AeroGarden Space-Saver 6 with Gourmet Herb Seed Kit - Silver
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- Brand: Aerogrow
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AeroGarden Space-Saver 6 Has Given Me a Green Thumb!
Pros
Easy and fun way to grow plants!
Cons
Certainly not the cheapest means for raising plants.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If the cost factor doesn't bother you, the AeroGarden can be a fun-filled adventure in hydroponic gardening!
After just two weeks of use, the AeroGarden Space-Saver 6 is performing "as advertised". We now have six herb plants popping up and growing. So, in all honesty, this is more of a preliminary review, and I will update this review after the current herb crop has matured and we're ready to try growing some other plants for planting in the spring.
What's an Aerogarden? For a lot of information, visit the Aerogarden manufacturer's site at www.aerogrow.com. The Aerogarden is a home hydroponic growing kit....growing plants with water and nutrients and artificial light. The AeroGarden Space-Saver 6 is a newer model being sold by Aerogrow. The system depends on a water pump to keep the water circulating, nutrient tablets. and special seed pods that are ready to place in their receptacles in the machine. Special plant lights mounted on an adjustable arm provide regulated "sunshine". A control panel provides the ability to adjust the light/dark cycle for specific crops along with a reminder for when to add the nutrient tablets. If this sounds complex, relax......it's really pretty easy, and the instructions provided are well written and illustrated. A variety of seed kits (several varieties of herbs, cherry tomatoes, salad greens, flowers, etc.) are available for the system at around $20 per kit. And, there are materials available to make your own pods so you can start seedlings of your own choice.
Assembly: The AeroGarden arrived in a very well packed box. Assembly is really quite easy and the instructions are good. It's basically putting the water reservoir on the base, placing the top panel on the reservoir, install the lights in the arm, attach the arm to the base. Then, it's time to add water to the reservoir, add tablets to the water, place the plant pods in their holder, cover with their domes, plug in the unit, use the control panel to start the machine.
Size of the AeroGarden Space-Saver6: 15.5"H x 18"W x 10.5"D
The garden is made of plastic. I consider it to be fairly well built but it won't stand a lot of abuse. Our model is actually the white one, so time will tell if the plastic will discolor or get brittle.
And then............
Once the plants are growing, there isn't too much that you have to do. You do have to check and add water as needed. And, you have to add nutrient tablets at the interval required by the crop you are growing. And, for the herbs we are growing, the booklet that came with the herb kit provides very good directions on any pruning needed and how to harvest properly so that you can get the best yield and keep the plants growing. As the crop grows, you have to adjust the height of the lamp arm. Between crops, directions are provided for how to clean the machine.
You need to know........
1. When the plant lights are on (about 16 hours per day for herbs), the light is very bright. Consider where you want to place the garden...we keep it in our kitchen because the light doesn't interfere with any other rooms/activities.
2. Likewise, the motor does produce a humming sound which can be heard in the room where it is located. It's fairly soft and doesn't interfere with conversation. However, I wouldn't want the sound in our family room where we watch television or in a bedroom.
3. AeroGarden advises that you should only grow plants from one kit at a time or you have to be careful about what plants are grown together because of their room requirements and the ability to keep the lamp adjusted to the proper height. Because of this, some avid users purchase more than one AeroGarden so they can grow muliple crops. Of course, Aerogrow will sell you a rack system for multiple units! I'm thinking of transplanting the herbs to traditional pots, and then starting some tomatoes started to transplant in the spring.
4. Seed kits run around $20. You have the plant lights and pump running around 16 hours per day. Consequently, I wouldn't consider this to be a money saving hobby, but one that does allow you to pick fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, flowers, etc.
Other Models: The original AeroGarden had openings for seven plants and required more space. There is also a model that only accommodates three plants. Some of the models feature a lamp arm that will extend higher for optimal use with taller plants, or you can order a taller arm as an upgrade component.
Company service: Before purchasing, I did a lot of research on this product. Overall, the company seems to have been very good about taking care of customers. Some owners had problems with the pump failing, and many owners reported getting replacement pumps without a problem. Others have reported getting pod replacements for pods that failed to germinate.
On a personal note, my wife's hairdresser has had one for a couple of years and hasn't had a problem.
