Another great video, thank you so much! I won an Aerogarden Harvest Elite for very cheap at an auction (less than $50!) but had no idea where to start. Such a shame at AeroGarden barely provides any information on how to grow healthy, sustainable plants. So glad I found your channel. I am learning SO MUCH from every video. Please PLEASE keep it up!
Thanks so much for all your lovely comments! It’s always nice to know the videos are helpful to people! I love being able to help people grow their own food indoors or outside!
I just got my hydroponic growing system. I've been watching a few videos before getting started. I came across your video and found it very informative.
I’m so glad it was helpful for you. How exciting to have your first system! If you have any questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them. Happy growing!
I got one for my birthday two weeks ago and finally planted it today. I put it in my kitchen where I will be reminded to use fresh herbs when cooking. If I had lettuce seeds I would have liked to start with those.
Hi Gail, So exciting! Lettuce definitely grows amazing hydroponically and personally I prefer it to lettuce grown in soil :) Love that you put it in your kitchen to serve as a reminder. Happy growing!
I have had it running all the time on oscillation and I have also had it on a timer. Just make sure it is oscillating and on a low setting. We want a breeze not a hurricane 😂
This was awesome! I just received my first Aerogarden Harvest as a present and was completely overwhelmed. You made it easy peasy to follow and set up!
Awesome, glad it was helpful. It can definitely be a bit overwhelming when you are first getting started! Question about algae and “the white fuzzy stuff” are some of the first questions/issues newbies run into :). Let me know if you have any other questions.
I'm a first time hydroponic farmer. My dad did everything hydroponically including getting a head-start on plants to put out in the spring. Unfortunately I was away to college when he started, and then working overseas. Now I'm home, but he's dead, and therefore can't teach me anything anymore. He was an incredible gardener, and even though it was only a hobby for him, he was always fielding calls from the local extension office regarding people with rare garden problems. We never knew whether the calls we got were going to be gardening calls or medical calls, but one way or the other it was probably going to be for him. Also, that was back in the 1960's, 70's, and 80's. After that, he retired and moved out of town. That was about the same time as I moved back to town from overseas. Our time in the same town overlapped only long enough for him to help me start my garden during my first spring back. I gave up a lot in order to follow my chosen career (professional classical musician and university music department professor). I want to grow basil. I want to grow more basil. Then I want to grow still more basil. Then maybe I will grow a little Thai basil. I eat basil like a cow eats grass. Somewhere or other I want to sneak in a cilantro plant, but AeroGarden don't sell pre-loaded cilantro, and I'm not sure that would transplant when spring rolls around as well as basil does. Did I mention that I want lots of basil? I'm not too picky about what type of European basil I grow, but when it comes to Thai basil, nothing works in southeast Asian food like Thai basil. That's why I want to sneak one of those in there. Because I'm vegan, I don't find much use for thyme, rosemary, or sage. Besides, sage grows wild here, and it's often considered to be a weed by the local ranchers. Maybe I'll grow potatoes or carrots in it. Just kidding. I know this is not a solution for growing root crops. I do want to grow basil though. Don't know if I've made that clear yet. Darn. I'm going to have to buy a new fan. My fan speed starts with a force 12 gale, and goes on up to category 5 hurricane force. It's also crazy loud. If something gets burned in the kitchen, it will get the smoke out quickly, and it will pull fresh air through the entire house. Not exactly what we want on plants though. We are on city water here, and the city water comes from artesian wells. It's a bit on the hard side, and therefore a lot of people put water softeners in their homes. I can't stand the taste of softened water, so I haven't put in a water softener. Hmmm... will the calcium build up? You can break down lime scale (and I do so) by cleaning things with white vinegar. I wonder if cleaning it with white vinegar when I put it away for the summer would work, or if that calcium will eventually clog the pump itself? Distilled water is pricey. Don't want to be buying that all the time. If I don't drink Perrier, then my plants shouldn't need to either. Definitely gave a thumbs up, and subscribed also. Your channel seems to be very informative! It's just the kind of info I need.
Your love of basil made me smile…I’m still smiling! Luckily basil grows AMAZING hydroponically! I am planning a huge basil planting soon so I can make a big batch of pesto to freeze. I don’t use the pre-seeded pods as I am an heirloom seed snob and like to use my own. So you can grab some of the grow anything pods and get some cilantro seeds. Make sure to carefully crack the cilantro pods as they actually have two seeds in them and cracking them helps germination. There are so many kinds of basil! I think I’m up to 10 different kinds that I grow! You should check out Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds as they are amazing and have loads of varieties! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out! Kir
@@The_IndoorGardener I'm glad it made you smile! That means I did my best for the day. Not many things you can do better for a person than to put a smile on their face. You may like to know that your reply has put one on my face too. Thanks for the tip regarding cilantro. Of the many things that are hard to find in the grocery stores out here on the prairie (even if you live in a bigger town like Regina or Saskatoon), fresh herbs are among them, and when you do find them it's a lot of money for not very much. Things are already freezing out here, and so I'm already eager to get a hydroponic garden growing. I was glad to find that self-seeding is an option. Many of the herbs in my garden produce seeds more prolifically than the weeds do, and basil is among the ones that do. Also, chives go crazy as well. I've never had to replant chives in my life, either here or in Great Britain. It's another thing which could also almost be classified as a weed, because if you grow it anywhere near the garden proper, you'll soon have a garden that will grow chives to the exclusion of everything else! I think for basil junkies like you and I, this kind of garden is almost a must have. I'm not even half kidding. It looks by the amount of basil you have in your garden that you must like it as much as I. I'm perhaps a little crazier than most about it, because when I'm in the garden or cooking, I'll take a leaf and chew on it raw, and enjoy every moment of it! Somehow there must be something in it my body needs, because I sometimes just cave it. Thanks for your response! I think I may have found a kindred soul when it comes to basil!
I have this great growing store close to my house and they sell Nutrients, so once I run out of the aerogarden stuff I will go and get their advice on what is better! Thanks again
If you find a good one let me know! I am going to be trying out the Fox Farm hydroponic ones soon. I always like trying out new things to see which ones work best for me and my gardens :)
I just got an Aerogarden Sprout as a Christmas gift, and set it up today. I already plan to adjust the light so it doesn't stay on so late at night, and I plan to do that tomorrow morning.
I just got one for christmas! Your video was really helpful. I reached the conclusion (and it makes sense, I'm just slow from post-christmas sleepiness ahah) that I'm basically combining my love for gardening with my love for planted fishtanks :) Now, on my way to learn how to grow a melon hydroponically! :)
What a fabulous tutorial!! Thank you. I am using mine to start seeds and then transfew to my Garden Tower, but all your tips apply. I just ordered hole covers as I didnt know about needing to keep light out of the water!
I really want to try the gardyn…but they don’t ship to Canada (last time I checked). Glad you got the hole covers, they really help keep the chances of algae down!!!
What I'd really like to see is a video explaining when and how to prune tomato plants growing in an Aerogarden. I've got tomatoes in both a Bounty Elite and a Farm XL and know I'm alternately either over- or under-pruning. Switching to micro plants from Baker Creek Seeds will be the next crop and may alleviate some of that but, in the meanwhile, it would be nice to get more benefit out of the current plantings. Thanks.
