LG’s indoor gardening fridge looks like something out of The Martian

LG will debut its new indoor gardening appliance at CES 2022 – and it looks like something plucked straight from the set of a sci-fi movie. 

Called the LG tiiun, which means “to sprout” in Korean, the freestanding machine will allow novice gardeners to cultivate vegetables, herbs and flowers from the comfort of their homes, all year long.

It features two shelves that can each hold up to six all-in-one seed packages, with each seed package containing 10 holes for seed germination. LG says users can grow a variety of greens simultaneously in only four to eight weeks using the hardware – supposedly quicker than doing so outside.

The LG tiiun has already been listed as a CES 2022 Innovation Award winner thanks to its smart combination of weather, temperature, water and light control systems. According to the company, it’s been able to leverage its expertise in refrigerators, water purifiers and ventilation systems to bring the tiiun to market.

It’s design is pretty neat, too. Available in two colors – Nature Beige and Nature Green – the tiiun appears relatively unassuming in the product shots we’ve seen so far. Its airtight, transparent door, for instance, is designed to keep insects out while still allowing users to watch their plants grow from afar. 

Honestly, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this thing for a salad-filled mini fridge. 

Horticulture 2.0

The tiiun is also compatible with LG’s ThinQ app, meaning green-fingered owners can monitor the entire germination process using their mobile phone, checking or changing settings and receiving notifications when the water tank needs refilling.

“LG tiiun is a practical and convenient solution for busy consumers who want to enjoy a greener, healthier lifestyle at home,” Lyu Jae-cheol, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance and Air Solution Company, said in a press release.

“A stylish addition to one’s home or apartment, our smart gardening system makes growing herbs, leafy greens and flowers fun and simple, even for those of us with zero gardening experience.”

We’re yet to learn just how much the tiiun will cost, though we may hear more when it debuts at LG’s CES display booth on January 5. 

Still, it’s exciting to see major tech brands like LG pushing ahead with products that really could improve our physical and mental wellbeing – even if that wellbeing inevitably comes at the expense of our wallets.