School gardens sound great in theory. In practice, they're often abandoned by Week 3.

  • "It'll eat my time"

    Between lesson prep, marking, and excursions — who has bandwidth to babysit a garden?
    LaNiTex takes 5 minutes a week. Students do the watering themselves.

  • "It'll make a mess"

    Soil on the carpet, mud on uniforms, gnats by Week 2.
    No soil. No run-off. No pests. It sits cleanly on a bench and recirculates its own water.

  • "I'm not a gardener"

    What if something dies? What if the students ask questions I can't answer?
    No gardening knowledge needed — ever. Setup takes 20 minutes. Laszlo answers questions within 24 hours.

  • "What about holidays?"

    Two weeks unattended and everything wilts.
    LaNiTex systems run unattended for 2–3 weeks. Harvest before you leave — the students love it.

  • "It'll blow our budget"

    School budgets are stretched — a purchase needs to justify itself.
    These systems last for years. Spread across 3 years, 4 terms,
    and 25 students, a $429 Grow Box works out to $1.43 per student per term.
    And many schools fund the whole thing through a grant anyway.

There's a better way — and it fits neatly on a classroom bench.

Four children in school uniforms gathered around a hydroponic system, observing leafy greens and strawberry plants under a grow light.

Hydroponics that actually works in a school

LaNiTex systems grow food without soil — inside a clean, contained, water-recirculating unit that sits neatly on a shelf or bench. No dirt. No pests. No drips on the carpet.

Students observe root growth, measure plant height, record data, and harvest what they've grown — all within your existing Science and Design & Technology programme, with lesson plans that slot into AC V9.0 and EYLF from day one.

  • Setup takes 20 minutes 
  • 2–3 weeks unattended during school holidays
  • No gardening knowledge required — ever
  • Choose the right setup for your classroom. Units start from $75 —
    that's $0.25 per student per term over three years of use.
    Even the most capable system works out to under $1.50 per student per term.
    Compare that to a single school excursion.

How it works?

See the Systems...

Up and growing in three simple steps

  • 🚚 Step 1 — Delivery & Easy Setup


    Your system arrives ready to go. The assembly is so simple and intuitive that the students can do it themselves as their first "Design & Tech" task. No tools, no stress.

  • 🌱 Step 2 — Your students take ownership

    Students measure, observe, record, and care for their plants across Science, Design & Technology, and Sustainability. Real learning, mapped to AC V9.0 — no extra planning needed.

  • 🥗 Step 3 — They eat what they grow

    Harvest day is the highlight of the term. Students pick their own leafy greens, herbs, or mushrooms — and eat them. More than one teacher has told me their class starts checking on the plants before the bell rings — without being asked.

Still wondering if it fits your classroom?

Every school is different — year level, budget, available bench space. **Download the free Teacher Kit to see exactly how it runs in your classroom** — or fill out the form below to chat with Laszlo.

 Get the Free Teacher Kit

Built for the Australian Curriculum V9.0

No retrofitting. LaNiTex systems slot directly into your existing programme across three learning areas.

Curriculum Benefits at a Glance

Learning Area What students do with LaNiTex
🔬 Science Investigate living things, ecosystems, life cycles, and the physical conditions that affect plant growth — full inquiry cycle from hypothesis to harvest
🛠️ Design & Technologies Explore how food is grown in managed environments; design, build, and evaluate a real food production system
🌏 HASS Examine sustainable use of resources, food as a community need, and the geography of where food comes from
📐 Mathematics Measure plant height, water volume, and harvest mass using metric units; collect, graph, and interpret real growth data
📖 English Create procedural and informative texts — observation journals, harvest reports, and plant-care instructions — using subject-specific vocabulary
🏃 Health & PE Connect growing fresh food to nutrition and healthy eating decisions; understand how food choices affect personal and community health

