Even as we transition to outdoor gardening, I keep all of my indoor gardens going during the summer months. I’ve been surprised at how convenient it is to have these gardens nearby, and how it has led me to use crops like fresh herbs more often. The side effect I didn’t expect is how much I enjoy having real plants and greenery in my bedroom and living room: the gardens produce a calming, babbling sound, like a stream, and I love the smell of the plants. If outdoor gardening isn’t for you, you might find one of these almost-skill-free indoor garden kits to be just the thing.

These commercial kits come with everything you need, from seed cups and growing medium to lights and the use of a pump to circulate the water at regular intervals. Small kits like the Aerogarden Harvest or Letpot can sit on a countertop, while large kits like the Rise require their own floor space. Here are the tips I’ve developed to use these gardens more effectively.

Hydroponic gardens work by keeping the plant’s roots constantly hydrated, either in a pool of recirculating water or by routinely “watering” them with a pump. For this to work effectively, the entire system needs to be level. Typically, larger kits like Rise have leveling feet to help with this, but a system like LettuceGrow does not, so you will need wedges. You still need to make sure that your countertop garden is level. If it isn’t, the water will tilt to one side of the garden and some of the roots may not be hydrated. If only one side of your garden is sprouting, this could be the cause.

Hydroponic gardens grow crops in a small space, with limited “sunlight” and no soil to stabilize the roots. While almost anything will still grow, crops that require a lot of support, such as squash, will not thrive. Crops that have a very long growing period, such as pumpkins, are also not ideal for the system, as you will have to turn the garden system over before the squash is ready and it will grow out of the “sunlight.” Additionally, while vegetable plants are getting smaller and smaller (I recently grew real tomatoes on 8” Aerogarden plants), that doesn’t mean they will taste great. I have been really disappointed with fruits and vegetables grown in hydroponic environments; while they still get nutrients, sunlight, and water, they usually just don’t taste great. So while you can grow almost anything, I have found that simply growing herbs or simpler, shorter crops like peas is the best way to go.