In my ongoing quest to put as many of the popular indoor hydroponic garden systems as I can through their paces, I have noticed something irritating. Many, if not most, of these systems require—or at minimum, strongly suggest—ordering proprietary seed pods, inserts, or capsules from the company itself. When I saw the Auk (pronounced “owk”) and its four little pots of coconut coir advertised on my social media feed, I was immediately intrigued. This 17.5 x 8.5 x 14.5-inch base is flanked by two wooden poles, which hold a tension-set full-spectrum light bar. There's no pump, and the light bar will stay on for 17.5 hours—hold the button underneath the light for five seconds to set the “sunrise” time.