Detailed Curriculum Alignment

For STEM Coordinators — includes AC V9.0 content descriptor codes

Product Type Year Band Learning Area AC V9.0 Codes Topics Covered
🌿 Hydroponics
Desktop / Mini Grow Pot
Grow Box 15-Hole
Grow Box Tall / V5.2		 ELC / Kindy Science + Nature Play (EYLF) EYLF Outcome 2 / Outcome 3 / Outcome 4 / Outcome 5 Caring for living things, where food comes from, observing growth and change, sensory engagement with plants
F – Year 2 Science — Biological Sciences AC9S1U01 / AC9S2U01 Living vs non-living things, basic plant needs, observation skills
Design & Technologies AC9TDe2FP01 Where food comes from; simple food growing systems
Year 3–4 Science — Biological Sciences AC9S3U01 / AC9S4U01 / AC9S3U02 Life cycles, classification, how environment affects survival
Science — Physical Sciences AC9PS3U01 LED light as an energy source; light and heat
Design & Technologies AC9TDe4FP01 Food and fibre production; where food comes from
Year 5–6 Science — Biological + Inquiry AC9S5U01 / AC9S6U01
AC9S5I01–03 / AC9S6I01–03
AC9TDe6FP01		 Photosynthesis, water science, ecosystems; controlled experiments, data collection, graphing, conclusions; sustainable food systems
🍄 Mushroom Growing Box
Smart Mushroom
Growing Box		 Year 3–4 Science — Biological Sciences + Inquiry AC9S3U01 / AC9S4U01 / AC9S3U02
AC9S3I01–03 / AC9S4I01–02		 Kingdom Fungi, decomposers, life cycles, classification; observation and data recording
Design & Technologies AC9TDe4FP01 Food and fibre production; sustainable growing systems
Year 5–6 & 3–6 Science — Biological Sciences + Inquiry AC9S5U01 / AC9S6U01 / AC9S5U02
AC9S5I01–03 / AC9S6I01–03		 Fungal biology, CO₂ and gas exchange, mycology diversity; hypothesis testing, spore print experiments
Visual Arts + Design & Tech AC9AVA4E01 / AC9AVA6E01
AC9AVA4C01 / AC9TDE4D01
AC9TDe4FP01 / AC9TDe6FP01		 Spore print art, scientific illustration, life cycle diagrams; mycelium as sustainable design material
🌱 Microgreen Kit
Smart Microgreen Kit
(Black Metal / Wooden)		 ELC / Kindy Science + Nature Play (EYLF) EYLF Outcome 2 / Outcome 3 / Outcome 4 / Outcome 5 Seed germination basics, caring for plants, sensory exploration, observing growth and change
F – Year 2 Science — Biological Sciences AC9S1U01 / AC9S2U01 Seed germination, plant needs (light, water, warmth), simple lifecycle
Health & Physical Education AC9HP2P04 Nutrition basics; plant-based foods and healthy eating
Year 3–4 Science — Biological Sciences AC9S3U01 / AC9S4U01
AC9S3I01–03 / AC9S4I01–02		 Seed structure, monocot vs dicot, life cycles; observation, data collection, dual-variety comparison
Design & Technologies + Health AC9TDe4FP01 / AC9HP4P04 Short-cycle food growing; nutrition and food choices
Year 5–6 Science — Biological + Inquiry + D&T AC9S5U01 / AC9S6U01
AC9S5I01–03 / AC9S6I01–03
AC9TDe6FP01 / AC9HP6P04		 Controlled experiments, variables, photosynthesis; data analysis and graphing; sustainable urban food systems; nutrition
🌐 All Products
Hydroponics / Mushroom
Microgreen Kit		 Year 3–4 HASS — Geography AC9HS4K06 Sustainable use and management of resources; custodial responsibility for Country/Place; water conservation
Mathematics — Measurement + Statistics AC9M3M01 / AC9M3M02
AC9M3ST01 / AC9M3ST03		 Measuring plant height and water volume using metric units; collecting and graphing plant growth data
Year 5–6 HASS — Economics & Geography AC9HS5K08 / AC9HS5K05 Types of resources satisfying needs and wants; managing environments; food security
Mathematics — Measurement + Statistics AC9M5M01 / AC9M6M01
AC9M5ST02 / AC9M5ST03
AC9M6ST03		 Metric units; line graphs of plant growth over time; full statistical investigations — collect, analyse, communicate
F–6 (all years) Mathematics — Measurement AC9MFM01 / AC9M1M02
AC9M2M01 / AC9M4M01		 Measuring and comparing length, mass and capacity using informal then metric units — plant height, harvest weight, water volume
English — Language + Literacy AC9EFLA08 / AC9E3LA10 / AC9E5LA08
AC9EFLY06 / AC9E3LY06 / AC9E5LY06		 Subject-specific and technical vocabulary (plant science); creating informative and procedural texts — observation journals, harvest reports, plant-care instructions
Health & PE — Personal Health AC9HPFP06 / AC9HP2P06
AC9HP4P09 / AC9HP6P09		 Connecting food growing to nutrition and healthy eating decisions; how food choices affect personal and community health

You're not buying from a warehouse. You're working with Laszlo.

