Click & Grow Review (2025): Is the Smart Garden 9 Worth it?

I first came across the Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 on TikTok when a girl I follow mentioned that her friends gifted it to her. She set it up, popped in the little seed pods, and a few weeks later had a countertop overflowing with fresh herbs. Within seconds, I thought, okay…this could be exactly what I need.

At the time, I was fresh off another failed attempt at growing my own herb garden (not to mention I spent 50 dollars on pots and soil only for them to die within weeks lol). And while I loooove cooking with fresh herbs, constantly buying them from the grocery store adds up fast, and somehow, they always wilt before I can use them all!

So as someone who’s perpetually trying (and failing) to keep plants alive, the idea of a low-maintenance indoor garden sounded ideal. Fresh basil and lettuce with almost zero effort? Sold.

So, with that being said, I decided to test out the Smart Garden 9 myself and in this post, I’m sharing exactly what it’s like to use it, from setup and first sprouts to what I actually loved and what I didn’t.

P.S. I also reached out to Click & Grow and, if you decide the Smart Garden is for you, I have a coupon you can use for 10% off: NATALIE. I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through the links (at no extra cost to you). I only share products I truly love and use myself!

So What Is A Smart Garden?

Okay, let’s start with what actually is a smart garden. The Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 is an indoor, self-watering garden designed to make growing plants. herbs, greens, small vegetables, and even flowers, easy and almost foolproof. It’s essentially a compact, high-tech planter with built-in sensors, automated watering, and nutrient pods that are designed to take the guesswork out of gardening.

The appeal? Even if you don’t have a green thumb, this gadget promises fresh, home-grown produce year-round without needing to monitor watering schedules or worry about soil quality.

Click & Grow offers various different models, but I ended up choosing the Smart Garden 9 because it seemed like the best fit for me. I liked that I could grow 3 different things at a time without taking up too much space. But, if you’re looking for something bigger (or smaller) they have a variety of options! 

What’s Included

Now that you know what the Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 actually is, let’s talk about what comes in the box. Inside, you’ll find:

• 9 plant pods (3x lettuce, 3x tomatoes, and 3x basil)
• The Smart Garden unit itself — complete with a built-in water reservoir and LED grow lights
• A power adapter and a simple setup guide

They have a ton of different plant pods you can order separately, but when you first buy the garden, it automatically comes with lettuce, basil, and tomatoes.

Setup: What to Expect

I will say setting up the Smart Garden 9 was actually as easy as they claim it to be. I unboxed it, filled the reservoir, and popped in the plant pods in less than 10 minutes. The LED grow light setup is automatic, so there’s no complicated programming needed. 

However, I do have couple of tips from my experience:

• Plug it in when you want the lights to start running. The light stays on for 16 hours a day, so if you don’t want it glowing at 3 a.m., plug it in during the morning.
  
• Pick a spot where the brightness won’t bug you. It’s bright, like very bright, so I recommend setting it up somewhere it won’t interrupt your evening vibes. I keep mine on the kitchen counter and it works perfectly there.
  
• Find a stable, flat surface near an outlet. It’s compact, but the water tank and grow lights do need a little space. And since you need to refill the water tank every 2 or so weeks, if you can put it close to your kitchen sink (or another water source) that makes it easier.
  
• Use the pods soon after opening. The seeds come preloaded in nutrient-rich soil pods, but they sprout best when fresh.

How It Works

The Smart Garden 9 basically takes the guesswork out of growing plants. It uses a combination of water, nutrients, and LED lighting to create the perfect growing environment. Unlike traditional indoor pots, you don’t have to worry about overwatering, fertilizing, or forgetting to give your plants sunlight, the system does all of that for you.

The LED lights run on an automatic growth cycle to mimic natural sunlight, which is a game-changer if you live in an apartment or are trying to grow herbs in the middle of winter.

I have to say, it was sooo satisfying to watch the seedlings pop up and grow with basically zero intervention. And if any pods don’t sprout, Click & Grow will send you a replacement for free. Out of the nine pods I planted, only one lettuce pod didn’t sprout. But honestly, my other lettuce was growing so fast (and taking up so much space lol) that I had plenty of greens and didn’t even bother sending in for a replacement.

My Experience

Plant Growth: Within just a few days, little sprouts were popping up in almost every pod. A few weeks in, my herbs were thriving, and my small greens were almost ready to harvest. One tip: it’s helpful to pick plants that grow on a similar schedule. My basil and lettuce worked really well together, but the tomatoes definitely take longer. I harvested all my lettuce weeks before even seeing the first tomato start to sprout.

Taste & Quality: The herbs were soooo fresh and vibrant, way better than anything I’ve bought at the grocery store. And the lettuce might have been the best I’ve ever had, but maybe it was just the satisfaction of growing it myself haha, but honestly, it was really good.