Great suggestion! I am planning a pruning video for the future. I am just making my way through the root trimming video at the moment and then I will plan out the pruning one. I personally love the orange hat tomatoes from Baker Creek. Victory Seeds also has some great dwarf varieties that are only 1-2 feet tall. I currently have the Dwarf Metallica from Victory and they grow 2-3 feet tall. Currently it is about a foot tall and I already have fruit on it! They are also gorgeous and delicious!
If got the aerogarden hydroponic sprout system and I just ordered the Aerogarden hydroponic harvest with the seed starting kit for the harvest Super excited
Love my Aerogarden. The Harvest XL is one model that does not have a seed start tray. Hopefully, Aerogarden will create one for Christmas or New years.
Just ordered my Farm 24 Plus earlier today. Should get it in about a week. Your videos are great. Especially for a newbie!! I am greatly appreciating all of your tips and tricks.
That’s so exciting Erin!!! I’m stoked you found my videos helpful! What are you most excited to grow? I’m growing tomatoes, jalapeños, blot peppers and and eggplant in my Farm at the moment
@@The_IndoorGardener I am wanting to grow some tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeños, cilantro, chives, lettuces and maybe a few other things. I don’t really have a green thumb but I’m gonna try. I actually bought it based off of a ton of people in a FB group I’m in saying they have it and love it. So I jumped in. THEN I saw all of the videos about algae and cleaning and bugs. 🤣🤣🤣 So hopefully I’m going to be able to do this. 🤣🤪😬 We were going to try to do some raised garden beds in the small backyard we have but decided this may be a better start for me. But I still may do some things in a few 5 gallon buckets. Like bigger tomatoes etc. We don’t have long winters…but enough that I can’t leave things out all year long. And we have an HOA so I can’t do a greenhouse. 😢
Hi Erin, Growing hydroponically is a great way to build your confidence! Green thumbs are learned from much trial and error, so don't get discouraged. You'd be surprised how much you can grow in a small space, the 5 gal buckets will be a great start, just don't forget the drainage holes. I don't have an HOA but I do have by-laws that saw I can't have chickens, which sucks. One day I will have them! Kiri
@@The_IndoorGardener Well I’m excited to give it a shot. My Farm 24 came in today and hubby put it together. So I’ll spend the next few days reading and deciding what I want to start planting. Wish me luck. 🤣
Thank you so much Charles! I am so glad you found the video helpful. If you have any questions feel free to reach out and I will do my best to answer them. What are you planning to grow in your new Harvest?
Hi Chris! That put a smile on my face, I am so happy you found the video helpful. Growing hydroponically is so awesome (and a bit addictive LOL). We have snow on the ground here in Canada and I just harvested some beautiful paprika peppers yesterday and I am going to dehydrate them to make my own paprika powder! If you have any other questions or comments let me know and I will try and help out. Kir
Hi Filomene! That’s so exciting! Growing hydroponically can definietly be a bit addicting, herbs are a great wat to start. I find that basil grows AMAZING hydroponically. I have ahd basil leaves as big as my hand, it’s insane. Keep me posted on how it goes and if you have any questions or video ideas let me know. Happy growing.
I just got a AeroGarden Harvest for my birthday and am very excited to start using it. I will start out with herbs until i feel comfortable trying something else. Your video was very helpful.
Really enjoying your videos! I got a Sprout a few months ago and have since added a Harvest, Harvest XL and just ordered a Bounty. I'm hooked and really appreciate learning more from your vlogs. Thank you!
The bounty is a great unit! I would start with something easy like lettuce. Honestly some of the best stuff to grow hydroponically (in my opinion) is leafy greens and herbs! Once you get more confident micro tomatoes are great too
When first growing your seedlings, throw a white pillowcase or dish towel with some holes cut out to cover the unit to create 4 walls. The walls will reflect the overhead light to side light, and prevent the plants from reaching. The holes allow the fan circulation to get through. You can also use pieces of white board, which is clumsy to work with, or sit the entire unit in a rectangular white trash basket where the walls are high enough to provide the reflected/bounced light. The pillowcase is the easiest, though, and washable.
Great video! I’m very new to indoor gardening. Been watching as many videos as I can before I purchase a system. FYI I’ve never gardened before ever lol. I really want to grow lettuce and tomatoes. Should I buy two tabletop systems or can I grow lettuce and tomatoes together if they are spaced apart?
Great questions! First thing you should know is there is this thing I like to call AeroGarden math…which dictates that you buy one system and very quickly end up with 10 of them 😂 without wanting to overwhelm you can grow them together (and yes space them out) but the tomatoes can get unruly. So it is up to you and what you can afford. What systems were you looking at?
@@The_IndoorGardener Lol yes I can def see myself ending up with a bunch of systems. I’m looking at the Harvest Elite for sure for cherry tomatoes and then maybe a smaller one for lettuce and herbs. I’m also looking into getting the Gardyn 3.0 I would like to grow my own peppers too so I can make hot sauce.
I`m thinking of trying one to simply learn about it and I may try regular pots and grow lights too. This could cause a raid by trigger happy cops in Louisiana though. I just ordered a 10x7x10 greenhouse to experiment with and hopefully get a crop of yellow squash without the vine borers ripping them to pieces. I love leaf lettuce and basil but I eat a lot of it and don`t see how one of these can keep up. But it would be fun to grow something indoors.
Thanks so much for this video! I started my first AeroGarden (Harvest 360) on 7/5/21. Planted three pods lettuce plus three pods golden cherry tomatoes. I see now, that was not a good idea and your comments help to explain why. While everything sprouted initially according to schedule that Aero indicated, actual harvestable food has been much slower. I did not really enjoy the lettuce. 3 different varieties, all were limp, definitely Not crispy. Don't really know what happened there. The tomatoes are another story. It's been over two months and I finally saw three tomatoes on one stalk. That was it. Yesterday though, I actually saw a new tomato starting on a different stalk. I had purchased that little vibrating bee pollinator with everything and used it with the tomatoes every time I saw flowers. Don't know if that did anything. The tomato plants have grown far taller than the integrated light kit. Since this is in a window, I guess that's okay although this window does not get a huge amount of light. We shall see what happens. One big question I have is that at a certain point, so many roots developed in the hold (where the water is), that the water was being consumed very rapidly and I have to refill it every few days because the pump stops. There's not enough water to pump. I have no idea how to change or what to do next time to avoid this, other than to not plant all 6 wells, which you did indicate is better. That's disappointing news, but if it results in a better end product I guess I'll try that next time. Another thing that I failed to do was trim all the plants properly when they were young, mainly because I wasn't sure how to do it. It would be very helpful to see a video about that. As a result, all of what I have is very leggy and did not bush out the way all the photos show. Another lesson learned for the next round. So before giving up I will take your advice, hopefully watch some more of your videos, and also purchase their pods without the seeds so I can try my own. I still have 3 each cherry tomatoes and lettuce so we'll use those up first. If I can make this work, I would be interested in buying a larger model like one of their "farm" series units, but they are expensive, so want to prove to myself that I can get a good crop with the Harvest model first. I very much welcome any advice. Oh, thanks for explaining the seed deck. Didn't understand the purpose Thanks again. Cheers.
