Grow fresh food in your kitchen, starting today
Your plain-English guide to indoor hydroponics. Real harvests from tiny spaces, written for complete beginners.
“I grew my first lettuce in a mason jar on a tiny kitchen shelf. That was enough to get me hooked.”
Hi, I’m Sarah, and I grow food in my apartment kitchen
I started Urban Hydro Space after spending way too long looking for beginner hydroponic advice that actually made sense for someone living in a small flat with no outdoor space.
Most guides assumed you had a greenhouse, an engineering degree, or both. I wrote everything here for people who are starting from zero, just like I did.
Every product I recommend is something I have personally tested. Every guide is written for the setup you actually have, not the one you wish you had.
Read my full storyWhich setup is right for you?
Three quick questions, then we point you to the best guide for your space, budget, and crop.
How much space do you have?
What is your budget to get started?
What do you most want to grow?
Calculate your setup in 60 seconds
Four free calculators built for apartment growers. No signup, no email. Pick the one you need and get exact numbers for your grow.
Shopping List Builder
Tell it your goal, experience, and budget. Get a complete prioritised kit with product links. No guesswork.
Grow Light Calculator
Enter your space size and crop type. Get the exact PPFD target, wattage, hang height, and DLI. Verified math.
pH and Nutrient Calculator
Pick your crop and system, enter reservoir size. Get exact pH range, EC target, PPM, and nutrient doses in ml.
Seed to Harvest Countdown
Enter your crop and planting date. See your growth stage, harvest date, days remaining, and signs it is ready.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear I have tested.
Everything organised for you
Pick the category that matches where you are right now and find the right guide for your setup.
Hydroponic Systems
Grow Lights
Nutrients and Water
Crop Guides
Latest from the blog
Real results from real apartment growers
Beginners who followed the guides and grew something they were proud of.
I killed three batches of basil before I found this site. The Kratky guide was the first one to actually explain the air gap, and turns out that was my whole problem. That fourth jar has been feeding my pasta nights for two months now.
I was one click away from a $90 starter kit. The nutrients guide talked me into a $16 bag of MaxiGro instead, and my lettuce is growing faster than my friend’s expensive countertop machine. Wish I had read it a year ago.
My partner thought I had lost it, buying jars and nutrient powder for the kitchen counter. Two months later we are snipping fresh mint into drinks and spinach into dinner, and honestly she checks on the plants more than I do now.
Get better at growing, one email a week
Real tips from someone who actually grows in a small apartment. No filler, no spam, just useful stuff.