Grow your indoor veggies, herbs in an AeroGarden
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What is an AeroGarden®?
The original AeroGarden® (there are more models) was the culmination of founder Michael Bissonnette's desire to bring the satisfying garden experience indoors to successfully grow flowers, herbs and vegetables year-round.
Inspired by aeroponics technology, the AeroGarden uses no soil, but allows one to grow an indoor garden with the use of nutrients, water, air and of course, proper lighting.
That means a no mess and efficient growing system that's easy to use and maintain, while reaping the harvest, even in the dead of winter.
On the 'green' side, organic growing in itself means no pesticides added to the air and there's quite a bit of recyclables that are used in manufacturing the AeroGarden, as well as when disposing of spent parts. The main unit of course is reusable and growing your own food means less driving to the market, less shipping and so on. All plastic components are BPA-free and the nutrient medium is more than 90% biodegradable.
The AeroGarden® Family:
What started out years ago as a single AeroGarden model has to my surprise, developed into a family of AeroGardens, in various designs, colors and sizes. So there's a model suitable for small spaces, as well as for those who want to expand their garden harvest or explore tall plant growing.
Choose an AeroGarden based on what you intend to grow, as well as the space to place it where you can conveniently plug it in.
Their smallest unit, the AeroGarden 3 is fairly compact at 20"H x 9.5"W x 11"D and has three growing pods. It's available in the widest choice of colors. The Classic 7 which is their most popular AeroGarden (see below), has 7 pods and is 18.5" wide with a height of 21". Then there are extra tall units that require even more headspace. I've provided a little more detail on two AeroGarden models, below.
Benefits of Using an AeroGarden®:
An organic, weed and pesticide-free harvest are probably the biggest reasons to use an AeroGarden. But then when you factor in the fast-growing technique plus the convenience an indoor garden brings, it's hard to find a reason not to use one. Home grown never tasted so good and year-round to boot. Imagine the savings over time, when growing your own fresh produce or flowers.
Each AeroGarden comes with everything you need to initially get it up and running, including the grow light, nutrient and choice of a free seed kit, usually Gourmet Herbs, Salad Greens, or Cascading Petunias (some flower kit).
Whether you simply want to grow fresh-off-the-vine herbs, or enjoy pretty and colorful fresh flowers on your kitchen counter, a system like the AeroGarden that incorporates a grow light and automated system, ensures better and faster results than using a pot and soil. That can be pretty convenient. And since there's no soil, that means cleaner greens and there's also no (ground) pests to watch for.
You could assemble your own aeroponics system if you have a good understanding of that growing technique, but then again, you'd have to construct or design something that incorporates everything needed plus a grow light. An AeroGarden just cuts to the chase and lets you get your garden growing sooner and with less fuss. There's also no guesswork as to proper nutrient, how much lighting and so on, because the AeroGarden is designed to handle all that. It even lets you know when to add water.
Kits may seem a little pricey, but gathering everything you need to make your own indoor garden can also cost quite a bit. You would also have the convenience of finding all the accessories and replacement grow lights or supplies you need, from the AeroGarden site.
Their Most Popular Classic Black AG7 AeroGarden:
This is their most popular AeroGarden model and I can understand why. With 7 pods and double the growing light, you can grow (cherry) tomatoes, peppers, salad greens and herbs, and the unit is still very manageable as far as space is concerned. So you can grow more and I think once you see how fast you can grow healthy, clean organic greens and veggies, it would be hard not to want to grow more.
For those hesitant or with small growing needs or budget, I can see starting with their compact AG3 and adding a Classic 7 to your indoor space later, to expand growing potential. For those who already know they want to grow stuff, the Classic 7 is the best choice. The Classic 7 is available in black or silver.
The Extra Elite AeroGarden for Taller Plants:
For those with higher expectations to grow bigger, taller plants, the AeroGarden Extra Elite (formerly called the Pro200) is the ideal choice. This full-featured tall garden system has a width similar to the Classic 7, but a height of 34", with more lighting for faster growth and bigger yield. It does require more headspace, but the benefits of this tall growing system are huge - you can grow much bigger plants and that means more herbs or greens, more tomatoes and full-size veggies.
The Extra Elite incorporates all the elements of the Classic AG7 plus comes with a 24" adjustable arm and three deluxe grow bulbs. It also has a very stylish look and a Deluxe Trellis System to properly support taller plants.
Learn more; watch video
AeroGarden Accessories, Supplies, Grow Lights:
You can get everything you need to replenish your indoor garden from AeroGarden® including a good variety of seed kits for herbs, tomatoes, salad greens and more.
Questions? Check their Customer Service, Support page. I found a lot of answers there including what type of water is best and whether you can use your own seeds in the AeroGarden.
AeroGarden also now has a Grow Club you might want to check out.
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