Why? Everyone claims they have the lowest prices, best selection and are the most knowledgeable. But we guarantee it! We carry the best selection of name-brand tools for the pro and beginner.
We are growers with a passion for plants that started in the late 70's when our founder's father brought home the book "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew. After reading it he immediately tore out the dying shrubs in front of his small apartment and began planting his very first crop - at the age of 12. That day changed everything for him. Shortly afterwards he rented a 12' x 12' space in the community garden behind his family's apartment building, then another. The other members of the community garden, mostly retired folks, would stop by frequently to marvel at the most prolific two plots in the entire garden, and to ask for advice.
Wanting to take his passion for growing to the next level, he began learning about hydroponics and indoor growing and reading books by authors such as George Van Patten (aka Jorge Cervantes), Howard Resh and other early pioneers. It wasn't long before he and his roommate at the time turned one of their bedrooms into, what was at the time, a state-of-the-art grow room. But that wasn't enough, so in 1992 he co-founded one of the first retail hydroponic stores in Southern California, and three years later, Living Lettuce Farms. And in 2000, BetterGrow Hydro was born - the culmination of 20 years of dedication to the amazing art of cultivation.
Since then, BGH has become one of the largest retailers of indoor and hydroponic gardening supplies and equipment in America, with customers ranging from small hobby growers, to high schools and universities, to some of the largest commercial operations in North America. This isn't just a business, it's a way of life for us. And we know you share our passion. So let the highly knowledgeable and experienced staff at BGHydro.com help you reach your goals of cultivating the garden of your dreams!
Today, BGHydro has expanded into the art of propagating rare and exotic plants. We have expanded our original retail location in Pasadena and now display some of the most beautiful houseplants you will find anywhere. We also indulged our love of mycology and now stock a full range of mushroom kits, media, spores and supplies. WE ARE EXPERTS IN GROWING, both in hydroponics & soil, indoor & outdoor. If you have any questions about any products you see on our site, you can be sure that we will have the answers you seek!
BetterGrow Hydro becomes an (almost) overnight success. After about three and a half years we have completely outgrown our 2,500 square foot retail store and open up a second location in the city of Commerce, CA. This 8,500 square foot facility enables BGHydro to accommodate the many new team members required to keep up with the increased number of walk-in and online customers. Approximately 4 years later we open a 15,000 square foot facility in the city of Bell, CA. This was one of the largest hydroponic retail locations in the nation at the time. With 24 foot ceilings we were able to stock an enormous inventory and still have plenty of space for 20+ team members that we had grown to become.
We discover that customers are travelling very long distances to purchase supplies and equipment from us, sometimes as far as one or two states away. This prompts us to create our ecommerce website - BGHydro.com. The new website enables us to reach a much larger group of hydroponic enthusiasts. We begin to publish new articles and other helpful information regularly, and disperse this knowledge and information to our ever-growing community of customers, followers and peers. We also launch one of the first hydroponic forums and later on invite manufacturers and other experts to become moderators to provide even more assistance to the community.
Our passion for hydroponic gardening leads to the opening of BetterGrow Hydro. BGH is an amazing gardening center located in the heart of Pasadena, CA that specializes in hydroponics, organics, & indoor growing. We offer a large selection of indoor growing supplies & equipment. Many stores sell grow lights & supplies, but here at BetterGrow we have the knowledge & expertise to help ensure that your growing experience is a successful one. That knowledge & expertise comes from the fact that we have been using hydroponics for over 30 years, and that we were the first store in the country that founded & still owns & operates a successful commercial hydroponic farm, which utilizes the Nutrient Film Technique to produce a wide variety of the highest quality lettuce & herbs in Southern California.
After 10 years of preparation, we open the doors to our new hydroponic farm - not as a side business, but as our only means of support. While most small farms fail within the first 2 years, ours continued to run strong. Living Lettuce Farms caters to L.A.'s finest restaurants, health food stores & caterers. We have been featured in numerous newspaper articles & television programs. In addition to hydroponic lettuce, we are also registered organic growers of baby greens mixes, edible flowers, heirloom tomatoes, peppers & melons.