I planted my basil kit just a few weeks ago. ALL plants are up and I've even taken the caps off. This is the third crop I've grown with my Aerogarden and I've loved every one. Having fresh sweet basil in the winter is such a treat! I know, this is not an inexpensive way to go, but the results are outstanding--just to have that wonderful taste in my recipes. I'll do it again.
I am a huge fan of the herb n serve, it blends and chops wonderfully and is very quiet and very fast, and easy to clean. simple to make delicious fresh vinaigrette with your aerogarden or other herbs. it has a small footprint so you can set the whole thing in the frideg to store leftover vinagrette and just give it a quick pulse to re-mix when you are ready to use.
Call me naive, but I didn't see the necessity to replace the AeroGarden bulbs if they still produced light, and I was wrong. After a bulb died, I ordered a replacement pair from Amazon. I did research and found that they are the only bulbs which can be used, they are basically the same price everywhere, if you order online, shipping charges vary, and local stores do not stock many of these. That's about it. No brainer that Amazon was my supplier of choice -- fast shipping, (2 days w/ Prime membership), competitive price, guarantee that they would be fine when they arrived, and I love supporting my favorite "shop."
The replacement bulbs look exactly like the previous bulbs and the snug fit was equal in all. At first, I thought that I'd simply replace the one dead bulb and keep the second one as the backup, but after I recovered from the illumination produced by the new bulb, I immediately removed the second one and replaced it as well. The plants have shown a love for the new lights and are sprouting much more quickly than they had for the previous four weeks. Although I'm not thrilled at paying ten dollars for each bulb, I've invested in this garden, and that's the way it is (for now). Aside from that, my only criticism of the bulbs is that one separated from the base when I removed it from the garden. Didn't make me feel too secure even though the lights were not turned on. I will now replace the bulbs in the recommended six months, but I'll keep those which still do produce light as a backup in the event that one burns out prematurely. I don't want to be caught in the dark again.
Everything is as advertised. However, there is no where to wind the cord in the back (for those of us who can put an outlet where we want one) or to put anything else on the shelf (perhaps a swing out side shelf to hold your shears and nutrient tablets; or one to hold another plant for those of us using the lights for other growing). Overall a good product. I've seen the price drop to , but not often...
Bought this when they were on sale at amazon. I ordered a Splash of Color and a Scented Bloom and the boxes were labeled as such but when I opened them, both were Splash of Color. Checked and saw one kit had Scented bloom on the cellophane, splash of color on the box and contents.
The other issue is that the seed kits / nutrient tablets seemed to be not well stored since some tablets shown signs of moisture.
For the QA error and moist tablets, I deducted one star and give it only 4*. I would have given less with those errors if I had paid full price for them.
These were easy to install and do the job of discretely holding up my tomato plants AeroGarden Deluxe Trellis System. I hate jerry-rigged things. So while it might possible to use badge clips from work or the office supply store, I wouldn't. This kit came with two clips and small horizontal bars with extra attachment screws. The system works like it's supposed to and I don't have to dink around with bits and parts to force something to work. After spending hundreds on my Aerogardens and corresponding Wall Gardens, it's worth a lousy to not have to fuss with forcing some "other" part to work with it/them. Now, if the clippy bits break, I might check into cheaper replacement parts -- because I now know how the trellis system is supposed to work and look up close and personal. But for the initial purchase, I don't want my Aerogardens or my plants looking tacky or "boot-leg". Mind you, no freakin' way would I pay for this trellis system-- Noooo! But with free shipping? -- sure!
This is a fun family project, growing our own fresh herbs on the kitchen counter. The AeroGrow is pretty darn nice with a few minor flaws. We're looking forward to the herbs.
The unit is straightforward to assemble. A thirteen year old that hates following instructions or reading manuals, was able to put this together, insert the seed pods and fill the unit with water. He had absolutely no problems doing the complete assembly. It's not a bad idea to read the manual, we needed to set the machine for the correct type of garden and the light cycling, and there's some special care once the seeds sprout. The kit includes a crystal clear pruning and care guide.
In use, this couldn't be easier. The lights cycle on and off on a programmed schedule, you never touch a thing. There is a light to tell you when to add nutrients (this six pod garden requires two packets). There is a light to tell you when to replace the lamps - roughly 6 months of use.
The design is very nice. The black and silver is a pleasing combination. The construction is solid.
There are a few minor flaws or issues. There is some kind of pump to circulate the nutrients, and it does make a continuous buzzing sound. To me it is no louder than our refrigerator, and not at all annoying. In fact, it sounds a lot like our refrigerator when it is running. The lights are very bright. That can be good or bad, depending on where you put the garden. In the kitchen, it makes for a fabulous night light. If it were near your bedroom, or home theater, well the lights are probably not so good.
I debated the value of this machine. Is it worth the cost for the machine and then the future seed pods, nutrients, and lamps? To me, yes it is a good value. I love fresh herbs and will be so happy to cook with herbs I can cut myself. Our son loves to cook, and he will enjoy using fresh greens.
