 16hrs. Later, I will do herbs that will grow in the IDOO and remain in it. I planted my garden on March 13, 2021.One issue: I noticed my cucumber leaves that were coming up beautifully started wilting. I had 2 other veggies that were not coming up. I had at 1st attributed it to the seeds but then I noticed how dry the seed sponges were. Even with the top hats over them, there was no moisture. The end 3 slots, for whatever reason, do not appear to be getting water. The garden is sitting level even thought it may not look like it in the picture. That's because of the angle in which I took the photos. There is plenty of water in the water tank. You can check the level from the front of the machine where there is a view window for that very purpose. I moved the 3 veggies around, moved the cover lids to the empty slots and now my cucumber leaf is vibrant and looks like it is about to bust free. The other 2 veggies are beginning to come up as well. I gave the IDOO 4 stars because of this issue.All-in-all I am excited about my purchase and look forward to growing herbs and other veggies. This is truly a joy. Even as my back begins to give out, knowing that I can still have some fresh herbs & veggies, grown right inside my kitchen, is a definite perk. What a Joy, indeed.

Update: So far, I've had to remove nearly all of the original plants from the iDOO and replant them into actual pots. The roots ended up a tangled mess from cherry tomato plants and everything else inside of the machine. It took a while to untangle them all carefully. The tomato plants were a bit top heavy after a few weeks and kept falling over in the iDOO. They also got too tall and the lights were burning the leaves. Since the lights won't go up very high, this is not an ideal machine for any sort of tomato plant or plant that is not some sort of dwarf or miniature variant. It's very good for starting plants, but you'll end up going through lots of the little plastic baskets since you can't get the roots off of them without damaging the plants for replanting very easily. It's best to replant them before the roots get too long and just plant the whole sponge in the dirt. I think if you let your plants go for too long in this, the roots would eventually bind up in the system. Due to this, it seems only good for short term planting and harvesting/re-planting.Original Review: I planted all sorts of veggies in this thing as soon as it arrived and they are already growing so fast! I cannot wait to see the results :) I planted seeds from the same batches in small pots at the same time I planted in this indoor garden to see which ones would grow better. The dirt method is definitely much slower. You can see from the photos. I did add another set of grow lights since my apartment doesn't get much natural sun light.

The unit was easy to set up. clear directions for measuring hydroponic food solution. grow pods are easy to use. amazing how fast seeds germinate using hydroponics. pods slide out of sleeve without injuring sprout to transfer into planter. overall a great system.

TipsBuy the large version (12-pot) if your space allows. Otherwise buy the 7-pot. Both are excellent.SummaryEasy to begin even to novices. Simple setup and instructions. Good flexibility for different kind of plants. I have both previous gen (7 pots) and this (12 pots), so I will provide some comparisons in addition to comments. This has many improvements comparing to 7-pot version. However, 7-pot version still have some advantages. While I recommend both 7-pot and 12-pot versions, you should check which suit your space.Pros1. Upgraded capacity (12 pots) comparing to previous gen2. Automatic lighting (12on/12off) with simplified (flower or veggie) settings. You don’t need to worry about how to setup and just choose what you need.3. Easier light height adjustment. Better mechanism comparing to previous gen4. Easier water filling. Transparent window for water level (does not exist in previous gen). You don’t need to open the cover to check water level anymore.5. Easier handling. There are 2 hidden handles under the tank, which make it easy to move. (Does not exist in previous gen)6. Brighter than previous gen, which can lead to improved productivities.Cons1. Significant larger than previous gen (7 pots) in depth (more than 2x larger due to pot arrangements).2. The range of led height is not as large as previous gen (7 pots), and the highest setting is lower (which will limit the max height of your plant).3. The fan make it louder during operation than previous gen (7 pots).4. There is no cable management for the LED, cable are just exposed. (No cable to the LED in previous gen)

I've been growing Toy Choi which grows 8-10 inches high from Parks seeds in this black non wifi vs. 12 pod IDOO since February 2022. Since the unit has plenty of space I can use all pods. It germinated fast and grew wonderfully. When I ran out of nutrients since I have aerogarden nutrients I used them in the IDOO. I supplement all my gardens of different brands with Cal mg and Sea magic from parks. This crop is a heavy feeder and likes it cold so I top fill with cold water to prevent bolting.I've been keeping my crop going harvesting from outside in leaving center 4 leaves. The fan helps towards firm, crunchy taste that is mild and delicious. Of everything I own this unit yields a lot.I get 4-5 cups chopped a week. Yes I decided to measure last few times. Love it so much I got another. My price was $67 so therefore excellent return on investment. Very little labor other than top off water via easy to see little window, feed and harvest. I do a complete water change monthly and super easy and fast. If it goes on sale I may buy a couple more lol. The one thing I don't see is extra pumps for sale so I bought an aquarium air pump to insert when pump dies. AlsoThe pods are pricey but nice and firm. My major issue is no cover for the pods to prevent algae so I either use aerogarden labels or makeshift tinfoil ones which work well but it's more labor. So print , buy or make some labels or you will get green algae on top of pods. I never got any due to using covers. Last no major bells or whistles but mostly what you need.

Whole family have one now! Never run out of herbs!

Good

J'ai reçu cette petite serre d'intérieur pour mon anniversaire et j'en suis plutôt satisfaite pour le moment (2 mois)La mise en place est plutôt facileLe manuel explique très bien comment tout fonctionne avec des imagesIl y a une alimentation secteur (qui doit être branchée 24h sur 24)Et un câble qui va de la pompe jusqu'en haut de la serreLes éponges de culture sont fournies, ainsi que les supports d'éponges, les capuchons a mettre dessus et les petits panneaux pour savoir ce qu'on planteIl y a aussi deux nutriments avec, à diluer avec de l'eau au moment du remplissage du bac, bien utiles pour que les plants se développent vite⚠️Par contre il n'y a aucune graine vendues avec, il faudra les acheter en même temps que la serreDeux modes possibles :- fruits & fleurs- légumesLa serre s'allume et s'éteint seule à la fin de ses cycles, une fois le cycle lancée il n'y a plus rien à faire, à part renouveller l'eau tous les 14 jours environPour l'instant, j'ai eu quelques beaux plants : basilic, melon, pastèque que j'ai pu replanterLa croissance dépend de la saison, du temps, des types de graines.. certaines poussent au bout d'un ou deux jours quand d'autres mettent 2 semaines à commencerLe niveau sonore est pour moi pas du tout dérangeant quand le niveau d'eau est sur 4 L minimum (plus le niveau d'eau baisse, plus la pompe sera bruyante)Je recommande donc ce produit qui est facile d'utilisation, d'entretien et qui fait très bien ce qu'on attend de lui 😁

Au bout de seulement 2 jours mes graines avaient déjà germé . Sur les photos ça fait 1 mois et j’ai déjà fait un bol de salade là dessus . C’est vraiment merveilleux . J’adore ce système IDOO. Il faut savoir que si vous avez un puit vous devez prendre de l’eau distillée . Je recommande fortement ce produit. J’avais un Click and Grow avant et ce n’est pas comparable. Celui ci a un filtrer qui fait bouger l’eau. L’avantage aussi est qu’on peut acheter un kit de graine de diverse sorte de légume et simplement les mettres dans les pods . Quand ma salade va être fini je vais essayer de laissé un pods de libre entre chaque salade Cesar car elle devient vraiment grosse .Vous ne serez vraiment pas déçu de votre achat. Je l’ai acheté en spécial au Black Friday, peut-être qu’il sera encore en spécial au Boxing Day pour les intéressés .

LED Light Panel stopped working after 6 months.