Hi Marian, Yes it can be quite a surprise when you think you have 6 or 9 holes to plant in! I will being doing more hydroponic content over the winter as my outdoor garden is wrapping up. I plant to do some videos on pruning, water testing, nutrients and also root trimming, so stay tuned! It is always good to have a fan on your hydroponic plants, especially for leafy greens! Thanks for the video suggestions and they will definitely be coming! Let me know if you have any other questions.
@@The_IndoorGardener Thanks so much for your reply. I did hear you mention getting an oscillating fan in the video, but I don't really understand why this is necessary. Is it something about hydroponics that make this more of a need than with indoor planting with soil? I've never done this before. It also will complicate things because I don't have another outlet in that location and there also is really no physical room for a fan. So unless there's a really good reason for one, I would like to avoid having to do this. However I will defer to your experience with this and try it if you think it is really necessary. Oh, one last question. Pod covers for unused wells. Looks like they are out of stock. Since you said the purpose is simply to prevent light from getting into the water tank, how about just cutting out some cardboard discs and putting that over the empty well? Would that work or would there be a problem using cardboard over a well containing water? I actually know quite a bit about chemicals that get released from cardboard when it is in a humid environment. That's why I ask. Oh, I just thought of this- I guess I could cut a circular disc out of a HDPE (#2) yogurt or cottage cheese lid. Maybe that would be better?
Hi Marian, The fan is primarily to help with air circulation which helps the stems grow stronger. The idea is to replicate the breeze that would occur out in the real world, so it is not specifically a hydroponic issue. But I would say it is more necessary with hydroponic grows, especially when people use systems like Aerogardens where the pod spaces are very close together which leads to over crowding and less air flow being possible. You definitely don't need the pod covers. I would avoid cardboard mostly because it is a moist environment. I know a lot of people use golf balls as they fit nicely into the holes and then don't tend to move around. But essentially anything that removes light from the equation is key. :) Hope that helps, Kir
@@The_IndoorGardener That makes sense. Those aero wells are pretty close together. Aero uses this as a selling point, telling customers they can get big yield from a tiny footprint. Guess this is another demonstration of magical thinking. Oh, golf balls to cover the empty wells. You did mention that in your video. This idea is brilliant! Kudos to who ever came up with that one. Thanks again!
I just decided today to learn and purchase a garden. My question for you is about water, I do have filtered water. The water here was awful. What can I use? I loved this video and very helpful as I purchase my first garden.
Hi Teresa, You could use filtered water or distilled water but this is a whole big topic of conversation and one I am currently researching for an upcoming blog post and UA-cam video. SO stay tuned for that and then I can properly answer your question :)
I have enjoyed your videos. I bought my wife the Bounty Elite for Three Kings Day and we should have it by the 4th. I was interested in the black covers you mention, but the link is broken. Thank you.
Oh sorry about that. You can just go on Amazon and search for “AeroGarden hole covers” or if you golf balls lying around the work great too. Anything that blocks the light will work!
I just received one (ScienGarden) for my birthday. So far, as a beginner, I did everything you said beginners shouldn't do lol. I have an air purifier near the system while my spinach & lettuce are growing. Yep, every space (12 of them) I am using! One thing I was really concerned about was the fertilizers that come with them all. I never considered there was a food for hydroponic growing. In your opinion, what is a great NATURAL fertilizer/food that is hydroponically friendly that is NOT Miracle Gro? Thanks for making this video and having this space for people like me😊
Hi Jamie, You’re growing your own food and that’s what counts!!!! Great question about the nutrients. It’s something I want to dig into more and will doing some experiments in the new year to test out different ones and to better understand what is in them. So I can’t answer that yet but stay tuned! If you have any other questions let me know
I love Fox Farms products but they can get a bit pricey. I’m currently using General Hydroponics nutrient system. There are three bottles of nutrients. The ratio of each depends on the stage of growth and if it is a flowering/fruiting plant. A chart with the ratios is on every bottle and it’s extremely easy to use (I’m a lazy gardener🤫)
Wow is this video informative! As a kindergarten teacher with an Aerogarden Bounty on order, can I grow strawberry plants in it? I know I can't grow 9, but 2? Is there enough light? Thanks for your help....
Thanks Jennifer! I’m stoked you found it so helpful. I don’t see any reason you can’t grow strawberries in it. What kind are you growing? I like the alpine strawberries for growing hydroponically because they don’t have the runners. Not that you can’t grow strawberries with runners hydroponically, they just tend to take over! If you are doing alpine ones you could probably do 4 in the bounty. If you are doing the ones with runners I would keep it to two but I would then root two of the runner babies in two other holes 😘 Hope that helps!
@@The_IndoorGardener I was originally thinking of one of the bigger models, but now I'm thinking I should maybe get 2 Sprouts, and use 1 for lettuce and another for herbs because it looks like trying to put it all into one might not work so well! I'm still in mega research mode and your video is very helpful
You are an angel! I am so grateful I found your videos! I have quite a large order sitting in my Aerogarden shopping cart right now and for two days haven't hit the purchase button. I have watched countless hours of videos, and compiled quite a notebook full of tips, but can't help but think I might be biting off more than I chew. If I PayPal you for your time, would you be willing to talk with me about some of my concerns?
Hi Tina, I would be more than happy to answer your questions. Email me at ourlittlesuburbanfarmhouse@gmail.com and we can figure out a time that works! Happy you help Kiri
Great video! I have had my Aerogarden for 19 days now and the romaine lettuce I planted is sprouting like crazy. Here is my question. When I first planted and had the domes on the pods, I noticed, what I saw were tiny black spots on some of the domes and on the white platform, and there were a few leaves that were turning brown on the edges. So I contacted the company, sent them pictures and they said it could be insect eggs. Great company! Before I said anything they sent me new pods and told me to sterilize the garden and try again. However, what I thought may have been black bug eggs, may have just been soil that had fallen out of one of the pods onto the platform and onto some of the domes. I cleaned the platform off as well as the domes. I rinsed all of the plants under running water (as was instructed) and I really haven't seen anything since, either on the platform or the leaves.As I said, they are sprouting like crazy and I am not sure if I should harvest these plantings when the time comes, because I am not seeing anything on the leaves (I use a magnifying glass), or just to make sure, throw everything out, sterilize the unit and start all over again. Any thoughts? How can I tell if I do have bugs on there? If I washed these leaves and for some reason there were microscopic insects, could I get sick? Not sure how to proceed. Thanks.
