Flower varieties typically grow for 4-5 months and can last much longer depending on tending and care. Lettuces & Greens typically grow for about 4 months. Herbs typically grow for about 3-4 months and can last 6 months or more.
With vacation mode, you can program the machine to run on a lowered light and water schedule. Instead of the usual on/off light schedule, an Aerogarden set to Vacation Mode will run for about 50% of the time. This causes the plants to use less water, while still keeping them alive while you're away.
The best time to make the move from an AeroGarden seed starting system to soil is when the seedling grows its first set of true leaves. At this stage, roots have penetrated the grow sponges, but they are not yet long and entangled with one another.
What is the disadvantage of AeroGardens? AeroGardens require a significant upfront investment compared to just buying indoor growing lights or growing things yourself outside. The standard AeroGarden Harvest model only holds room for 6 AeroGarden pods which doesn't allow you to grow much either.
First, an explanation, which was grounded in the reality we faced last fall. Despite creating the tabletop hydroponic gardening category 20 years ago, the market had been challenging these past few years. And that's why we made the tough decision to wind down the business.
After each planting, we recommend cleaning and sanitizing your AeroGarden for the best results.
The type of plant you are growing and the tending and harvesting it receives will impact the life expectancy of any plant. Flower varieties typically grow for 4-5 months and can last much longer depending on tending and care. Lettuces & Greens typically grow for about 4 months.
My herbs were getting too big for my aerogarden so I transplanted them. Keep in mind that when you transplant them into the soil, they will experience shock and look very droopy. Pro tip: I used skewers in the pots I put my herbs in to make them stand on their own.
Herbs typically last around 6 months in the Aerogarden. The key to ensuring herbs last as long as possible is regular pruning and maintaining adequate water and nutrition levels. Harvest often so the plants continue to produce more. You may also need to remove flower buds to prevent the herbs from going to seed.
Indoor herbs are happy with typical indoor temperatures.
Many cooks grow herbs indoors during the winter when it's too cold outside or too wet to dig in the dirt, but you can grow herbs inside any time of year.
The light can stay on during the evening hours, or you can have it be turned off. When you set up your AeroGarden with a programmable menu, the garden will maintain a light and pump cycle that is optimal for the type of plant you have growing.
Place each hydroponic plant in its prepared hole or large pot. Position the plant at the same depth as it was in the hydroponic system. Fill in the hole or container with soil, gently firming it around the new transplants.
AeroGarden prides itself in using low amounts of energy to operate. The amount of electricity used depends on the size of your AeroGarden. Larger models like the Farm 12 use around 126 watts per month whereas smaller models use around 13 watts per month.
You can't really take the water out of a hydroponic growing system! The approach we recommend to prevent algae in your AeroGarden or any other hydroponic system or growing media therefore, is to remove the light.
We recommend using distilled water, which has no mineral content and creates the perfect pH balance when mixed with our liquid plant nutrients. Most filtered water — hard or softened water, bottled drinking water, well-sourced water, and some municipal tap water (depending on the state) — may also cause a pH imbalance.
It actually works
After five weeks, I can confidently say that it does. In this cycle, each of my six herbs sprouted and grew so tall (about 10-11 inches) that by the end of it, the Aerogarden looked like a miniature forest on my windowsill.
Instead of growing in soil, the plants grow in a rich nutrient solution that delivers a consistent supply of food directly to each plant's roots. Each AeroGarden unit is designed for an automatically regulated hydroponic growing experience.
What can you grow with an Aerogarden? Aerogarden sells pods for herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme, mint, dill, chives), as well as salad greens, tomatoes, and peppers.
Fill the bowl with either water and a ¼ cup of chlorine bleach OR 5 cups of distilled white vinegar (no need to use water if you're using the vinegar). Vinegar also helps prevent and clean up mineral deposits in your garden. Let the water pump or aerator circulate the solution for 5 minutes.
About Lights
Your AeroGarden 7 has a built-in timer for Grow Lights that automatically provides your plants with “sunlight” (about 16 hours) and “night” (about 8 hours). As long as your plants get this amount of light, it does not matter what time the lights are off.