I’ve had my AeroGarden for over a yr now, so I feel it’s time to do an sincere overview and analysis of the product. If you’ve by no means heard of those infants earlier than, sit tight. I’ll give you an outline of what the product is. A hyperlink for those who’re desirous about buying one. And an sincere overview that can embody my private professional’s and con’s whereas residing the RV Life.
I need to level out that this isn’t a paid commercial. I’m not being sponsored by AeroGarden, and so they didn’t pay me to jot down a overview. This is an sincere evaluation of how I really feel about my backyard and their product.
What is the AeroGarden?
The AeroGarden is an indoor hydroponic backyard. A hydroponic backyard is one the place the vegetation develop in water and little or no (if any) soil. For the Aerogarden, every seed pod has a small quantity of soil in every pod containing the seeds. No extra soil is used whereas the plant grows. The roots are all free floating in water contained within the decrease bucket portion of the unit. What makes the AeroGarden so particular? They have made this dynamic and versatile means of rising, simple to make use of for the frequent family.
You can get a wide range of sizes starting from a 3 plant system to a brilliant giant 24 plant system. Most of the backyard’s are counter measurement, no bigger than a toaster oven. But their Farm Family setup is flooring based mostly and would require more room.
What Can you Grow in It?
I’m certain I’ve at the least piqued your curiosity at this level. So what are you able to develop on this factor? Once once more, there are a number of choices that AeroGarden has proper on their webpage in your selecting. You can strive your hand at herbs. If you actually like a freshly grown salad, you’ll be able to choose to plant an array of lettuces. If flowers are extra your pace, you are able to do that too. You may even get greens that develop indoors all yr spherical so that you’re meals are at all times made with more energizing components. In the uncommon case that you simply aren’t happy with the seed equipment choices they provide, you’ll be able to even buy empty pods to place your personal seeds in.
Ok. Ok. You assume this factor is fairly cool, however you’ll be able to’t maintain a small cactus alive in your kitchen window. Trust me. I get it. I don’t have a inexperienced thumb both. AeroGarden to the rescue as soon as once more. They’ve made this stuff for the Green Thumb Challenged particular person, like myself. It has an alert when it wants extra water. Another alert when it’s time to provide your little child vegetation meals. You’re happening trip, no want to fret. You simply put your backyard into Vacation Mode the place it reduces the variety of hours the sunshine is on! And it can even decrease the frequency the water pump runs.
What About A Warrenty?
Yup. They’ve bought that too. Not solely does AeroGarden have a restricted guarantee on the backyard unit, however additionally they have a assure on the seed pods! When you buy the merchandise straight by way of them, they may again the seeds with a 100% germination assure. Crazy, proper?!
Aside from the warranties and ensures that they supply, they’ve a bunch of FAQ’s on their web site. Before you even attain out to the corporate by way of chat, e mail, or cellphone name, you’ll seemingly discover your query proper there. Questions vary from the kind of plastic used to help with the water pump not working. All questions with the most typical answer at your fingertips with out sitting on maintain ready for customer support.
AeroGarden Pro’s
Honestly, for those who’ve made it so far within the article, it’s important to have found out that I like this product. When we did our walk-thru video of our RV, we truly needed to edit out a bit of it as a result of I bought caught speaking about my backyard a lot. You can nonetheless see the backyard with all of my pretty vegetation rising. But can I truthfully give you any extra motive’s to purchase it? I actually can.
Fresh Ingredients
It’s 2022. Really, it’s nearly 2023. We all know that FRESH meals is healthier for us than something that is available in a can, field, or bag. We don’t want to affix a well being membership or see a nutritionist to be advised this. You understand it, I do know it, even your neighbor is aware of it.
Fresh components will not be solely more healthy for us, however they TASTE higher too! Go forward… Tell me the can of inexperienced beans style nearly as good because the contemporary inexperienced beans you picked out of your backyard. You can’t! They don’t. I imply, they’ll work, you’ll be able to eat them. There’s even dietary worth in these canned veggies. But they may by no means style nearly as good because the contemporary stuff does.
Inspiration
Huh? Here I’m telling you that you would be able to go browsing and buy pre-selected seed pods and now I’m speaking about inspiration. This goes again to that excellent assist that AeroGarden gives. When you’re on the Aerogarden web site, you’ll be able to tab over to Inspiration. Here, they’ve a bunch of articles about Growing, Cooking, Learning, and even Crafting your backyard the way in which you need it. Getting began with a backyard might be overwhelming if you first begin. This is particularly true for those who’ve by no means executed it earlier than.
AeroGarden helps you thru studying easy methods to prune and harvest out of your vegetation. When you have got an abundance of Basil, they’ve an article on easy methods to dry and retailer it. Need a recipe for all of these tomatoes you harvested, they’ve bought that! The articles are tailor-made to the precise forms of vegetation that they promote. So you aren’t studying a recipe about Beefsteak tomatoes, they’ve one for cherry tomatoes.