I think you may be onto something that it could have been from the pods. That said erring on the side of caution is never a bad thing. I would honestly say it's what you feel comfortable with. Having grown food for years, especially outdoors I have eaten my share of dirt and probably a bug or two ;) If it was me and the plants were growing well, I would just give them a rinse when I harvest them and enjoy some homegrown food. The only way to truly kill any bugs off is pesticides and those are no good for anyone! I hope that helps, gardening (indoor or out) definitely is not about perfection it's about trying things and learning what works for you. It's so great that you have started growing some of your own food. I always find that it tastes better :) Kiri
@@The_IndoorGardener Thanks. I really am excited about this Aerogarden. It may become a new hobby for me. I must have been wrong about the bugs, because the romaine is growing like mad now. every few days I have to raise the light and add water to the tank. The leaves on the plants look very healthy to me. Some are lumpy with a few darker spots on them while others are smooth. Could that just the type of romaine it is and the way the light is reflecting off of it? I don't see any yellowing or burnt ends and even with my magnifying glass I can't see any trace of anything unusual like bugs. The only thing that has been happening to the leaves is that a few got torn because they are so soft. I am purchasing a fan to help strengthen them as that was suggested in my reading. Also, two questions, if you don't mind. The first is how do I know when to harvest the romaine? On what day or how tall should they be? It is right now day 22. In addition, if I am successful with these plantings I would like to get another AeroGarden, perhaps a smaller version, and try my hand at dwarf tomatoes using only one pod opening to give them room. But, many of the reviews I have seen say that the AeroGarden tomatoes are not edible. Many say they taste really bad. So, if I go in that direction, should I purchase a different brand of tomato seed to plant in the AeroGarden pods that you can purchase empty? Or, do you think it's something that these people are doing wrong that makes the tomatoes inedible? Also, can you grow cauliflower in an AeroGarden? Again, this is just so exciting to me to be growing this stuff. Thanks so much for your help!
I love all the questions and your enthusiasm, I will try and answer them as best I can! One thing I would caution is that grocery store produce is no gauge of what real food looks like :) Nothing is that "perfect". A fan is always good and can help with air circulation, strengthening stems (not an issue for lettuce) and help prevent crispy tips on things like lettuce. In terms of harvesting, you can do it as soon as the leaves are big enough. I just take the outer leaves as I need them and the plant keeps on growing. The younger leaves have a milder flavour as well. Some people also use the "haircut method" where they chop the tops off but personally I prefer just harvesting the outer leaves. I don't use any of the Aerogarden pre-seeded pods, I just buy the bulk pods and use my own seeds. The micro tomatoes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds are amazing and sooo tiny! I have harvested 30+ tomatoes off a 7" plant! Tomatoes can also benefit from adding some cal-mag into the water. I have read people say it improves the flavour...now I am suddenly planning another experiment video! Tomatoes with cal-mag vs without! Thanks for the idea I personally would not grow a cauliflower in the Aerogarden just based on how big they have gotten in my garden. Plus I like to grow things hydroponically that have a higher return. If you did grow a cauliflower you would only get one, but a tomato or pepper plant can keep producing. I hope this helps. Kiri
@@The_IndoorGardener Again, thanks so much for your suggestions. Where can I purchase the cal-mag and the Heirloom tomato seeds? Would I use the Cal-mag in place of the AeroGarden plant food? I have a ways to go before I get to the tomatoes, but I am planning ahead. When that happens I am sure I will have many more questions. Again, thanks a bunch!
@@MsBarbieBaby1 I get my cal-mag on Amazon and I get just about all my heirloom seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.rareseeds.com). Your mind will be BLOWN by the varieties that exist!!! I have 50+ types of tomatoes and probably the same in peppers. Damn I love seeds :)
My son gave me an Aerogarden. I'm over 3 weeks in after planting. One of the seed pods said Black Seeded Simpson which is supposed to be lettuce. The plant that came up looked suspiciously like a tomato plant. It turns out it is a tomato plant. I guess those things happen. It turned out OK because one of my Heirloom Cherry tomato pods never came up. I suppose that's tomato-lettuce Karma. :)
Hi Walt, yes I have heard of that happening. I just buy the unseeded pods and use my own which lets you grow WAY more varieties. That pod that never grew you can always reuse with your own seeds! I believe you can also contact AeroGarden and they should send you a replacement pod. I always love hearing about people getting started with growing hydroponically! If you have any questions let me know!
Thanks for your great series. I'll have mine in a few days and can't wait to start! Just curious - have you ever considered a Kratky system? I've read that they work very well for lettuce and some herbs. The only big expense is the grow light.
Hi Liz, That’s exciting you have an AeroGarden on the way! I haven’t tested out kratky yet but it is on the to do list for some future videos! What are you most excited to grow in your new system?
@@The_IndoorGardener a few types of lettuce, some other greens and a dozen herbs! Now I just need to quickly decide which to start with. I will be on the lookout for used units for sure. Otoh I may switch lettuce to a simple Kratky system. I was thrilled to find a shop on Etsy who builds an Aerogarden type system. I may find myself ordering from HintsofFruitsBaskets in future - or get really ambitious and make my own.
@@The_IndoorGardener Awesome. I’m going to set it up this weekend. Your videos are so helpful! Learning a lot already. Looking forward to fresh veggies year-round :)
I’m thinking of getting an Aerogarden or 2 and this is an excellent video to introduce me and get me started. Thank you!!! One question, someone said you have to completely empty the water out and refill it every 2 weeks. Is that true or do you just add water throughout the one harvest cycle and then clean thoroughly at the end of harvest?
Hi Lorre, I am never one to say this is right or that is right. I can just tell you that personally I top up the water throughout the growing cycle and clean out and change the water completely after the harvest. A big part of gardening is experimenting and finding out what best works for you. That’s so exciting you are going to start growing hydroponically! I wish you all the best and let me know if you have any other questions. I will do my best to answer them.
Thank you so much! Any will do really, personally I was looking at the “DisplayHoneywell HTF210BC QuietSet® 13" Table Fan, Black, with Oscillation, Slim Profile, and Easy-Touch” from Amazon. I liked that it is slim, but seriously if you have one already that would be fine. You just need a gentle breeze. You can also tap the stem, I do that every day with the peppers and tomatoes. I’m actually growing my first indoor eggplant so it will be interesting to see how that goes. You’ll have to give me any tips you learn! :)
Hi, Tomatoes are self-pollinating but once you see flowers you can give the stems a gentle shake to help increase pollination. Having an oscillating fan blowing gently on them is helpful as well to make stronger stems and increase pollination. Hope that helps and happy growing!
This video is soo informative! Thank you for that. I was curious to know if you’ve ever tried to grow flowers in one of these or have any tips on that?
Nothing sprouted. Tried basil, sage and celantro. One celantro plant is growing out of 12 pods. I noticed a dark green (almost blackish) slime on top of a couple. I don’t know what it is so I’m not sure what to do. Can I reuse the same pods with different seeds? It’s been over a month. 10 hours of light exposure. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I just started growing my garden and found your video helpful. A friend said she had little bugs around her garden and now I hesitate to use it. Has anyone experienced this?
