Hi, I am Sarah.I grow food in my apartment.
I started with a mason jar and a YouTube video. A few years later I have tested over 20 systems, grown 15 different crops, 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 had never heard of Kratky before. I did not know what pH meant in the context of water. I had no idea what a nutrient solution was. 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 have tested more than 20 different systems in my apartment, grown over 15 different crops, and made every mistake you can probably think of. Brown roots, yellow leaves, mold, nutrient burn, light burn, algae in the reservoir. I have had it all happen. And I wrote about all of it.
Why I started this site
When I started I could not 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
Everything I write comes from growing in an actual small apartment, not a studio or a greenhouse.
Plain English only
No jargon without explanation. No assumptions about what you already know.
Honest recommendations
I only recommend things I have personally tested or researched carefully. I tell you when something did not work too.
What you will 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 would love to hear from you. I read every message.
Send me a message Sarah Founder, Urban Hydro Space