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Grow your own garden plants from seed in a compact space with our Garden Starter Kit. Includes a sturdy aluminum stand, full-spectrum lights, self-watering tray, easy-to-plant Cowpots and our exclusive organic seedstarting mix. The garden is just 25-1/2" L x 14" W x 47" H, so it takes up very little floor space — just over 2 square feet. It's easy to store, too — just roll it into a closet. Your seedlings will thrive in the glow of the bright, energy-efficient T-5 lights — much brighter than "shop lights" — and the fixtures easily adjust up and down to accommodate plant growth. The self-watering tray provides just the right moisture to seedlings, avoiding over- and under-watering for stress-free plant growth. And when it’s time to head out to the garden, you can plant your seedlings pots and all; the biodegradable Cowpots supply nutrients to the plants as they break down in the soil.
- Everything you need to grow plants in a compact space
- Sturdy light stand features bright, energy-efficient T-5 lights
- Includes 54 biodegradable Cowpots and 24 quarts of our exclusive Organic Seedstarting Mix
Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Lisbon, NY on 5/13/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I wanted to have fresh herbs in the winter, and start my garden plants spring through summer. I would have preferred the 5 tier, but $$$ ruled. I wish the light fixture was a little sturdier. The plug does fall out occasionally as well as the chain that adjust the light. Minor inconvenience.
from Tampa FL on 5/2/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
The cheapness of this product surprised me. It is terrible.
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
As many reviewers have said, the assembly is not easy. Two of us worked together and thought we were carefully following the instructions, but turned out there was a critical piece of missing information. After being stumped for about 15 minutes about what could be wrong, we called the customer service line [...] Total assembly time was bout 2.25 hours. And now that it is set up, it is working great; the seedlings are coming along nicely. My only con about the operating product is that I completely filled the shelf space with veggies, and the ones on the outside don't really get as much light as they should--it would be better to have the lights set a bit wider. Overall, loving it!
from Denver, CO on 4/7/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
It took Three of us about 1.5 hours to put this together. It was like a game. The instructions were ok, but it was a project. If it had been me by myself, I would have given up and sent it back. Once up and running, i used the kit and planted the provided pots with the great provided potting soil, and set the baby up. I am very pleased with the operational use. There were NO INSTRUCTIONs past assembly, which would have been nice (ie: How far to keep the lights above the seedlings, when to plant, to cover the pots with saran wrap, etc...)- that would have been nice but I guess they think we know what we are doing. Glad I have it, and glad I have great friends who helped, looking forwrd to an awesome garden!
from Tampa, Florida on 4/7/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
This was a birthday gift for my wife and she loves it!
from cranston, ri on 4/4/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
bought it for a correctional facility - to grow some seedlings, works as promised.
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
Nice stand, but the instructions are horrible. The drawings don't show the holes and don't accurately describe the assembly process. Had to take it apart to correct, even though I tried to line up the holes as shown on the drawing. A for the product, F for the instructions!
from Holland, Michigan on 3/31/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
Nice easy way to get started.
from Syracuse, UT on 3/30/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
This system has got to be the most economical and functional system for seed starting and for indoor floral displays. The ease of putting pieces together and seeing a beautiful structure which adds to any room's decore would please any plant-loving person. In addition the growth and health of the plants are assured because of the "portible lighting features and the fill the tray and forget the daily or weekly watering" is achieved. Well engineered,great advancements. Thanks for the creative mind.
from Plum City WI on 3/26/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
This is a nice compact stand with improved grow lights.
I would,however, like to see the brain wizards that designed the assembly directions watch the frustration that an average person has in trying to follow those directions in actually putting together one of these units. It would become apparent that the brain wizrds need to put on their thinking caps and come up with better, easier to understand and more accurate directions. Also,the assembly diagram should be larger and easier to see to help those of us not having the best eyes for the tiny print.
Anyhow, once going through the frustration of the initial assembly, this unit that saves on space and has the newer style grow lights. I am currently using it for seed starting and it works well for that.
One design concern, however, is that when snapping the ballasts onto the reflector hood clamps there is no reassuring secure feeling that a good connection has been made. I have also noticed that the ballasts fall out of the clamps very easily. Once when I was adjusting the height of a reflector hood I bumped the hood with my arm and the ballast and light fixture let loose from the clamps crashing down into a bunch of young pepper plants.
There needs to be a more secure system to attach the ballasts to the reflector hood.
All in all it is a nice unit but could use some redesign and come with easier to understand, more accurate assembly directions.
from Los Angeles, CA on 3/23/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I am only a few weeks into using my Garden Starter Kit and am still getting to know its needs. The good news is that EVERY seed I planted has come up and is thriving.