Hi Sophia, Apologies, I thought I had answered your question but it doesn't look like I did! I have had "bugs" in my Aerogarden but that was at least in one case my own fault as I had Brough some dirt in from outside (NEVER do this) which had some creepy crawlies in it and then they moved into my Aerogarden and made themselves at home! I did also have some aphids in another garden and this was AFTER the first incident and I wasn't bring dirt in anymore (like never again). So it IS possible that they come in the pods you buy. So as long as you are careful and keep an eye on your plant babies you should be fine. I have only had it happen twice in more than 5 years and both times I was able to get it under control. So while it is possible it is not probably and just think about how much food you could grow! I hope that helps. Kir
I just started with my garden, your video was very helpful. A friend said she started getting little bugs around the garden, now I’m hesitant on using it. Has anyone experienced this?
I’m so glad the video was helpful. It is possible to get bugs in an Aerogarden, the same way they can appear in houseplants. I find it’s best to keep outdoor plants outdoors and any plants coming into your house should be quarantined to make sure they don’t contain pests. But while it is possible it is not necessarily probable. Whenever you are gardening (indoor or outdoor) you need to be watching you plants. That said I would definitely start growing food with your new garden!
This video was super helpful, but wondering where I might find information regarding when to start each plant due to the different germination time, and where the best placement as far as growing for the plants? I am going to be doing herbs, basil, parsley, chives, rosemary, and cilantro. Also one of the iDoo hydroponic units has a "fan" in the top where the light it, have you researched that particular brand?
Hi Mimi, I like to wait until the seedlings have the first set of true leaves before I start adding in any nutrients. The first "leaves" you will see are actually the cotyledons and the look different than the real leaves of the plant. The cotyledons (I think they kind of look like little hearts) are there to absorb light and allow the plant to form its first true leaves. Until those real leaves show up the seedlings should have everything they need to grow. I hope that helps! Kiri
My tomato plants are doing well but the leaves are looking a little wilted. They have plenty of water. Should this be a sign I should start pruning and how?
Wish I had seen your videos a year ago. I had good luck with my Bounty Basic growing the 9 pod herbs and then later the 9 pod flowers. Two weeks ago I planted 7 cherry tomatoes and 2 jalapeños. Now I'm finding I shouldn't put that much in. Should I take some pods out or just thin these 9 pods to one stem each? Sad that Aerogarden doesn't give you more information on growing. Happy you are there to enlighten me. Thanks for your video!
Hi Betty, That definitely sounds like its a bit crowded. I have 1 tomato, 2 peppers and 1 eggplant in one side of my AeroGarden Farm (12 pods) and that's already crowded. No matter what you end up doing, I would always thing each pod of tomatoes or peppers to one stem only. You could wait until they get growing and then you could transplant a few to soil or a lot of people also transplant to kratky jars. I can't offer you any insight into those as I haven't tried those before but there are lots of videos on how to do those. I really should try it out and make one myself too... OR you could prune like a beast and let them fight it out. There is no right or wrong, or at least I won't tell you there is. So much of gardening both inside and out is about testing things out and seeing what works for you. But if it was me I would move a few to new homes once they have a few sets of true leaves (not the first baby ones you see). I hope that helps. Let me know how it turns out. Kiri
Not yet! I got side tracked in the outdoor garden but as it is getting colder I will be doing way more hydroponic content! I am just setting up the root trimming video and then right after I will do the pruning one! What are you growing?
Thank you so much for doing such a wonderful job explaining the Aerogarden basics! I just got a Bounty and am looking forward to growing some lettuce. Do you have any suggestions for a good beginners lettuce? Thanks again! New subscriber.
Yay! Welcome and I am so glad you found the video helpful. I LOVE buttercrunch!!! I had never had it until I started growing it and I am obsessed now. Another one I like is Rouge D’hiver.
@@The_IndoorGardener Thank you so much for the reply! I will try the buttercrunch. I have never heard of the Rouge D' hiver but I will look for it as well.
Excellent and informative video! I just planted mine 2 days ago, already knowing not to overcrowd but did not cover the empty holes up. Since it's only day 2, should I empty the water and add new fresh water and fertilizer after I cover the holes up tonight?
@@The_IndoorGardener Thanks for the fast response!! I'll just go with the flow :) I'm growing 1 Basil, 1 Chives, 1 Thyme and 3 lettuces. And I planted the Basil kinda on its own to the far side of the Bounty Elite model.
i put all of my herbs in all the holes, im worried about that. i thought maybe i took the dome off to early, i am starting to notice it in all my other sprouts to. im worried and would love to know how to fix this
I've been testing on growing cannabis using the aerogarden and im currently in the flowering/bloom stage and would like to produce good and potent buds organically. I've seen that seabird guano is a great option but unsure if it works well with the aerogarden, I don't know if u have knowledge on growing cannabis but seems u know how an aerogarden works do you think that could cause any problems using this or any dry organic fertilizers?
Hi, I haven’t grown cannabis but I would say that personally I would be concerned about using any dry fertilizers or the guano in case it doesn’t dissolve fully and could cause an issue with the pump. That would be my gut reaction… I hope that helps and it you DO try it, let me know how it goes. Also the guano is potent stuff so less is probably more..in a hydroponic setup you are going direct injection 😉
Great, informative video. I am about 1 mo. in to AG. Have Sprout with seeding tray (not tried yet) and Harvest. Am VERY interested in knowing the very BEST AND SWEETEST AND SHORTEST GROWING TIME CHERRY TOM. for both Sprout & Harvest. Would love to know the recommended plants to grow in each unit. Also, does anyone out there have the Tower Garden outdoor unit as well as AeroGarden? Sorry if not proper to ask that. Thanks so much.
Hi Kathie, That’s awesome you are on your way to growing some food! I love to grow the Oranga Hat tomato from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I find them very sweet, prolific and they are only about 6-8” tall! I will be doing some videos over the winter about what I grow in my Sprout. Totally cool to ask questions here. I haven’t used the Tower garden but hopefully someone else can answer that for you. Kiri
Hi Kiri ❤ I just saw in a group this...They said that the AeroGarden sponges are not good and have aphid and thrip eggs in them. They are not sterilized. Have you ever heard of this or experienced this?....or bugs in your AeroGardens? That would be horrible if the sponges have the bugs or whatever in them. She said she freezes the bag of sponges for a couple of weeks and then opens the package. That seems like a lot of work...I hope this isn't true. Thank You...Hugs Viv ❤
Hi Vivian, I have heard of that happening but it hasn’t happened to me. You run the same risk if you buy a new houseplant or bring a plant in from outside and don’t quarantine it. I managed to bring thrips in when I grabbed some soil from outside on a fluke warm day in January to plant some beans I got in a trade 🤦🏼♀️ If you are going to freeze them I would get the bulk sponges…some seeds may not appreciate the freezer! Hope that helps! Kir
@@The_IndoorGardener Thank You Kiri...It sounds weird to me to freeze them. Good News that you haven't experienced this before with the sponges. I don't even know what thrips are. I'll have to look it up. Have you had any bug problems? What did you do to make them go away? I don't have any other plants in the house. I only have my AeroGardens. I hope I never get bugs...Have a Great Day Kiri!!! Hugs Viv ❤
@@viviancutler3918 I had the thrips I brought in and that soil had been frozen so not sure the freezing would make a difference…since then I always have sticky traps up and I use nematodes in my systems if I see an issue. I am going to try some carnivorous plants too. It was a looooong and hard fought battle to get rid of the thrips. I even had to shut down most of my systems at one point. Be aware is the best I can say…a stray aphid or other wee beastie could even grab a ride on your clothes in the summer.
