Hi, I’m Sarah.I grow food in my apartment.
I started with a mason jar and a YouTube video. A few years later I’ve researched over 20 systems, grown 15 different crops myself, and eaten almost all of them.
My Story
I moved into a small apartment a few years ago and immediately missed having fresh herbs. I tried soil pots on the windowsill. They died. I tried a little grow kit from the supermarket. Same result. I got frustrated and started researching other options, which is how I stumbled onto hydroponics.
I’d never heard of Kratky before. I didn’t know what pH meant in the context of water. Nutrient solution was a total mystery to me. I just knew I wanted to grow something and eat it.
I started with a mason jar, some lettuce seeds, and a YouTube video. That jar worked. The lettuce grew. I ate it. And that was it for me.
Since then I’ve researched more than 20 different systems for apartment growing, grown over 15 different crops myself, and made every mistake you can probably think of. Brown roots, yellow leaves, mold, nutrient burn, light burn, algae in the reservoir. I’ve had it all happen. And I wrote about all of it.
Why I started this site
When I started I couldn’t find a guide written for people like me. Everything was either too technical, aimed at commercial growers, or trying to sell me a $400 system on day one.
I wanted simple, honest information. What actually works in a small apartment with a normal budget? What do beginners actually need to know versus what is just noise?
I started Urban Hydro Space to answer those questions. Every guide on this site is written the way I wish someone had explained it to me when I was starting out.
Real apartment, real results
My own growing happens in an actual small apartment, not a studio or a greenhouse, and every guide is written for that kind of space.
Plain English only
No jargon without explanation. No assumptions about what you already know.
Honest recommendations
I only recommend things I have researched carefully from real specifications, verified buyer feedback, and university extension sources. I clearly label the picks I have not hands-on tested, and I tell you when something is not worth it too. The growing numbers get the same treatment: each one is listed next to its sources on the crop sources page. See how I test and choose products.
What you’ll find here
Hydroponic systems
Honest reviews of countertop kits, Kratky setups, and beginner systems under $100. What actually fits in a kitchen.
Grow lights
Which LED lights work in small spaces without overheating your kitchen or your electricity bill.
Nutrients and water
Simple feeding schedules and pH basics that most guides make way more complicated than they need to be.
Crop guides
Step by step tutorials for lettuce, basil, herbs, and other crops that actually thrive indoors in small spaces.
Say hello
If you have a question about a specific setup, a crop you want to try, or just want to share what you are growing, I’d love to hear from you. I read every message.
Brand new to all this? Start with my complete beginner guide or get exact numbers for your setup with the free calculators.
Send me a message Sarah Whitfield Founder, Urban Hydro Space