With the "self watering" mat, the pots do seem overly wet but that has not caused any problems yet, so I am assuming that this is how it is supposed to work.
from Spokane, WA on 3/22/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I was excited to receive this garden starter kit! It is compact as advertised and takes up little room. My starts are happy under the lights and in the soil provided with the kit. My only complaint is the instructions. The instructions do not address the small details of assembling the product. I had to put it together more than one time before everything worked out.
from Providence, RI on 3/20/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I'm generally pretty handy, but this really was quite difficult to assemble. I only knew how to assemble the sides from reading these reviews. There are larger holes in the side pieces that they don't really mention in the directions, which makes it confusing. And at the very end, I found that the lightbulbs were in backwards, and it was difficult to pry them out to reverse them. The directions tell you to alternate male/female ends of the bulbs, however there's more to it than that. Pull out the short connecting cords before installing the ballasts permanently, to make sure you have them right.
from Underhill, VT on 3/19/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I am the proud new owner of this lovely two-tiered light system! I had contemplated a few different units but they were larger and I liked the small, compact size and look of this one. I could easily picture myself being able to use all the space under the lights, whereas with the larger units I would probably be ambitious and use the entire space the first year and only part of it in subsequent years.
Understanding the issues with assembly as described by other reviewers, I put my husband up to the task. As a competitive person, he timed himself and didn't really use the directions (he's also conveniently handy). It took him 57 minutes to put it together but I can see why there are problems with assembly. Be sure to use the picture as a guide and be aware of where the problems in assembly lie by reading the other reviews! And no, my husband is not available for rent!
It is currently sitting in my living room, looking lovely. I put a couple of houseplants under it that needed some help (Vermont winters are hard on houseplants) and I put some lettuce and herb seeds in various containers to start off. I am most excited about starting tomatoes soon for my outdoor vegetable garden.
By the way, the price at the store is about $306. It does not come with all the soil and cowpots but it is nice that you can get it a little cheaper if you already have those supplies.
All in all, I am excited about this purchase and looking forward to putting it to good use!
from Denver, CO on 3/15/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I agree with previous reviews- putting together this stand was very frustrating. Directions were not complete (I had to take the stand apart as the orientation of the legs were not specified), and the lights were next to impossible to insert. In addition, there were a few pieces that were missing from my order, so I had to wait to finish this stand. Putting this together took about 3 hours. However, now that it is installed, I am happy with it. The APS 24 and 40 fit perfectly into the stand, and I can fit a total of 4 of these in a very small space.
from Plano, TX on 3/9/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I don't mind assembling things and the instructions for the frame part are very detailed. I'd recommend a good read through instructions once and then lay out all the peices before you begin. The light assembly instructions could use more detail. Getting the light bars snapped into the hoods is a bit hard (removing the tubes helped) and they need to be in specific order for the connector to attach properly. Follow the assembly tip to use a twist tie to feed the chains thru the frame or the chain tends to drop inside the frame post. It took me about 2 hours to get everything just right.
Other than that, I'm very pleased with the shelves. The unit is sturdy, looks nice and is a great size for almost anywhere. My orchids are loving it!
from Denver,CO on 3/4/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
This is an attractive light stand. I can use it in my dining room. I use it for starting seeds and also to revive house plants. I anticipate that I will really use it year round.
Assembly was a challenge. "You and a friend assembling in one hour" is not too realistic for the average person. Previous comments from reviewers helped. The ballasts were very difficult to get in. The biggest problem i have had - post assembly- is how finicky the cord connections are. It is difficult to get a firm connection, so the lights will flicker and go out if you bump the table. We may have defective cords. All in all, when it is working, it is very helpful and nice to look at too.
from Underhill, VT on 2/28/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
Once assembled - great product. Instructions are not clear on the S3B attachment. You have to assemble the S1L and S1R incorrectly to make it work. The dents in the screwholes are supposed to hold the head of the screw so it is recessed a bit. You have to install the S1L and S1R posts backwards to get the large hole at the bottom to the outside, so you can finish the assembly of the tray brackets. If you look VERY closely at the exploded drawings you can assume this because it shows a bolt cap for that hole. But I had to disassemble everything and reassemble to get it right. Gardeners Supply should create an addendum and attach it to the box explaining this. My guess is they drilled the holes wrong when manufacturing, then just re-drilled one a bit larger, And re-drilled the wrong one. And they didn't re-write the instructions!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Twin Cities, MN on 2/28/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I've had the 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit assembled and in use for almost 3 weeks. The end result was great.
This took about 90 minutes for me to assemble it alone. All went well with two exceptions. The first was user error as I placed the 'end plugs' on the wrong ends of the vertical bars. Thankfully, I was able to pry them out. The second minor issue was the insertion of the chains. To get through this, I turned the system on its side. By doing that, I could drop the chains right through the holes. With the help of gravity, the chains went right around the spacer with no problem.