The fam helps with air circulation which helps prevent a host of issues. It also helps to build stronger stems by simulating the wind that plants would encounter outdoors. If you are growing lettuce it can also help reduce tip burn.
Amazing video! I am waiting for my very first AeroGarden to be shipped to me this week and your videos are going to be my online AeroGarden classes. I have questions for you already! 1: I plan to move my AeroGarden around quite a bit from my bedroom to living room. After the initial set up on the control panel, would it be ok to unplug it and move it to a different location or would it lose the setting? I am assuming AeroGarden would work like microwaves in keeping up with the time setting and etc even if we occasionally unplug them for a short period of time. 2: And in eastern climate, December and January will be pretty cold. They are indoors, but I tend to leave the windows open during the day, all day. Would this be too bad in the beginning? 3: Do you recommend putting the Aerogarden by the window where it can get natural sunilght and wind? Thank you in advance.
Hi Hea, That's so exciting that you are just getting started with growing hydroponically (it's a bit addictive). I'll do my best to answer your questions :) 1. When I unplug my AeroGarden Farm it does ask me if I lost power and if I click yes it keeps the old settings. What model are you getting? Also I am curious why you want to move it around? 2. You wouldn't want the seedlings or even bigger plants in the path of a cold draft of air. Seedlings are when the plants are weakest. As long as they are not directly in the cold air they should be ok. But a big part of gardening (inside or out) is paying attention to your plants. So just be sure to keep an eye on them, if they don't seem happy then I would move them somewhere warmer. It also depends on what you are growing. Things like lettuce and other leafy greens are frost hardy so they will have a lot more tolerance. I'm in Canada and today its 0C (32F) and I have lettuce, celery, kale and broccoli still outside and they are all quite happy. 3. I have all my systems up in my office/grow room (I may do a tour video soon) and there is a large window and they do fine. But I also had the Aerogarden Farm Plus in the basement for years and everything grew fine there too. The lights in the systems are pretty much made to give the plants what they need. The only thing I would not recommend is to have the lights on during the night and then have light coming onto the Aerogarden during the day from a winter. Your plant babies need to 'sleep' too ;) I really hope this answers all your question, if you have any more or other video ideas please let me know! Happy growing, Kir
@@The_IndoorGardener Thank you so so much! I am getting the Bounty Basic soon, and it has nine pods. I thought about moving it around from time to time just in case it gets too cold in the living room where I keep my window open and lights on most of the time. I thought maybe I should bring it to my room at night. I will pay close attention to my little seedlings as you have advised, and adjust environments accordingly. I am learning so much from your videos. I ordered my little fan already for my lettuce collection. I am mainly doing lettuce varieties some jalapeno, and cilantro with just two pods of tomatoes. I will start out with maybe six pods instead of doing all nine because what you mentioned about it makes perfect sense! I will have more questions and ideas for you as I get my hands on these babies soon. Thanks again
@@heakim1892 The peppers and tomatoes will lay down BIG roots and they can grow quite tall. I would keep them towards the back and one in each corner (so one of each). If you end up getting another system (chances are you will…they are addictive LOL). You may want to keep the leafy greens in one system and the flowering plants in another one. But experiment and see what works best for you! It’s the best way to learn.
Hi Olivia, I have never tried that and I would worry it would be too much of a shock to their system. I'll put it on the To Do list for a future video to try it out! I have always started from seed so that the plants are used to growing hydroponically and then I DO transfer some of them to soil once they are still young as it helps with the shock of switching growing mediums in my experience.
So I’ve been trying to watch videos and read around and I can’t find out what my problem is. In short, I constantly have stunted growth. I have the XLs, I only use 3 of the pods at a time, so I only do one capful of food every two weeks. I do a water change once a month and the plants look to be better for a few days then go back to being crappy. So it must be the ph balance or something in the water. But besides water changes what can I do? I’ve tried to clean the whole thing out and start over a few times but I always end up with the same results? What am I doing wrong?
My thoughts would be that the nutrients are too diluted by your using only one capful. You could test out this theory by putting the recommended amount in one grow bowl and continuing your one capful in the other. Hope that helps and let me know how it goes.
That’s my fault. I never ended up making it. Last year was stressful for me and I didn’t get all the videos I wanted to get done done. But I will be doing one this year. I will also be doing a month by month grow room tour (I just posted the first one) and I will show stuff like pruning etc as I do monthly updates. So stay tuned.
Nothing wrong with being a newbie! Just take it one day at a time and enjoy it! If you have any questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them!
Hi there, you mentioned an oscillating fan, but I don't see a link where I can purchase one. I am going to my first farm 12xl, after having Aerogardens for over 15 years. Thanks ☺️
I have yet to find a nice clip on one that works but any old oscillating fan should be fine. You don’t need a special one, just make sure to keep it in low as you just want a gentle breeze
Those grow domes don't "snap" on or even fit. I couldn't get mine to stay on the pod at all. I had to just place them above the pod loosely. Is the normal? Does the dome have to "snap" on at all in order to work? (The domes wouldn't snap on because the pod labels weren't placed perfectly around the opening of the pod. They were mostly off-center, some by quite a bit. The instructions in the booklet says to "cover the seed pods loosely" with the domes, so I'm assuming that there is actually no "snapping" that should be happening anyway.)
Hi Phil, Snap may have been a bit strong of a term, mine fit on snugly and grip. That said my pods all had the old labels on them. I just used the new green sticker/cover labels and the pods are defineitly more loose on those ones! BUt no worry either way, you just want to keep the domes on until the seedlings are almost but NOT touching the domes. We don’t want to burn those new little leaves! What are you growing in your Aerogarden?
@@The_IndoorGardener Thanks for your swift reply! Well, mine are neither snug nor do they grip. I could blow on them and they would move. I'll just keep them centered above the hole in the pod and trust that will work. I'm growing the 6-pod herb kit that came with the product. Hasn't been 24 hours yet, so ...
@@PintoSixty The waiting is the hardest part! The domes I just put on today with the new stickers I could easily blow off too. Not to worry you should be good and growing herbs and saving money soon enough!
@@PintoSixty Yeah I agree! My Rise Gardens come with the hole covers and I think that makes a lot more sense. A lot of people wouldn’t know to cover the holes anf could end up with an algae problem! That said you can use anything that will block the light, golf balls is what a lot of people use. The main thing is to block the light
The idea is to simulate the breeze that would occur naturally in an outdoor environment. So the oscillation allows for a bit of a breeze and then a break from it. It should also be on very low.
Hey Wendy, Don’t panic! You can just cover the tops with aluminum foil. I cut pieces to cover and then cut out the centre…then you should have a metallic donut of sorts and I cut a slit from the edge to the centre. That way you can “open it up” and fit it around the growing plant. I hope that makes sense….if not email me at ourlittlesuburbanfarmhouse@gmail.com and I’ll make and send you a little video of what I am talking about
Hi, I am planning to do a whole video on what types of water are best in a hydroponic system (and why). But I still have a bit of research I am doing, so stay tuned!