My biggest joy will be making pesto in the same manner as the birth place of pesto - Genoa, Italy. The herb kit for my garden includes Genovese Basil (the essential ingredient in pesto), dill, chives, mint, oregano, and thyme. We are roughly 3 weeks into growing and all the plants are about 3 inches tall. All germinated exactly on schedule, and are thriving. I will be so happy the day that I can harvest enough Genovese Basil and blend it with olive oil from that region.
I am very happy with this machine.
After researching several products, I decided to try the AeroGarden Soft Tie for plants to assist in training vines, grapes, roses, etc. It works beautifully without damaging the plants and I would definitely recommend this product. I like that I am able to adjust the size as needed since I was working with training roses and grapes on trellises and vines growing up fencing and brick.
This product works very well, just as described. I see much more growth than with the common nutrient pellets used in the Aerogarden. these nutrients were also a very fair price compared to other liquid nutrients. the three bottles of different nutrients make it easy to mix and tailor your your solution to suit your plants specifications for all periods of growth. i also used to get clogging problems in my Aerogarden with the classic pellet style nutrients which have stopped since i started using the Ultra Grow nutrients. with this system you no longer need to rely on the Aerogarden light to tell you when to add nutrients, you just mix up a gallon of solution and add to your Aerogarden as the water level decreases. thanks for the great product and price.
This unit looks attractive in most decor. The power cords are MOSTLY (except at the bottom) concealed behind the vertical shield, and it comes with a really convenient installation template that you merely have to tape at the top to a good spot on the wall and along the sides. Put some clear duct tape folded over the paper on the top of the template and along the tape spots along the sides, because you will want to save it.
For all but the handiest person, installation will be a two person job, because one person will need to hold the shelves while the other sets the screws. Short persons may need a step stool or ladder to measure and securely reach the highest point.
If you have a bubble level, pencil, tape, and screwdriver or electric drill and can find a stud, you can do this. The only real challenges are locating the horizontal center of the stud (probably the trickiest) and missing the nailheads in the stud with your screws (luck -- I missed 3 out of 5).
The shelves are heavy duty cast metal alloy with an attractive shiny surface -- more of a molded aluminum alloy than a stainless look, so you will want to clean the fingerprints you leave on them off before you put the Aerogardens on them. They are specifically molded exactly to the Aerogarden bottom contours, so they hold them securely AND no pet or child is going to accidentally knock one off, nor will an Aerogarden vibrate off a shelf.
I gave it only 4 stars because it ships with the worst screws I have ever seen for stripping. They did not fit any of my various bits particularly well and no matter which drill or electric screwdriver I used, the screw resistance going into a stud was so great that the heads wanted to strip just before I got them fully in the wall. Once I realized you can't see the screw heads behind the wire shield, I went and replaced them with nice stainless hex head screws and there was no problem.
Best advice, when you get the set is to take the screws down to your hardware store and replace them with hex head screws of the same length. That will cut the installation time and headache considerably.
One other thing, is that BEFORE you attach the included power strip for the power plugs of the up-to-three Aerogardens, be sure and force the plugs into them while you have them in your hands and can apply the necessary force. This powerstrip had the tightest plugs I have ever seen, and once it was installed I was afraid to apply the force necessary to set the plugs.
Our friends all think my wife's Aerogardens look great in our kitchen. They form a nice conversation piece, and now we have tomatoes, herbs, and the best-tasting and most tender lettuce I have ever tasted right there in the kitchen and ready to go. Unless you just have a lot of extra counter space, this is the way to go, but save that template and the instructions in case you have to take it down when you repaint or you wish to move it.
Overall design is excellent in keeping with the nice design and manufacturing standards of the Aerogarden itself. We have the black Aerogardens, and it looks great with them, but I am also sure it would with the white. I see no reason why someone who had more of a traditional kitchen design could not paint over the silver vertical cord shield and blend it into their decor better.
I have 4 of these going in a large acrylic homemade case with sliding doors and one additional grow lamp above.
One aerogrow has 3 pods of tomatoes, at 6 weeks old they starting blooming yesterday, in one of the empty pods i put some cilantro seeds out of my garden, one is starting to root after just 4 days.
Another machine has 6 pods of mixed lettuce greens, going full and strong, i have to eat at least 8 to 10 leaves a day at a minimum to keep room for them to keep growing, also 6 weeks old but have been eating them for weeks.
Another machine has the herb kit, I wish i wouldnt have wasted a machine on this kit i havent used any of the herbs, but they all grew.
And the 4th aerogrow has 6 pods of greenbeans, it was hard to find the kits and they were old and expired but they are going strong. They are 4 weeks old and i bet there are 50 blossoms on there and tons of itty bits 1" long green beans growing, I am starting to drape the leave out with hanging strings to encourage them to keep growing outside the aerogarden since i have more lights than just the one machine.
I have 2 more machines i am going to plug in as soon as i get time and will probably put in one more tomatoe and definently another green bean as i have a little one that can eat 20 raw beans a day!
Overall i am happy with the machines and have had no problems. They go through a lot more water than i would have thought so i add water frequently.
This is an exciting hobby that I enjoy with my 4 year old daughter every day checking on the plants.
I purchased a refill for my AeroGarden and within a month I am already using the herbs in my cooking. This produce does what it says it does. Guaranteed to grow. The AeroGarden is clean and perfect for a kitchen. I will be ordering more in the future.
