Finally a solution for growing vegetables in an apartment

Apartment dwellers who long to cook with produce from their own garden will soon be able to grow vegetables right from their kitchen counter thanks to Ikea's new Krydda/Växer series.

Although not the first at-home hydroponic indoor gardening kit on the market (AeroGarden is another handy compact system), Ikea is sure to take this niche activity mainstream.

Judging from the video above the process appears to be pretty straight forward: soak some plugs in water, lay them on a tray of water and plant the seeds. This initial step keeps the seeds moist without over-watering.

Once they've germinated, each plug is re-potted into its own pot and filled with a scoop of water-absorbing pumice stones. A solar lamp provides nourishment for the plants so they can grow without direct sunlight. They can also grow on a window sill.

The tray is also kitted out with a water sensor so the plants are never over- or under-watered.

Ikea claims the system is so easy even novice gardeners will end up with a crop (it's basically hydroponics for dummies).

There's no official word yet on when it will hit our shores, however expect Ikea's trend towards sustainability to continue with a bunch of new eco offerings hitting their shelves this year.