Ikea has launched its new indoor gardening product into stores, bringing home hydroponics to a larger market (+ slideshow).
The Krydda/Växer series allows consumers to grow their own plants and vegetables inside, without soil or sunlight.

It works through two interlinked systems: first seeds are placed in the Växer's moistened stone wool starter plugs. Once they have sprouted, the plugs are planted into Krydda pots, where they are hugged by water-retaining pumice stones as they mature.
Units can either be placed in a windowsill to take advantage of natural sunlight or affixed to a specialised low-energy LED lamp to enable cultivation anywhere, at any time of year.

This type of product is a first for Ikea, as it moves towards a more sustainable vision for the interiors market.
Related story: We've reached "peak home furnishings" says Ikea sustainability chief

The company's senior product developer Ronnie Runesson was inspired to develop the range while living in China. Having grown up on the rural Swedish island of Öland, he considered how food cultivation could be reintroduced into the lives of city apartment dwellers.

"What we wanted to achieve was finding a solution so that our customers could grow their own herbs and vegetables 12 months a year," said Runesson.
"Whether you live in the northern parts of Sweden in the wintertime, or if you live in Singapore, China or North America, wherever you are you should find a solution at I...