As a lifetime member of the Cooking Club of American I periodically get offers to try new culinary equipment. A few months ago I received a brochure about the AeroGarden which uses Aeroponics to grow organic produce and herbs. The compact design and organic growing technique offered by this product intrigued me so I decided to try it out.
What is the AeroGarden?
The AeroGarden is a compact Aeroponic module that allows you to grow herbs, fruits, and vegetables in your home all year long. It utilizes seed pods, Daylight Spectrum Grow bulbs, and a special hydration system to produce organic veggies. The compact design of this machine make it perfect for apartments and small homes.
What Does the AeroGarden Have to Offer
The AeroGarden system initially comes with the light and aeroponic system, as well as your first seed pod kit. You can usually select between a set of cherry tomato pods and an herb garden seed pod collection. Finally this system comes with a user’s manual and nutrient tablets and two grow bulbs. This system usually retails for about $149.95.
After you have harvested everything from your first set of seed pods you have the option of purchasing other seed pod collections. These collections range in price between $19.95 and $29.95 each. The current seed pods collections that are available include: Italian herbs, French herbs, Japanese herbs, salad greens, gourmet herbs, chili peppers, cherry tomatoes, cascading petunias, international basil, and strawberries. These pods will typically yield continuous produce for between four and six months.
In addition to seed pods you can also order a wall farm. This is great for apartments and small homes. It allows you to host two AeroGardens on a wall. This accessory retails for about $49.95. The second accessory offered by AeroGrow is the Harvesting Shears. These retail for $19.95, and they can be ordered through the Aerogrow web site. Do-it-yourself videos are also available.
AeroGarden has a lot of fantastic characteristics. First of all it has a compact design that allows you to grow up to seven different plants at once in a space of less than 3 square feet. Secondly it is easy to set up. I put mine together and got it up and running in less than 15 minutes. Next it doesn’t take that much water. Unlike conventional gardens that is watered from the surface, the AeroGarden waters from underneath. Because the under-the-plant watering system is contained you don’t loose as much water to evaporation, and therefore you use less water. The next advantage of this system is that the plants grow faster and produce larger organic crops. This is due to the fact that your plants are being provided with the proper nutrients, the proper hydration level, and they are receiving direct light for longer periods of time.
Cons of the AeroGarden and AeroGrow Products
While I love my AeroGarden this system does have a few drawbacks. First of all it is pretty expensive for such a small garden. The main system is about $150 and each pod system is about $20. However, because they yield produce for up to six months, this is a fairly reasonable price when spread out over six months. The second drawback is that you can only grow seven plants at a time. If you want to grow more than this you need to buy a second or third system.
Reference:
Order your AeroGarden and accessories from the AeroGrow web site: www.aerogrow.com
