Traditionally, growing your own herbs and vegetables is for those who have luxurious outdoor spaces and plenty of light.

There are now many new, high-tech indoor gardening systems that give apartment residents with limited light or those who desire gardening in the outdoor off-season the opportunity to grow their own green plants.

For many families who still work from home and have difficulty obtaining perishable food due to supply chain issues, these devices can also provide a source of fresh herbs and vegetables, and enjoy the opportunity to grow certain things.

Novices don’t have to worry: these automatic planting systems are relatively foolproof, with pre-planted “seed pods”, automatic timing lights, and even a smartphone app and an Alexa interface to help you complete the process.

“It’s a bit like a K-cup model for planting,” explains Paul Rabaut, AeroGarden’s marketing director. The company has manufactured a series of indoor planting systems that use seed pods that are inserted into the planting machine and the capsules Plug into a coffee machine.

"Our mission is to provide people with freshly grown herbs and vegetables throughout the year, even if there is no yard or sufficient light. Success is easy and there are no messy soil bags," Rabaut explains.

AeroGarden uses hydroponics, which uses only water and liquid nutrients instead of the soil used in traditional gardening. The seeds are embedded in peat plugs and placed in a neat capsule, pre-marked with the name of the plant, the expected height of growth, and the number of days. Indoor gardeners can usher in their first harvest within a few weeks.

After two or three months, the seed pod needs to be replaced — or planted in traditional soil to continue growing — and another pod can be inserted in the system. Like coffee capsules, plastic seed pods are recyclable, Rabaut said, adding that the AeroGarden pod tray can be replaced with a seedling tray, allowing people to grow more plants at a time.

Another popular planting system is Click and Grow. Well-known brands such as Samsung, LG and IKEA are also committed to developing automated indoor planting systems.

"We have a new competitor entering the market every two weeks somewhere in the world," said Martin Laidla, a public relations manager for Click and Grow based in Estonia. The company's largest market is North America.