Growing your own fresh herbs and vegetables is a dream many share. Do you have space, time, and talent to pull it off, though?
Those are three things few of us can claim to have enough of.
If you have big dreams for a garden but lack the other requirements, there is still hope for fresh, homegrown food in your future.
Miracle Gro's Aerogarden hydroponic systems are a simple solution for growing veggies in your own home. Best of all? They require very little space, almost no time commitment, and are so easy to use that even those with a reputation for killing plants will have no trouble growing bountiful produce.
The only downside to these ingenious indoor gardens? There are a lot of models to choose from.
Keep reading to find more information about the models and our reviews of each one. We've also included how Aerogarden's work.
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Aerogarden Reviews
Aerogarden offers four different models of hydroponic gardens, from the mini Sprout to the all-you-need Farm. Each model is available in different variants to fit every space and need.
Aerogarden Buyer's Guide
Miracle Grow's Aerogardens are simple to use. Even the least green of thumbs can grow beautiful veggies with minimal effort.
To help you understand how these ingenious hydroponic gardens work and how best to utilize them, we've put together this handy buyer's guide.
What Is an Aerogarden?
Put simply, an Aerogarden is a small hydroponic garden system that allows you to grow fresh herbs, veggies, and flowers just about anywhere.
These compact growing units have a built light system, which means plants and vegetables can flourish even if you don't set them up next to a window. You can place your Aerogarden on your kitchen counter, on a shelf, in your bathroom, bedroom, office, or even in a closet!
The compact size of the counter units means you can easily grow veggies even in a small apartment.
As for the large Farm model, on the other hand, you can fit several units together to create a "bookshelf" of gardens-turning an area of empty wall space into a gorgeous and functional piece of decor.
Space isn't a factor, and neither is talent nor time.
These simple gardens provide you with everything you need to grow plants indoors. They will remind you when to add water and food and even automatically turn the lights on and off as needed to assure perfect growth.
Once you get your Aerogarden setup-a step that takes about one minute-the only time commitment you need to make is to harvest your delicious produce. And since hydro garden systems grow plants in a fraction of the time, you'll be eating homegrown greens, herbs, and tomatoes in no time.
What Can an Aerogarden Grow?
In short, anything!
You can keep and grow different varieties of plants using this brilliant hydroponic system. The only thing that will limit your growth potential is the maximum light height provided by your particular unit.
The Sprout model, the smallest of the systems, has a maximum height of 10 inches. This lends itself well to herbs, greens, lettuce, and compact flowers. Although you can still grow taller veggies in it, the length of its light arm will block the plants from reaching their full height. New sprouts may also have a hard time receiving adequate lighting since the light is blocked.
The XL Farm model, on the other hand, allows for 36 inches of growing space, more than enough to grow full-sized tomatoes and bountiful peppers.
Aerogarden provides a wide array of pre-filled seed pods. You can purchase the pods in uniform kits or premixed selections.
Some available choices include:
All seeds included in these kits are non-GMO and selected for their high germination rate.
You can also buy empty seed pods and fill them with your own selection of veggie, herb, or flower seeds.
How Does an Aerogarden Work?
While it may seem like an Aerogarden is too complex to produce such stellar results, the opposite is true.
Plants only require a few things to grow well. And the Aerogarden delivers each of these while utilizing as little space as possible.
The entire brilliant system consists of just four parts.
The seed pods are the most customizable aspect of the Aerogarden. You can choose from a huge selection of plants, like those listed in the section above, or plant your own by purchasing the empty seed pods.
In either case, each pod consists of an elongated plastic casing with large holes in the bottom for water absorption and to allow the growing roots to pass through. The pods are filled with compact peat, which absorbs water without breaking down.
Each pod also comes with a small dome that helps maintain perfect humidity levels inside the pod as the seed germinates.
As the plants grow, the roots grow through the peat and down into the water to collect the nutrients the plant needs to thrive.
Water/Aerator Pump
The basin holds the water that your plants will drink, as well as the added nutrients to sustain them.