Currently, it's all about lettuce and herbs. I already had a salad grow bag with a self watering tray that just happens to be the same size as one of the trays for the stand. The entire upper shelf is the grow bag and self watering tray and the lettuce is growing beautifully. In fact, when not starting garden seeds, I've decided to grow lettuce year round on this since it looks nice enough to not stay hidden. Yes, finally, home grown lettuce, spinach, etc for me even during a Minnesota winter!
My only disappointment is the price. If it were not for that, I'd gladly give it 5 stars. While I really do love the stand, it's pretty pricey for what you get. What I used before was a cheap light fixture and good bulbs. It worked well but since I used counter space, it took too much room. Since it was for just for a few weeks before gardening season, that was fine. When I decided that I wanted something more, I liked what I saw of this system. Anyway, I love the portability of the stand, the flexibility of the lights and the fact that it looks great while being really effective.
from Northern NJ on 2/21/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
Based on the one review that was posted when I began the assembly, I was anticipating problems...by the time I was finished with the assembly, I HATED this thing! But I recovered...The instructions do leave out some important bits, such as the direction of the side vertical posts(the stickers on mine did not indicate any sort of direction and the pictures do not show the hole sizes so it was impossible to use either for guidance). And ballast clips were also a problem...TIP: Note the holes at the base of the outer vertical bars: you need to position them so that you can run screws front to back and side to side at the same level. Large holes need to be placed correctly in order to do this. A close up shot of this section would have have helped immensely. TIP: You might need to use a screwdriver to open up the ballast clamps, my lights would simply not go in without this being done. The same screwdriver might be required to open up the chain clip located on top of the light hood. TIP: Assemble loosely until you are sure it's correctNow that the pain has been forgotten, I really look forward to starting my seeds, I'm sure they will be the best ever! Now assembled would've given it a 5 except for set up. [...]
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I Love it. It was exactly what I needed for limited space. Just a minor hiccup during assembly. As a previous review stated the directions weren't exactly clear on the side post positioning. Only took five minutes to correct though.
First time to use the Organic Seed Starting Mix that came with the kit. So Far I'm liking it.
from Westminster, MD on 2/12/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
First, assembly sucked because the directions left out one very important notation. As another reviewer pointed out, you need to find the very large holes on the bottom of the S1R & S1L pieces before attaching these pieces to the S3B pieces. Not having this information in the directions, I had half of the cart assembled before I figured out something wasn't right. Thank goodness for the other review, because I was ready to send the whole thing back until I read it and figured out the problem.
And sending this cart back would have been a shame! It is everything I had hoped it would be. It's compact enough to fit in a corner. My husband would prefer my seed starting stuff be in the basement, but if it's out of my sight, it's out of my mind. The cart's portability makes for a great compromise. I can keep it in regular view most of the time but wheel it out of view when we have company.
The fact that this comes with all you need to get started sowing seeds was a bonus. The lights in combination with the self-watering trays make very light work of seed starting. I've had seeds starting on one level for the last week or so, and so far, so good.
I give this four stars, and not five, only because of the problem I encountered with assembly and because, as the other reviewer pointed out, getting the ballast in place was ridiculously difficult.
from Worcester MA on 2/6/2011
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
I am not very handy so there may have been some luck involved for me following the instructions- I made sure the part tag faced the side that it indicated and it worked. I had 2 problems though they weren't that big: Clamping the ballasts into the hood - I clamped them in opposite of what they should have been- in hindsight make sure you plug in the the 6" electric connection that will run between the 2 ballasters so you know how they should go. I had to take a skinny flathead screw driver from each end, slide it under, and pry/pop them out of the clamps so I could change their position. I also did put the "lighthood and ballasts" together on an ironing board so the chain connector on the hood didn't get flatten some from the pressure of snapping the clamps in place. For the lighthood chain definitely use ties to lead the chain through the hood - there are ties with the wire connectors you get in your assemblyAs a final note if you find 1 light in a tier doesn't work push in the connector of the 1 light that is working. [...] I went for a 4 rating yet if I were handy or had someone assemble it for me it would be a 5 :) The assemby wasn't bad overall yet could have a few more notes in the instructions for us un-handy. I am very excited to get planting... the rest of the kit seems to have everything I'll need. Overall the planting system is nice and seems durable. When I am done with the garden seedlings I will use it for an inside herb garden, african violets and maybe try orchids and catnip for the Bu...
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
Comments about 2-Tier 2' Garden Starter Kit:
Directions did not point out the direction the large holes on the upright must face. I had to take it apart, turn the uprights so the large holes were facing out and put it together again.
The clamps for the ballasts are too tight. One of them actually broke when I tried to snap the ballast into it because it was so tight. In addition there is no way to replace just the ballast clamp. The way they are attached to the hood does not allow for the removal of a clamp and replacing it with another. Therefore when the clamp breaks the entire hood has to be replaced.
I do like the style and size of the unit.