Bring the Garden Indoors: LG Unveils New Gardening Appliance

by Lauren Leazenby
Person pulls plants out of LG tiiun gardening appliance

What if you could bring your garden inside? We don’t mean the mosquitoes and the mud you track in on the bottom of your gardening boots; we’re talking about the good things — namely, the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor. In an effort to make the hobby more accessible, electronics manufacturer LG has debuted the tiiun, an indoor gardening appliance.

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Announced at CES 2022 (formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show), the LG tiiun is a climate-controlled system that automates and simplifies the process of gardening, all inside an appliance about the size and shape mini fridge. The tiiun — which means “to sprout” in Korean — is designed to allow even novice gardeners to bring some green indoors, the company claims.

“LG tiiun delivers both practical functionality and emotional support to those looking to grow their own plants in this new era of living,” said Lee Hyun-jee, head of tiiun marketing development.

LG tiiun gardening appliance in a living room

The tiiun is a self-contained unit with two shelves for your seedlings and a clear door so you can watch them grow. The smart gardening system works with proprietary, pre-planted seed packages that are designed to be low-mess. These all-in-one kits come in 20 different varieties, and you can grow six of these kits at a time.

LG said the tiiun uses the company’s existing technology from other appliances, including water purification, refrigeration and ventilation systems, to create an environment for fresh vegetables and herbs to grow year-round. The Flexible Weather Control system adjusts the internal temperature to create optimal growth conditions. A natural lighting system mimics the cycle of daylight. You don’t even have to worry about arguably the most tedious task involved in keeping up a garden — watering. The tiiun automatically waters your plants multiple times a day. Plus, the system links up with LG’s ThinQ smart home technology, so you can check on your plants from an app on your phone.

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Plants in tray from tiiun gardening appliance

After about four weeks, you can harvest leafy greens like arugula and kale. Thyme, peppermint and other herbs will take six weeks to mature, and flowers, like marigolds, take eight.

In March, the tiiun made its retail debut in South Korea, where it sells for about $1,260 (CAD 1,585). There’s also a miniature, tabletop version of the appliance — the open-air tiiun Mini — that looks a little like a gardening basket. There’s no word yet from LG about when this appliance or its mini-me will be available in the U.S.