InstaFarm Automated Indoor Microgreens Garden Review: Easy Being Green

Source: Wired

InstaFarm’s patented 4‑by‑4‑inch compostable trays come pre‑filled with about a half‑inch of soil (sourced from Amish Country in Pennsylvania) and organic, non‑GMO seeds. Nutritional info for the final‑product microgreens is listed on the tray. The trays are available in over a dozen varieties of nine‑packs for $23 — including individual cultivars, smoothie‑ and salad‑specific blends, and plain trays for growing your own greens or garden starts. The trays are easily saturated paperboard designed for one‑time use.

For comparison, Vego’s hydroponic microgreens planter, which I used last year, is just $60 for two units, while Gardyn’s system is $100. Neither produces a volume of greens anywhere close to the InstaFarm, but $500 can buy a lot of store‑bought microgreens.

InstaFarm includes an app, though it adds little beyond a night‑mode toggle that turns off the grow lights for up to 10 hours. More useful is the button on the top of the unit, which has a sticker indicating how many presses are required for each function.

Every 90 minutes, a metal nozzle arm pops out and moves along each shelf, sensing tray height, humidity, and temperature. After sensing, it dispenses a targeted blast of water, similar to grocery‑store produce sprayers. Cats may be intrigued by the whirring nozzle the first time they hear it. In practice, the sensor sometimes over‑watered the red beet greens, causing daily overflow in those trays.

After a few weeks, the nozzle made a faint mechanical noise as it retracted to its resting position—comparable to the bullwheel of a ski lift. Because the unit sat on a dining‑room table, the sound was noticeable. Despite claims that the unit fits under most kitchen cabinets, it was slightly too tall for mine, requiring placement on a table. The footprint is approximately 6 × 18 inches, so measuring the intended space twice is advisable. Given how easy it is to clip greens for salads, smoothies, and other meals, the kitchen is the most natural habitat.

Greens Aplenty

Photograph: Kat Merck

Just as the directions claimed, lush, usable microgreens appeared in about five days. In my first growing round (I’ve now completed four), I placed a tray in every slot. Unless you have a large family that eats microgreens at every meal, I don’t recommend filling every slot. After an overly spicy radish‑microgreen smoothie experiment, I shared some of the first‑grown trays with friends.