Review: Auk Mini

In my ongoing quest to put as many of the popular indoor hydroponic garden systems as I can through their paces, I have noticed something irritating.

Many, if not most, of these systems require—or at minimum, strongly suggest—ordering proprietary seed pods, inserts, or capsules from the company itself. You can jury-rig, of course, but usually at your own hassle and failure risk. If you order through the companies, not only can the excess packaging be wasteful, the costs add up quickly (competitor Click & Grow's pods, for example, are almost $5 each).

When I saw the Auk (pronounced “owk”) and its four little pots of coconut coir advertised on my social media feed, I was immediately intrigued. Finally, an open-system indoor garden where you can grow your own seeds! There's got to be a catch, I thought. But there isn't. After testing it for six weeks, I can report that the Auk fully delivers on its promise of “herbs made simple.”

Just the Basics

Although its ads make it seem like a newcomer, Norway-based Auk has actually been in business since 2021. It's perhaps best known for its original Auk 1 hydroponic garden, which features a more complicated water reservoir, nutrient mixer, and lighting setup that garnered mixed reviews online for inconsistent light cycles and watering. The herb-focused Auk Mini, on the other hand, is not that.

Released in May 2024, it features four oval pots with slotted bottoms that sit atop a 3-liter reservoir. This 17.5 x 8.5 x 14.5-inch base is flanked by two wooden poles, which hold a tension-set full-spectrum light bar. A little wheel on the side indicates the water level, with a red dot indicating when it's empty.

Courtesy of Auk; Photograph: Kat Merck

Simply fill the pots with the included coconut coir (fibers from the exterior of coconuts), plant your seeds, add squirts of the included nutrients (the bottles say how many on the side), plug in the light bar, and position it 4 inches above the pots to start. That's it. There's no pump, and the light bar will stay on for 17.5 hours—hold the button underneath the light for five seconds to set the “sunrise” time. Finish options include oak or walnut, with white or black pots.

The Mini comes with basil and parsley seeds, with helpful information on the back about how many seeds to plant and where to place them amid the coconut fiber. However, any brand's seeds should work. Auk sells other seeds on its website, of course, along with replacement substrate, but that is also widely available.

Photograph: Kat Merck

Though Auk is made for herbs, there's also a “chili and tomato mode” for the light bar, which offers boosted light brightness (tap the button three times to activate). The nutrient bottles also have specific “tomato & chili” dispensing instructions. I tested the Auk with basil, cilantro, and parsley, and did not try tomatoes or chilis, but given my experience with other gardens that feature overhead light bars, I'm dubious those would thrive—plants of this size usually grow past a 12-inch light bar early on, leaving them with insufficient light to flower.

Easy Being Green

Basil was first to sprout, followed by cilantro and then parsley—all within a week—and were harvestable a few weeks after that. Herbs are considered fully grown in four to six weeks, and Auk recommends harvesting no more than one-third of a plant at a time for optimal plant health.

Photograph: Kat Merck

One thing to note is that as much as the Auk tries to sanitize and simplify the growing process, plants are still wildlife, and wildlife be wildin’. Within about a month, my beautiful Scandinavian showpiece was replaced by an unkempt bush of leggy parsley and floppy cilantro. I'm sure this process was not helped by a weeklong vacation during which I was not able to harvest. By the time I got home, the Auk's walnut poles and stylish pots were obscured. The aluminum light bar, despite being at its tallest setting, was touched by basil leaves with burned edges and spots where they had grown too close to the LEDs. It was, in a word, ugly.

But it was also fecund. Basil harvests throughout my six-week test consisted of not just a handful of leaves but an entire bowlful—enough to make pesto. Perpetual bunches of parsley and cilantro provided garnishes for multiple meals each week. I also look forward to the possibility of growing less common herbs like epazote and savory.

Photograph: Kat Merck

One risk of pumpless systems like this is the potential for mold. I inspected the underside of the Auk's pots regularly and didn't spot any, but the room it was in was cool, below 70 degrees Fahrenheit—in warmer climates, this could well be a concern.

Leaf Leverage

Just about any user will have success in the Auk—there's no fussing with pump tubing, timers, or pH (the coconut fiber works as a pH buffer, according to Auk), and you can grow legitimately harvestable amounts of herbs instead of just the one stalk that you get with pod-style gardens. If you're on the fence, there's a 100-day money-back guarantee.

It's also worth noting that, aside from the design, there's nothing particularly innovative about the components—there's no obvious reason, aside from R&D, that it should cost twice as much as traditional pod-style planters like the Aerogarden. It does seem silly to pay for looks when the main focal point is a living thing that may or may not cooperate with your aesthetic vision—leaves will drop, stems will die, stalks will twist this way and that in their competition for light. But until this happens, the Auk will look darn good on just about any kitchen island or counter.