Not at all...I learned just about everything I know from a string of dumbass moves :) You don't know what you don't know! I would suggest adding some aluminum foil over the tops and hopefully the algae will settle down a bit. All is not lost!
I want and need to grow herbs!!! I have seeds for parsley, basil. I currently have chinese chives, and mint. I want thyme, dill, rosemary, cilantro, and some other common herbs. We're huge on using herbs, and if I could have a continuous supply, I'd be in heaven!!!
Herbs are prefect for growing hydroponically. Honestly I grow most of my herbs indoors even in the summer when my outdoor garden is in full swing. basil specifically grows so much better hydroponically in my experience. Plus you have the benefit of being able to grow them year round, save money AND free up space outdoors to grow things that don't grow well hydroponically.
Amazing! It’s definitely addictive! I just bought 10 new kinds of basil and about 4 more kinds of cilantro so can’t wait to try growing all those and see the difference!
Nobody out these is talking about this stuff. It’s damn near impossible to get this information anywhere. Thanks for the vid. Very very helpful.
Hi Lucas, I am so glad you found the video helpful! If you have any other video suggestions I’d love to hear. Happy growing!
Thanks. Just started. I will be following you closely.
You got this! So exciting to be getting no started. What are you growing?
Another great video, thank you so much! I won an Aerogarden Harvest Elite for very cheap at an auction (less than $50!) but had no idea where to start. Such a shame at AeroGarden barely provides any information on how to grow healthy, sustainable plants. So glad I found your channel. I am learning SO MUCH from every video. Please PLEASE keep it up!
Thanks so much for all your lovely comments! It’s always nice to know the videos are helpful to people! I love being able to help people grow their own food indoors or outside!
Thank you very much. I am brand new to Aero just today. You help where the website fails and the instructions in the box.
I just got my hydroponic growing system. I've been watching a few videos before getting started. I came across your video and found it very informative.
I’m so glad it was helpful for you. How exciting to have your first system! If you have any questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them. Happy growing!
I got one for my birthday two weeks ago and finally planted it today. I put it in my kitchen where I will be reminded to use fresh herbs when cooking. If I had lettuce seeds I would have liked to start with those.
Hi Gail, So exciting! Lettuce definitely grows amazing hydroponically and personally I prefer it to lettuce grown in soil :) Love that you put it in your kitchen to serve as a reminder. Happy growing!
This great. Just bought my wife her first unit. I am sure more to come. But we live in Arizona. So we can produce year round
Hi Daniel, I am very jelly of that! I’m dealing with snow half of the time LOL
This is incredibly helpful! Do you have the fan running all the time?
I have had it running all the time on oscillation and I have also had it on a timer. Just make sure it is oscillating and on a low setting. We want a breeze not a hurricane 😂
This was awesome! I just received my first Aerogarden Harvest as a present and was completely overwhelmed. You made it easy peasy to follow and set up!
Awesome! So glad you found it helpful! If you have any questions let me know.
You answered a few of my important questions about the white fuzzy stuff and algae
Awesome, glad it was helpful. It can definitely be a bit overwhelming when you are first getting started! Question about algae and “the white fuzzy stuff” are some of the first questions/issues newbies run into :). Let me know if you have any other questions.
I'm a first time hydroponic farmer. My dad did everything hydroponically including getting a head-start on plants to put out in the spring. Unfortunately I was away to college when he started, and then working overseas. Now I'm home, but he's dead, and therefore can't teach me anything anymore. He was an incredible gardener, and even though it was only a hobby for him, he was always fielding calls from the local extension office regarding people with rare garden problems. We never knew whether the calls we got were going to be gardening calls or medical calls, but one way or the other it was probably going to be for him. Also, that was back in the 1960's, 70's, and 80's. After that, he retired and moved out of town. That was about the same time as I moved back to town from overseas. Our time in the same town overlapped only long enough for him to help me start my garden during my first spring back. I gave up a lot in order to follow my chosen career (professional classical musician and university music department professor).
I want to grow basil. I want to grow more basil. Then I want to grow still more basil. Then maybe I will grow a little Thai basil. I eat basil like a cow eats grass. Somewhere or other I want to sneak in a cilantro plant, but AeroGarden don't sell pre-loaded cilantro, and I'm not sure that would transplant when spring rolls around as well as basil does. Did I mention that I want lots of basil? I'm not too picky about what type of European basil I grow, but when it comes to Thai basil, nothing works in southeast Asian food like Thai basil. That's why I want to sneak one of those in there. Because I'm vegan, I don't find much use for thyme, rosemary, or sage. Besides, sage grows wild here, and it's often considered to be a weed by the local ranchers. Maybe I'll grow potatoes or carrots in it. Just kidding. I know this is not a solution for growing root crops. I do want to grow basil though. Don't know if I've made that clear yet.
Darn. I'm going to have to buy a new fan. My fan speed starts with a force 12 gale, and goes on up to category 5 hurricane force. It's also crazy loud. If something gets burned in the kitchen, it will get the smoke out quickly, and it will pull fresh air through the entire house. Not exactly what we want on plants though.
We are on city water here, and the city water comes from artesian wells. It's a bit on the hard side, and therefore a lot of people put water softeners in their homes. I can't stand the taste of softened water, so I haven't put in a water softener. Hmmm... will the calcium build up? You can break down lime scale (and I do so) by cleaning things with white vinegar. I wonder if cleaning it with white vinegar when I put it away for the summer would work, or if that calcium will eventually clog the pump itself? Distilled water is pricey. Don't want to be buying that all the time. If I don't drink Perrier, then my plants shouldn't need to either.
Definitely gave a thumbs up, and subscribed also. Your channel seems to be very informative! It's just the kind of info I need.
Your love of basil made me smile…I’m still smiling! Luckily basil grows AMAZING hydroponically! I am planning a huge basil planting soon so I can make a big batch of pesto to freeze. I don’t use the pre-seeded pods as I am an heirloom seed snob and like to use my own. So you can grab some of the grow anything pods and get some cilantro seeds. Make sure to carefully crack the cilantro pods as they actually have two seeds in them and cracking them helps germination. There are so many kinds of basil! I think I’m up to 10 different kinds that I grow! You should check out Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds as they are amazing and have loads of varieties! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out!
Kir
@@The_IndoorGardener I'm glad it made you smile! That means I did my best for the day. Not many things you can do better for a person than to put a smile on their face. You may like to know that your reply has put one on my face too.
Thanks for the tip regarding cilantro. Of the many things that are hard to find in the grocery stores out here on the prairie (even if you live in a bigger town like Regina or Saskatoon), fresh herbs are among them, and when you do find them it's a lot of money for not very much. Things are already freezing out here, and so I'm already eager to get a hydroponic garden growing. I was glad to find that self-seeding is an option. Many of the herbs in my garden produce seeds more prolifically than the weeds do, and basil is among the ones that do. Also, chives go crazy as well. I've never had to replant chives in my life, either here or in Great Britain. It's another thing which could also almost be classified as a weed, because if you grow it anywhere near the garden proper, you'll soon have a garden that will grow chives to the exclusion of everything else!
