We at G@H love gadgets but not gimmicks. We think ourselves above being snookered by shiny and new. So, we approached the Burpee Ultimate Growing System with skepticism. It costs $20. Other 72 cell seed starters cost less than $5. Red flag!

Barpee claims its product, unlike others, is self-watering. You fill the bottom tray with water. A mat wicks up water and delivers small but continuous amounts to your seeds/seedlings in another tray on a second tier, ensuring that your plants neither go thirsty nor drown.

Guess what: it works. Almost all the seeds that we planted in the Burpee Ultimate Growing System have developed into vibrant seedlings. Only about one-third of the seeds that we planted in a conversional seed starter have spouted, and they are noticeably less robust. This test, of course, is unscientific, but the top-notch cultivators at G@H approve.