Hi — I'm Laszlo, founder of LaNiTex Hydro Garden and the
person who will answer your call, support your setup, and be reachable
throughout your growing programme.

I started LaNiTex because I believe every child deserves to know where food
comes from — and to feel the pride of growing something with their own hands.
I'm based in Queensland and I'm here to make sure your classroom program
actually works.

When you book a demo, you're not getting a sales pitch.
You're getting a real conversation with someone who cares whether this actually
works in your classroom — and who will still be reachable six months later.

 Get the Free Teacher Kit

Meet the Founder: Bringing STEM to Life

We're building our founding school cohort for 2026

LaNiTex is at the beginning of something. We're being selective about
which schools we partner with first — because each one becomes a
real demonstration of what hands-on hydroponics looks like in an
Australian classroom.

If you're a STEM Coordinator, classroom teacher, or ELC Director
who wants to be one of the first schools in Queensland to run this,
now is the right time. You'll get personal setup support,
and your classroom becomes part of the story we tell every school after you.

 Join the 2026 School Cohort

📄 Free download — no email needed: Complete, ready-to-teach lesson plans, fully AC V9.0 coded.

  • LaNiTex Hydro Garden indoor gardening system with plants on a wooden table.
     

    Microgreen Lesson Plan — Foundation to Year 2

    Complete 2-week unit. 4 × 60-minute lessons + daily check-ins. Covers seed germination, plant needs, nutrition, and food production. AC V9.0 coded. Ready to teach — no prep required.

    Download Free
  • Hand using a tool to separate seaweed from a tray with microgreens on a white background
     

    Microgreens Lesson Plan — Year 3–4

    2 weeks · 4 lessons + daily check-ins · Smart Microgreen Kit. Seed structure, monocot vs dicot, life cycles, nutrition, food systems. Includes dual-variety comparison and harvest activity.

    Download Free
  • LaNiTex Hydro Garden with seedlings on a white background
     

    Microgreens Lesson Plan — Year 5–6

    3 weeks · 6 lessons · Smart Microgreen Kit. Controlled experiments, variables, photosynthesis, sustainable food systems, data analysis. Full scientific method — hypothesis to conclusion.

    Download Free
  • A compact hydroponic grow cup nurturing small green plants with roots submerged in a water-based system.
     

    Hydroponics Lesson Plan — Foundation to Year 2

    3 weeks · 5 lessons · Desktop Grow Box & Mini Grow Pot. Living vs non-living, basic plant needs, observation skills. Differentiated for F, Year 1, and Year 2.

    Download Free
  • Clean and modern hydroponic system allowing fresh vegetables to grow without soil.
     

    Hydroponics Lesson Plan — Year 3–4

    4 weeks · 6 lessons · Grow Box 15-Hole. Classification, life cycles, soil vs soil-free comparison, LED light as energy source. Includes student observation journal.

    Download Free
  • Indoor Hydroponic Grow Box Tall version and pepers
     

    Hydroponics Lesson Plan — Year 5–6

    Full-term unit · Grow Box Tall or V5.2. Photosynthesis, water science, ecosystems, sustainable food systems. Data collection, graphing, and scientific reporting.

    Download Free
  • Compact LaNiTex Mushroom Growing Box with transparent lid, integrated humidity control, and LED lighting—designed for efficient indoor mushroom cultivation.
     

    Mushroom Growing Lesson Plan — Year 3–4

    3 weeks · 6 lessons · Smart Mushroom Growing Box. Kingdom Fungi, decomposers, lifecycles, classification. Sorting activities and concept maps. Pins visible in 3–5 days.

    Download free
  • LaNitex Supercool device with coral model on a white background
     

    Mushroom Growing Lesson Plan — Year 5–6

    3 weeks · 6 lessons · Smart Mushroom Growing Box. Fungal biology, CO₂ and gas exchange, spore prints, mycology, sustainable food systems. Full scientific method — hypothesis to conclusion.

