IKEA Shows How Easy Hydroponics Is - And How Versatile It Can Be!

How easy is hydroponics? Check out what IKEA is doing.

The Swedish manufacturer renowned for its skill in creating cheap and portal furniture is getting into the hydroponics space in a big way. A report in Wired magazine is showing a new type of “Krydda-Vaxer” kit that's on sale now in Great Britain and will sell in America next year.

The Krydda-Vaxer system has all of those basic parts that make up any grow kit -- seeds, structural components, lighting and trays with starter plugs for grow media. There is a small irrigation system to build, and to create the ability to bring water and nutrients to plants.

Pictures of the unit show a few plants resting comfortably on a table, with a plastic tray table supporting the plant pots. Electric cabling goes to the lighting, which is held over the plants by thin metal pieces on either end of the tray. You can see how this system will comfortably fit into a kitchen, living room or other home or business space.

You may or may not want Swedish meatballs with your hydroponic grow kit. You may actually want to set up something that's a little more durable than this type of starter kit. But either way, IKEA's entry into the hydroponic market shows just how easy it is to create systems that will give you fully formed plants and allow you to save tons of money otherwise spent on inferior supermarket produce.

It wasn't too long ago that Americans were growing victory gardens out in their back yards -- instead of buying all of their fruits and vegetables from big-box retailers, they were growing them in their own plots. Today, that's less feasible for a whole host of renters and others with small spaces and not a lot of outdoor land -- but that doesn't make the overall goal any less manageable. That's mainly because the hydroponics industry is growing so fast and advancing so quickly that it's giving growers a nearly infinite set of options to choose from – to grow wherever they want. Now you don't need a backyard -- you can grow savory herbs for your next upscale Italian dinner over your kitchen sink. You can grow the lettuce and greens for your salad under a chair in your living room. You can grow tasty tomatoes in your bedroom closet. The opportunities are there.

Sometimes it takes a clear visual just to show how easy hydroponics can be -- and IKEA's done it. You may not be entirely thrilled about putting together another IKEA product from scratch, but if you've ever bought furniture or anything else from this mega-retailer, you know that as annoying as it might be, it's relatively easy and straightforward.

However, that's not to say there aren't other easy ways to pursue hydroponics. You can choose a deep water culture system were pirates it directly and water. You can run a thin trickle of water through a channel to nourish plants. It's all up to you -- the bottom line is that you can construct and create your own grow space to get more of the food you eat sourced sustainably and in a healthier way. You don’t have to settle for what they sell you at local markets, which is often sprayed with harsh chemicals and irradiated with different types of fancy lasers to keep it fresh on its 1000-mile journey. Eat fresh and enjoy the revolutionary, healthy tastes of summer all year, with a small hydroponic garden somewhere in your home or business space.