Grow fresh food in your kitchen, starting today
Your plain-English guide to indoor hydroponics. Real harvests from tiny spaces, written for complete beginners.
“Start small: one jar, one crop and the right numbers. The rest can wait.”
Sarah Whitfield researches and writes every guide here
Urban Hydro Space is for people who want fresh herbs and greens in a small apartment with no outdoor space, and who keep finding hydroponics advice written for someone else.
Most guides assume a greenhouse, an engineering degree, or both. Every guide here starts from zero instead, in plain English.
Every product pick comes from the makers’ published specifications and listings, never from trying it at home, and every page that names products says so. The guides are written for the setup you actually have, not the one you wish you had.
About the site
Apartment Hydroponics for Beginners
The whole path in one place, from picking a system to a realistic first 90 days: six core numbers, a Kratky jar and a DWC bucket you can build, and 39 crops with their own pH, EC, light and timing. Paperback and Kindle, and free to read on Kindle Unlimited.
- 6 core numbers
- 39 crops charted
- 173 pages
- Free grow planner alongside
Every growing number, next to its sources
The pH, feed, light and temperature figures in every guide and calculator here come from one crop table. Each number in it has been checked against university, extension and published research first. Where no good source exists, I say so and call it house practice instead of dressing up a guess.
- 39crops, each with its own list of numbers and sources
- 507growing numbers checked one by one, with a label for how well each is backed
- 0times this site is cited as a source for itself
Which setup is right for you?
Four quick taps. You get the setup that fits your space and light, the numbers to run it, and the guides to read next.
Where will it live?
Pick the spot you actually have free, not the one you are planning to clear.
How much light does that spot get?
Light decides what grows more than anything else you buy.
What do you want to harvest first?
You can grow the rest later. Start with the one you will actually eat.
How hands-on do you want to be?
Every option works. This is about how hands-on you want your routine to be.
Calculate your setup in 60 seconds
Seven free tools built for apartment growers. No signup, no email. Pick the one you need and get starting numbers for your grow.
Shopping List Builder
Tell it what you grow, where, how and what you already own. Get a prioritized list with product links. No guesswork.
Grow Light Calculator
Enter your space size and crop type. Get a PPFD target, wattage, hang height, and DLI to start from. Verified math.
pH and Nutrient Calculator
Pick your crop and system, enter reservoir size. Get the pH range, EC target, PPM, and starting 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. Every pick is researched from published specifications and listings, never tried at home, and every post says so.
What a Kratky setup actually looks like
Three mason jars, a clip-on light, and roots you can watch grow through the glass. No greenhouse, no engineering degree, just what fits on a counter or a shelf.
A three jar Kratky setup on a kitchen counter, grow light included.
The same idea, scaled down to one shelf.
What you get back a few weeks later.
Everything organized 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 & Water
Crop Guides
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