Space
As I stated earlier, these little counter high backyard’s don’t take up more room than a toaster oven. When you plant a backyard outdoors, you truly must have some area. The particular person residing in an condo could have a balcony to place just a few potted vegetation on, however they don’t have a yard. Even for those who’re in a home with a yard, you must dedicate an space for rising a backyard. I stay in an RV, so my counter area is restricted, however I had room to arrange my backyard. I used to be capable of have contemporary basil, dill, and tomatoes for all of my cooking.
AeroGarden makes use of non-GMO seeds which might be particularly designed for the area supplied of their gardens. You aren’t buying an eggplant that can develop over 3 ft extensive. You are getting a plant that can slot in inside the confines of the backyard. This alone saves area.
AeroGarden Cons
You didn’t assume I had any, did you? I’ve gone on a whole rant about how fantastic and superb this factor is. You’re even prepared to purchase one. But maintain up a minute. Let me go over why I don’t even use my unit anymore. Really. You should need one even after I overview my cons. Some of my causes will seemingly be a lot completely different than the traditional family. But I nonetheless assume I’ve just a few cons that each consumer want to learn about.
Power
We stay in a camper. Our energy provide is restricted. When we go Boondocking for two weeks at a time, we’re solely operating on photo voltaic panels and a generator. Every single amp of energy must be accounted for after we do this kind of tenting. Utilizing a few of that electrical to run the AeroGarden, even with it’s LED lights, is electrical we now have deemed pointless. Now, the solar does nonetheless come up day by day free of charge. Placing the backyard outdoors will present the required mild.
But there may be additionally the tiny water pump. This too attracts energy. Not to fret, the backyard will nonetheless work with out the pump going. As lengthy as there may be water within the unit, the vegetation will probably be wonderful. But we additionally want to think about our water utilization. The vegetation nonetheless require water, however so can we, and we now have a restricted provide. For the frequent house owner, this isn’t actually a con you must fear about. But for the RV Lifestyle it’s.
Yield
Doug and I are solely 2 individuals. There isn’t anybody else residing in our camper. The seeds supplied by AeroGarden yield SO a lot that we truthfully couldn’t sustain with it. Now, I do know for lots of people, that doesn’t sound like a nasty factor. Maybe if we have been in a home and never a camper, it might be factor for us too. However, we’re restricted on area. There isn’t sufficient room to dry, protect, and maintain all the harvest.
We began harvesting and giving it away there was a lot. We’re all for serving to one another out and offering to others when we now have an abundance. But, we aren’t at all times with different individuals. Lots of our tenting areas are in solitude. Then I discovered myself having to throw out completely good herbs and greens.
Getting New Pods
Again, this isn’t one thing that can impact a family. Only one thing that must be thought of when utilizing one in an RV. We don’t get mail or packages on a regular basis. We aren’t even in most locations lengthy sufficient to order one thing. Our mail is delivered to a mail service situated in Texas. When we all know we now have essential mail that wants our consideration, we now have to e-book a campground that enables deliveries. We contact our mail service and so they package deal and ship all of our mail to stated campground. On just a few events we now have needed to lengthen our keep as a result of we’re nonetheless ready for that mail supply.
I can’t place an order for extra seed pods except we’re stationary lengthy sufficient for them to be delivered. This is one thing we take care of for all on-line purchases. We accepted this with most issues and perceive that if we will’t purchase it in a retailer, we have to plan for ordering something. This has an added price, which deliver me to my final con.
Cost
Yeah. Here it’s. The actual zinger. These infants are costly. For the smallest backyard unit AeroGarden provides it’s an preliminary $100 funding. When you think about that it comes with a starter seed equipment and the plant meals, that doesn’t sound horrible. But their Bounty (the one I’ve) it’s $460! Don’t get me improper, they’ve choices and you will discover one that matches your price range. But lets do a breakdown right here… How a lot does it price to choose up some contemporary basil on the grocery retailer for tonight’s dinner? Maybe $2.00. I must use basil in 230 days of dinner simply to cowl the price of the unit. Tomatoes could also be sooner.
Seed pods have an expense too. Just a fast poke on the web site reveals me {that a} 6 pod tomato and pepper equipment will price about $13.50. This isn’t horrible when you think about the price of contemporary greens on the farmers market. But nonetheless a price none the much less. Remember, we’re nonetheless attempting to get sufficient harvest to cowl the price of the unit.
Final Judgement
For the Fulltime RV’er, having a backyard with you sounds fantastic in concept. AeroGarden has technically even made that potential. Like I’ve stated in the whole first half of this text, I really adored my unit and liked having contemporary components at my disposal. However, preserving the backyard operating simply hasn’t been essentially the most sensible factor within the camper.
Even for those who take out the Power and Yield issues, you continue to must think about Getting New Pods and the Cost related to it. For us, preserving our backyard going simply wasn’t pragmatic anymore. Hopefully this sincere overview provides you just a few issues to think about earlier than committing to, and buying, a unit in your RV Life.
