Owner's Manual

Once a tray is placed, it's best to leave it in that same slot until it's ready for harvest. This lets the Instafarm precisely control the growth settings for that specific tray.

Instafarm trays are designed for one-time use, and most won't regrow a second round. Many trays can be transplanted into a larger pot or your garden to grow the full-size plant after harvest. We don't recommend returning a harvested or partially harvested tray to the unit — it can confuse the watering algorithm. If this happens by accident, leave that slot empty for 90+ minutes, then place a new tray in it to reset.

Yes. The light typically runs 24/7, but a quick press of the power button puts the unit into Night Mode. Plants keep watering, but the light stays off for 10 hours before automatically turning back on — the indicator light glows blue while in Night Mode. Quick-press the button any time to exit early.

Staying under 10 hours of Night Mode a day (one full cycle) has very minimal impact on plant growth.

Harvest times on tray labels and this site are estimates, and can run longer depending on conditions like ambient temperature — they're not a guarantee. Reference photos of fully grown, ready-to-harvest plants below.

Hold the power button for 5+ seconds to turn the unit off.

When microgreens first sprout, their tiny root hairs can look like mold, but they're actually a sign of a healthy plant with strong nutrient uptake. If what you're seeing isn't near the root, mold may have gotten in — many homes carry some ambient mold, and humid conditions can let it take hold in a tray. If this happens, add a tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a full water tank to help clear it.

If your Instafarm is blinking red, check the following:

• The water tank is full and sitting flush on the dock (nothing caught under the magnets keeping it from seating fully).
• The watering head is moving to each tray properly — unplug the unit, plug it back in, and power on after the green light appears. The head should start moving within 15 seconds.
• The watering head is actually spraying each tray as it visits.

Still stuck? Let us know and we'll help troubleshoot — if the unit is making unusual noises, a short video showing the watering head (especially during the noise) helps us a lot.

Overwatering is usually caused by one of the following:

• Moving a tray between slots, or removing it for a period of time.
• Using your own soil or growing medium, or regrowing a tray.
• Leaving a tray in past its harvest-by date.
• Growing in temperatures below 68°F (this can be helped by lowering the watering amount in the app — reach out and we'll walk you through it).

If none of these sound right, contact our team with a photo of the affected tray(s) and we'll take care of you quickly.

Underwatering is most often caused by:

• A calcified watering nozzle (look for the same dry spot repeating across every tray).
• The unit sitting near a draft from a door, vent, or window — try relocating it, or increasing watering in the app.

If neither applies, contact our team with a photo of the tray(s) and we'll take care of you quickly.

The indicator light flashes red when the tank runs dry. Refill it, and the light turns back to green automatically once the unit senses water in the lines again.

That's perlite, which we add to keep airflow healthy at the roots for optimal growth. It's a completely natural, non-toxic material.

The Instafarm senses room temperature and humidity and adjusts automatically. Growth slows significantly, without guarantee, if the room stays consistently below 68°F — brief overnight dips typically won't affect growth much. Good growth also isn't guaranteed above 78°F.

Use filtered or distilled water — unfiltered tap water can clog the system. If the watering system does clog, clean the filter at the bottom of the water tank, or carefully unscrew the removable nozzle on the moving head and rinse it with warm water. Only remove the nozzle while the unit is powered off, since the head can be damaged easily, and take care re-orienting its small internal parts after washing.