    Download Free
  •  

    Mushroom — Art, Design & Science (Year 3–6)

    2 weeks · 4 lessons · Smart Mushroom Growing Box. Spore print art, scientific illustration, life cycle diagrams, mycelium as sustainable material — design challenge included. Science + Visual Arts + Design & Tech.

    Download Free

FUNDRAISING PROGRAMME

A fundraiser that runs itself — and earns three ways.

Term-Grow is a 10-week at-home growing programme for your school's families. You send one newsletter. LaNiTex Hydro Garden handles delivery, parent emails, payments, and kit collection at the end of term.

How your school earns:

Rental commission — paid immediately

Every family who signs up pays $50–$100 to rent a kit. Your school earns $5–$10 per family, paid within 5 business days of Pickup Day. Before a single seed goes in the tray.

Rent-to-own commission — Week 10

Most families keep their kit at the end of term — their child has been growing with it for 10 weeks and doesn't want to give it back. Your school earns 10% of the purchase price when that happens.

Refill commission — ongoing

Every kit includes a Golden Ticket fridge magnet with your school's QR code. Families scan it to reorder seeds and nutrients. Your school earns 10% each time, for as long as they keep the machine on the bench.

By Week 10, your school has earned — without running a stall, selling anything, or chasing anyone for money.

Your school's total time: about two hours per term.

Week 0 — Forward one newsletter (5 minutes)
LaNiTex Hydro Garden writes every word. You press forward.

Week 1 — Pickup Day (30 minutes)
Kits arrive pre-labelled before 8am. Students collect them before the bell.

Week 10 — Drop-Off Day (60–90 minutes)
Families arrive and, after renting them, return the items they do not wish to purchase.

If a parent has a question, they contact Laszlo — not your school office. Kit collection happens within 2 school days of Week 10. Your school does not chase anyone.

Not sure which kit suits your school?

Download the Product Comparison Guide

Build your classroom growing programme — one product at a time

View all

Common questions from teachers and principals

Do you accept school purchase orders?

Yes. We accept purchase orders with Net 30 payment terms, as well as EFT bank transfer and credit card. We provide a GST tax invoice with every order. ABN: 47 682 768 967.

What's included in the price?

Every system ships with everything you need for your first grow: the unit, growing media, seeds or substrate, and Australia-wide courier delivery. You also get a Teacher Starter Kit and curriculum-aligned lesson plans mapped to AC V9.0 and EYLF — all included, no add-ons required.

What does it cost after the first year?

Consumables (seeds, nutrients, growing media) run approximately $30 to $50 per year depending on the system. That covers a full year of growing — less than the price of a single textbook.

What if something breaks?

All systems come with a 12-month warranty covering manufacturing defects and component failure under normal use. If something goes wrong, Laszlo responds within one business day. Replacement parts are express-posted within two business days; replacement units within five.

Can we trial a unit before committing?

The best way to see the system is a free 15-minute Google Meet demo — Laszlo shows a live Grow Box, walks through the lesson plans, and answers every question. No travel, no obligation. If you want to start small, the Mini Grow Pot at $75 lets a single class trial hydroponics with minimal commitment.

How long does maintenance take each week?

About 5 minutes. Students top up the water reservoir once or twice a week and do a quick visual check on the plants. No soil, no weeding, no watering cans, nothing to clean up. Most teachers tell us it becomes a quick morning ritual the students look forward to

What happens to the plants during school holidays?

Our systems hold enough water to keep plants thriving for 2–3 weeks without any attention. For longer breaks, we recommend harvesting before you leave — which makes for a fantastic end-of-term activity. We've never had plants die over a school holiday break.

Do I need gardening knowledge to run this?

Not at all. The system arrives ready to assemble in under 20 minutes with the included quick-start guide. We leave you with a simple care guide, and our team is always a phone call away. If something looks unusual, send a photo — we'll diagnose it within 24 hours.

Will it create mess in my classroom?

No. The system is fully contained and recirculating — no soil, no run-off, no drips. It sits cleanly on a bench or shelf. The only thing that touches the floor is the occasional dropped lettuce leaf at harvest time.

Is this suitable for Foundation and early primary students?

Absolutely. Our Desktop Grow Box and Mini Grow Pot are designed for ELC through Year 2 — simple enough for five-year-olds to manage independently, with lesson plans aligned to EYLF and AC V9.0 Foundation outcomes.

Get the Free Teacher Kit