I got an Aerogarden a few months back, and I'm having a wonderful time with the thing. Yes I could have built my own, but the reminders to add water & nutrients are really useful for absent-minded, busy people like me, plus it looks nice enough to keep in a living area (rather than stuffed away in a closet). Very useful for apartment dwellers with no outdoor access and limited indoor space!
The hydro veggies grow very fast, indeed. I'm harvesting useful amounts of fresh greens from it, which I love...so many of the greens you buy end up wilting or turning slimey before you can use them.
The gardens themselves are pricey, but I caught a good sale plus you can find them on Craigslist. Miracle Grow also tries to make money on the seed kits ($2/pod), but that's easy to circumvent by buying growing media on Amazon and your own seeds. I also transplanted basil and mint to regular soil pots and grouped them around the garden to catch the light. They are growing beautifully. I'm happy that the grow lights are LEDs, although it doesn't technically matter as my coop doesn't have submetering for electricity.
Wondering if anyone else has tried these? They're for city folk for sure...Maddy I'm sure you're laughing at me right now :-)
Aerogardens for indoor farming
Moderator: Global Moderator
Re: Aerogardens for indoor farming
No laughing here! This is a bizarre coincidence, because not more than a minute before I clicked on this thread, I was looking at websites on window gardens.
For the first time this morning, there's a blanket of white on the ground. When it comes to growing things, snow is the great equalizer!
I've never heard of aerogardening before. I'll have to look it up!
For the first time this morning, there's a blanket of white on the ground. When it comes to growing things, snow is the great equalizer!
I've never heard of aerogardening before. I'll have to look it up!
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Libertarian666
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Re: Aerogardens for indoor farming
They're not just for city folk.
We live in the country and have two of them. They are very useful for seed starting and herb gardening in the winter even in a relatively warm climate such as East Texas.
(The reason we have two is that when we upgraded the light portion (not LED, unfortunately), they threw in another base for $5.)
We live in the country and have two of them. They are very useful for seed starting and herb gardening in the winter even in a relatively warm climate such as East Texas.
(The reason we have two is that when we upgraded the light portion (not LED, unfortunately), they threw in another base for $5.)
Re: Aerogardens for indoor farming
Maddy, you have snow already? We're still barely out of summer here. The leaves only just started to turn, finally.
I've tried to grow herbs indoors, and failed miserably even with a large south facing window. They really need the grow lights, even if they're not directly trained on the plants. The grow lights give the room sort of a construction site feeling, but I got used to it and it functions now as a night light. If I got another one (e.g. for tomatoes/peppers) I'd have to cover it or put it in a cabinet or closet.
I bet they would be great for seed starting, indeed.
I've tried to grow herbs indoors, and failed miserably even with a large south facing window. They really need the grow lights, even if they're not directly trained on the plants. The grow lights give the room sort of a construction site feeling, but I got used to it and it functions now as a night light. If I got another one (e.g. for tomatoes/peppers) I'd have to cover it or put it in a cabinet or closet.
I bet they would be great for seed starting, indeed.
Re: Aerogardens for indoor farming
Yes, the weather here in the inland northwest has been really screwy this whole year. Last spring, we went from snow to 100 degrees in ten days, which meant that we got no meaningful spring. After a blisteringly hot summer, we got the same thing this fall, only in reverse. These extreme shifts were hard on most crops, and their weakened condition made them susceptible to every form of pestilence that came along. Much of what I grew was not marketable.
I was looking at the various websites on aerogardening. Very interesting, but the kits are pricey. I noticed that they're using mostly LED lighting. Right now, I start seeds indoors under fluorescent tubes, alternating warm (red spectrum) with cool (blue spectrum). A back-of-the-napkin calculation proved that I'm spending a fair bit on electricity for this set-up. I'll have to look into LED.
I was looking at the various websites on aerogardening. Very interesting, but the kits are pricey. I noticed that they're using mostly LED lighting. Right now, I start seeds indoors under fluorescent tubes, alternating warm (red spectrum) with cool (blue spectrum). A back-of-the-napkin calculation proved that I'm spending a fair bit on electricity for this set-up. I'll have to look into LED.
Unless you provide for adequate air circulation, you're likely to have problems with fungal diseases.If I got another one (e.g. for tomatoes/peppers) I'd have to cover it or put it in a cabinet or closet.
Re: Aerogardens for indoor farming
The kits are not too hard to find on Craigslist, but you could cobble together a similar system on your own. If you download the Aerogarden instructions & product specs from their website, you'll see what the components are and how they work. It's basically a covered basin of water with an aquarium pump plus the grow lights. The main value of the kit is the nice looking package plus it guides you through the process and saves a lot of trial & error.
Thanks for reminding me about air circulation - it's why mine is in front of a window. A window farm sounds like a nice option too, but I think I'd need at least a small grow light given the north exposure. Too bad I can't use my bathroom window, it's deep set, faces east, and is almost like a mini greenhouse. I've got a 2 foot lemon tree in there that I grew from seed.
Thanks for reminding me about air circulation - it's why mine is in front of a window. A window farm sounds like a nice option too, but I think I'd need at least a small grow light given the north exposure. Too bad I can't use my bathroom window, it's deep set, faces east, and is almost like a mini greenhouse. I've got a 2 foot lemon tree in there that I grew from seed.