My Recommendation: So far, I'll give the AeroGarden a "two thumbs up"........but keep in mind that I've only had the garden in use for two weeks. As I said above, I'll keep this review updated as crops mature and new ones are started. If you like gardening, the AeroGarden may be one neat little machine to add to your fun, as well as help you start new plants for your garden.
What's an Aerogarden? For a lot of information, visit the Aerogarden manufacturer's site at www.aerogrow.com. The Aerogarden is a home hydroponic growing kit....growing plants with water and nutrients and artificial light. The AeroGarden Space-Saver 6 is a newer model being sold by Aerogrow. The system depends on a water pump to keep the water circulating, nutrient tablets. and special seed pods that are ready to place in their receptacles in the machine. Special plant lights mounted on an adjustable arm provide regulated "sunshine". A control panel provides the ability to adjust the light/dark cycle for specific crops along with a reminder for when to add the nutrient tablets. If this sounds complex, relax......it's really pretty easy, and the instructions provided are well written and illustrated. A variety of seed kits (several varieties of herbs, cherry tomatoes, salad greens, flowers, etc.) are available for the system at around $20 per kit. And, there are materials available to make your own pods so you can start seedlings of your own choice.
Assembly: The AeroGarden arrived in a very well packed box. Assembly is really quite easy and the instructions are good. It's basically putting the water reservoir on the base, placing the top panel on the reservoir, install the lights in the arm, attach the arm to the base. Then, it's time to add water to the reservoir, add tablets to the water, place the plant pods in their holder, cover with their domes, plug in the unit, use the control panel to start the machine.
Size of the AeroGarden Space-Saver6: 15.5"H x 18"W x 10.5"D
The garden is made of plastic. I consider it to be fairly well built but it won't stand a lot of abuse. Our model is actually the white one, so time will tell if the plastic will discolor or get brittle.
And then............
Once the plants are growing, there isn't too much that you have to do. You do have to check and add water as needed. And, you have to add nutrient tablets at the interval required by the crop you are growing. And, for the herbs we are growing, the booklet that came with the herb kit provides very good directions on any pruning needed and how to harvest properly so that you can get the best yield and keep the plants growing. As the crop grows, you have to adjust the height of the lamp arm. Between crops, directions are provided for how to clean the machine.
You need to know........
1. When the plant lights are on (about 16 hours per day for herbs), the light is very bright. Consider where you want to place the garden...we keep it in our kitchen because the light doesn't interfere with any other rooms/activities.
2. Likewise, the motor does produce a humming sound which can be heard in the room where it is located. It's fairly soft and doesn't interfere with conversation. However, I wouldn't want the sound in our family room where we watch television or in a bedroom.
3. AeroGarden advises that you should only grow plants from one kit at a time or you have to be careful about what plants are grown together because of their room requirements and the ability to keep the lamp adjusted to the proper height. Because of this, some avid users purchase more than one AeroGarden so they can grow muliple crops. Of course, Aerogrow will sell you a rack system for multiple units! I'm thinking of transplanting the herbs to traditional pots, and then starting some tomatoes started to transplant in the spring.
4. Seed kits run around $20. You have the plant lights and pump running around 16 hours per day. Consequently, I wouldn't consider this to be a money saving hobby, but one that does allow you to pick fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, flowers, etc.
Other Models: The original AeroGarden had openings for seven plants and required more space. There is also a model that only accommodates three plants. Some of the models feature a lamp arm that will extend higher for optimal use with taller plants, or you can order a taller arm as an upgrade component.
Company service: Before purchasing, I did a lot of research on this product. Overall, the company seems to have been very good about taking care of customers. Some owners had problems with the pump failing, and many owners reported getting replacement pumps without a problem. Others have reported getting pod replacements for pods that failed to germinate.
On a personal note, my wife's hairdresser has had one for a couple of years and hasn't had a problem.
My Recommendation: So far, I'll give the AeroGarden a "two thumbs up"........but keep in mind that I've only had the garden in use for two weeks. As I said above, I'll keep this review updated as crops mature and new ones are started. If you like gardening, the AeroGarden may be one neat little machine to add to your fun, as well as help you start new plants for your garden.