Maintenance: The upkeep is minimal, which is exactly what I wanted. I refill the water about once a week, trim the plants occasionally, and that’s it. Perfect for anyone who likes the idea of plants but doesn’t want a full gardening routine.

There’s a little note about “stimulating” the tomato plants, which sounded intimidating at first, but all I had to do was flick the plant a few times to help it along. That’s literally it! I just watched this video on YouTube to help me make sense of why I was doing it haha.

Pros of the Click & Grow Smart Garden 9

Okay so now that we’ve gone over what it does and how it works, let’s get into the good part: the pros and cons. So starting with the pros:

• Easy & Almost Foolproof: It’s simple to set up, simple to get your plants to grow, and simple to take care of, so if you’re not a plant whisperer, you’ll still be able to have success.
  
• Compact & Aesthetic: It actually looks cute on a kitchen counter or shelf! While it does take up some space, it’s not unnecessarily bigger than it needs to be.
  
• Educational & Fun: Honestly, it’s so satisfying to watch the little seedlings sprout and grow! Every time someone came over they commented on it and mentioned how cool they thought it was.
  
• Bug-Free: I was worried about flies or gnats, especially since I had a little fruit fly problem from some overripe bananas I left on my counter (whoops), but the Smart Garden pods? Completely ignored. If bugs freak you out, don’t worry, they were 100% uninterested.

Cons of the Click & Grow Smart Garden 9

Now let’s talk the cons aka some things to keep in mind:

• Upfront Cost: At around $230–$250 for the unit alone (plus ongoing pod costs), it’s not cheap.
  
• Pod Variety Limitations: You’re mostly limited to the pods Click & Grow offers, and while they do offer a lot of variety, there’s definitely not everything.
  
• The Light: The LED grow light is bright, sometimes annoyingly so. You’ll want to think about placement, especially in small spaces. I originally had it in my living room but when the sun would go down and I would want to watch tv, the light irritated me, so I had to move it.
  
• Not Entirely Zero-Maintenance: You still need to refill water, trim, and harvest, and I do really wish there was a low-water alert. Because it is so low-maintenance, I would tend to forget about the water, but now I usually just fill it up every week so I don’t forget.
  
• Growth Considerations: If a plant grows past the light, it might not thrive as well. I didn’t have a huge issue with this, but it’s something to be aware of. I will say, as the tomatoes started to take off and really grow, it did feel like they were kind of outgrowing their little pods. They still grew fine, but I think they would’ve grown better if I repotted them (which I didn’t do because as I mentioned…I don’t have a green thumb).
  
• Portion Size Limits: This isn’t going to feed a whole family. It’s really best for one or two people, perfect for someone cooking for themselves or a partner, but not for large meal prep. And honestly, it’s probably best for herbs. Growing the tomatoes and lettuce was fun, but realistically I’ll probably purchase more herbs in the future because it just makes more sense.

Who It’s For & When It’s Worth It

The Smart Garden 9 isn’t for everyone, buuuuut for the right person, it can be a total game-changer.

It’s ideal if:

• You love fresh herbs and small vegetables but don’t have outdoor space or a garden.
• You want an easy, low-maintenance way to grow food indoors.
• You have space for the unit and can accommodate the light.
• You’re cooking mostly for yourself or maybe one other person, the yields are perfect for one or two people.

Might not be worth it if:

• You live in a tiny studio and the light would feel intrusive.
• You don’t want to spend extra on replacement pods.
• You’re trying to grow enough to feed a whole family, it just isn’t big enough for that (at least not the Smart Garden 9).

Overall

Honestly, I genuinely think the Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 is worth it for anyone who wants fresh herbs and small greens at home without the stress, mess, or guesswork of traditional gardening. It made indoor gardening easy, fun, and actually successful, which is saying a lot coming from someone who usually kills plants, oops.

I loved watching the seedlings sprout, grow, and eventually be ready to use in meals almost daily. There’s something really satisfying about grabbing fresh basil for pasta or trimming lettuce straight from your counter, it really does make cooking feel more creative and rewarding.

While the LED light is bright, it’s a small trade-off for having thriving plants year-round. I also appreciated that even if a pod fails, Click & Grow will send a replacement, so there’s really very little risk involved.

Will I be ordering more pods? Absolutely! I’m excited to experiment with other herbs, plants, and even flowers, and I’ll be updating this review as I try new things.

For anyone who loves the idea of fresh, homegrown herbs but doesn’t have a garden or who’s just tired of constantly buying and throwing away grocery store herbs, I think the Smart Garden 9 would be a great fit.

Do you have a Smart Garden? Let me know what you think! Or, if you’re thinking of buying one but have any questions, leave them below.