Modern Sprout is one of those no-maintenance planters which let you grow plants in the house without having to water or tend to them on a daily basis. Unlike many hydroponic-based systems, though, it looks like a regular planting box, so you can totally trick the neighborhood grandmas into thinking you’re a passionate gardener with a flair for bringing plants to bloom.
Outside, it’s just a small wooden planter with a rectangular panel measuring 16 x 5.5 x 10.25 inches. It’s very unassuming, with the exterior giving away absolutely no trace of the cleverly-hidden hydroponics system inside the box.
Inside the Modern Sprout sits three net pots filled with clay pellets, a medium that lets the plant’s roots breathe better than soil, all while using up less water and nutrients. All pots are hooked up to individual feeding tubes where water and organic fertilizer can flow, with everything regulated by an integrated timer mechanism and flow control valve at the base of the planter. Because each pot comes with its own tube, you can set different watering volumes and schedules for each plant, allowing you to grow different plants using the same planter.
Four finishes are available for the planter: high gloss white on pine, chalkboard on pine, weathered grey on knotty pine, and reclaimed wood. It needs to be plugged into a wall outlet to power the hydroponics system, although they do offer an optional solar generator to keep everything self-sufficient.
The Modern Sprout is available directly from their website, with prices starting at $129.