But water and nutrients alone are not enough to grow robust, long-living plants.
The key to the Aerogarden's success is the aerator pump. This little device pumps air into the water basin. Not only does this provide carbon dioxide directly to the roots and keep the nutrients moving around for easier access, but it also adds oxygen to prevent bacteria and algae growth.
This means fewer organisms for your plants to compete with and no stagnant-water smell.
Grow Lights
Once your plants have germinated, they'll need light to complete photosynthesis. This is how plants create energy for growth.
Even in front of a south-facing window, it is difficult to provide sun-loving plants with enough light to thrive.
The Aerogarden grow lights stay on throughout the day and into the evening to replicate the normal day-night rhythms of summer. This tricks your plants into producing the same way they would in the garden in the middle of July.
Besides providing basic light for growth, many of the Aerogarden systems utilize colored lights to generate the exact type of growth your plants need at each stage.
White light induces growth-perfect for sprouts-while blue light spurs on fruit production and red light induce flower generation.
Many of the Elite systems automatically dictate which light colors are active when in order to produce the best outcome.
Control Panel
The control panel of the Aerogarden, which ranges from the simple one-button version of the Sprout to the high-tech wifi capable panel of the Farm, allows you to control every aspect of your system.
One-press operations allow you to start your germination timer, feeding schedule, and water reminders, while indicator lights tell you when it is time to act.
The control panel also allows you to set your light schedule and program more complex demands like sunset/sunrise timers. Once these options are set up, everything is automated to make your life easier.
Full-color touch screens and app and Alexa connectability make the more advanced models of this simple-use product even more effortless.
Aerogarden FAQ
While the Aerogarden is easy to use, the vast selection of products and seemingly complex design can lead to many questions. Here are answers to some of the most common concerns.
How many plants can an Aerogarden grow?
This depends entirely on the model you choose to purchase.
The smallest version, the Sprout, has room for three seed pods. While the largest, the Farm 24, has room for 24 pods.
Do keep in mind, though, that you won't always be able to utilize all pod spaces at once.
When growing smaller plants such as herbs and greens, you can usually get away with placing pods in every hole. But when growing larger plants such as tomatoes and peppers, you will want to leave more room between each pod.
Special covers are included with each kit to fill pod holes not being utilized to avoid excess evaporation. You can find directions on properly space your veggies on the Aerogarden website and in the included manual.
Where should an Aerogarden be located?
You can place an Aerogarden in just about any room that stays at a normal indoor temperature.
But do keep in mind that the automated grow lights and the aerator pump's soft hum might restrict where you want to place it.
Bedrooms, connected bathrooms, and even quiet offices are not likely to be the best choices.
How long will the plants live for?
This depends on the type of plant. But in general, herbs will live for four months, flowers for five, and veggies up to six.
Does an Aerogarden attract bugs?
No, Aerogarden doesn't attract bugs because it doesn't use soil.
So long as your Aerogarden is isolated from other plants of similar types, aphids and other pests should not be an issue, either.
How much electricity will the Aerogarden use?
This depends on the wattage of the grow lights used, which varies by model.
According to Aerogarden, the small Sprout system costs only about 75 cents per month to run, while the largest Farm system will cost closer to $7.30 per month. You can find more electricity use stats here.
Is an Aerogarden noisy?
You can expect your Aerogarden to make about as much noise as a fish tank.
The aerator pump produces a low hum that is continuous and usually fades into the background. If the water level is low, this noise will be louder and may include dripping and bubbling sounds.
Overall, you aren't likely to notice the sound in a busy room such as the kitchen or living room, but you may not want to place your Aerogarden where you sleep.
If you are looking for a simple, time and space-saving way to grow your food indoors, you will not find a better option than the Aerogarden.
These brilliant systems make growing fresh produce, herbs, and even flowers a breeze, even for those who normally kill everything they touch.
Automated grow lights, intuitive control panels with built-in reminders, and a sleek, compact design set this product above the rest. And with multiple model options to choose from, it is easy to find the exact system to fit your needs and space requirements.