I think for basil junkies like you and I, this kind of garden is almost a must have. I'm not even half kidding. It looks by the amount of basil you have in your garden that you must like it as much as I. I'm perhaps a little crazier than most about it, because when I'm in the garden or cooking, I'll take a leaf and chew on it raw, and enjoy every moment of it! Somehow there must be something in it my body needs, because I sometimes just cave it.
Thanks for your response! I think I may have found a kindred soul when it comes to basil!
Awesome video. Just ordered a Harvest and looking forward to getting started. Thanks!
Yay! Glad the video was helpful and happy growing!
I have this great growing store close to my house and they sell Nutrients, so once I run out of the aerogarden stuff I will go and get their advice on what is better! Thanks again
If you find a good one let me know! I am going to be trying out the Fox Farm hydroponic ones soon. I always like trying out new things to see which ones work best for me and my gardens :)
great startup tutorial!!!
Thanks so much Coco!
Bless you for this video I was so lost before, wish me luck
Glad you found it helpful! You’ll be growing food in no time!
I just got one a month ago. Dill is growing like crazy. Did some pruning today. Love your video. Very informative. Thanks for doing it.
So glad you liked it!
I just got an Aerogarden Sprout as a Christmas gift, and set it up today. I already plan to adjust the light so it doesn't stay on so late at night, and I plan to do that tomorrow morning.
That’s exciting!!! Growing food yourself (even just a little) is so rewarding! What did you plant?
@@The_IndoorGardener I planted.the 3 herb pods that cMw with it. Basil, dill, and curly parsley
@@nikkicaldwell5767 A great start!
I just got one for christmas! Your video was really helpful. I reached the conclusion (and it makes sense, I'm just slow from post-christmas sleepiness ahah) that I'm basically combining my love for gardening with my love for planted fishtanks :) Now, on my way to learn how to grow a melon hydroponically! :)
I love this!!!!!! I love growing my own healthy food. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Melissa, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! What are you growing?
What a fabulous tutorial!! Thank you. I am using mine to start seeds and then transfew to my Garden Tower, but all your tips apply. I just ordered hole covers as I didnt know about needing to keep light out of the water!
I really want to try the gardyn…but they don’t ship to Canada (last time I checked). Glad you got the hole covers, they really help keep the chances of algae down!!!
Thanks for sharing these tips!
Hope they help!
What I'd really like to see is a video explaining when and how to prune tomato plants growing in an Aerogarden. I've got tomatoes in both a Bounty Elite and a Farm XL and know I'm alternately either over- or under-pruning. Switching to micro plants from Baker Creek Seeds will be the next crop and may alleviate some of that but, in the meanwhile, it would be nice to get more benefit out of the current plantings. Thanks.
Great suggestion! I am planning a pruning video for the future. I am just making my way through the root trimming video at the moment and then I will plan out the pruning one. I personally love the orange hat tomatoes from Baker Creek. Victory Seeds also has some great dwarf varieties that are only 1-2 feet tall. I currently have the Dwarf Metallica from Victory and they grow 2-3 feet tall. Currently it is about a foot tall and I already have fruit on it! They are also gorgeous and delicious!
If got the aerogarden hydroponic sprout system and I just ordered the
Aerogarden hydroponic harvest with the seed starting kit for the harvest
Super excited
I love their seed starting systems!!! I need to grab one for my new AeroGarden Bounty! The Sprout is a small but mighty system!
@@The_IndoorGardener I'm just learning from them to be a wonderful gardener hydroponics
Your video was clear and enjoyable. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
awesome im getting my first aerogarden in a few days. thanks for video!
Amazing Mark! Which one did you get and what are you planning to grow?
i plan on growing sage for tea basil for salads and garnish and nettle for tea
i usually grow wheatgrass which is easy in soil
i got the harvest 6 pod
i was growing gynostemma pent but found out that it was the wrong plant from seed i couldn't tell, i got a refund
Great tips. Thank-you!
I've purchased an Aerogarden Sprout, and your video has enlightened me on a lot of unknown, unknowns.
Hi Matt, I’m glad you found it helpful! I do love my sprouts!!! Happy growing!
I just set mine up, and I appreciate all your information.
Awesome! What are you growing for your first harvest?
@@The_IndoorGardener I have 2 kale, 2 salad greens, 1 rouge d'Hiver, and 1 Parris island. I'm hoping for sprouts soon.
@@n2bfw884 Nice! Rouge d’hiver is my fave this year!
@@The_IndoorGardener I'm glad to hear it's good. I picked it on a whim.
Just ordered a Bounty Aerogarden. Your videos are very helpful!
Amazing! It’s so exciting to be starting out. If you have any questions just let me know and I’ll do my best to help.
I am using rockwool . Better growth, less contaminents. You can make pod stickers out of kids stickers or for heavier plants - duct tape.
I haven’t played around with rockwool too much. Thanks for the info
Love my Aerogarden. The Harvest XL is one model that does not have a seed start tray. Hopefully, Aerogarden will create one for Christmas or New years.
Thanks for the pointers!
Any time! So glad you found it helpful.
Just got an AeroGarden Harvest on a whim and your video was very helpful. Thanks!
Awesome! That made me smile. They can be a bit addictive LOL I’m up to 3 and 2 Rise Gardens 🤣 If you have any questions let me know!
Just ordered my Farm 24 Plus earlier today. Should get it in about a week. Your videos are great. Especially for a newbie!! I am greatly appreciating all of your tips and tricks.
That’s so exciting Erin!!! I’m stoked you found my videos helpful! What are you most excited to grow? I’m growing tomatoes, jalapeños, blot peppers and and eggplant in my Farm at the moment
@@The_IndoorGardener I am wanting to grow some tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeños, cilantro, chives, lettuces and maybe a few other things. I don’t really have a green thumb but I’m gonna try.
I actually bought it based off of a ton of people in a FB group I’m in saying they have it and love it. So I jumped in. THEN I saw all of the videos about algae and cleaning and bugs. 🤣🤣🤣 So hopefully I’m going to be able to do this. 🤣🤪😬
We were going to try to do some raised garden beds in the small backyard we have but decided this may be a better start for me. But I still may do some things in a few 5 gallon buckets. Like bigger tomatoes etc. We don’t have long winters…but enough that I can’t leave things out all year long. And we have an HOA so I can’t do a greenhouse. 😢
Hi Erin,
Growing hydroponically is a great way to build your confidence! Green thumbs are learned from much trial and error, so don't get discouraged. You'd be surprised how much you can grow in a small space, the 5 gal buckets will be a great start, just don't forget the drainage holes. I don't have an HOA but I do have by-laws that saw I can't have chickens, which sucks. One day I will have them!
Kiri
@@The_IndoorGardener Well I’m excited to give it a shot. My Farm 24 came in today and hubby put it together. So I’ll spend the next few days reading and deciding what I want to start planting. Wish me luck. 🤣
@@erinshea7294 You got this! If you have any questions let me know and I’ll try and help!
Just purchased the harvest model. Watched a few different videos. Yours was easily the most complete. Keep up the great work!!
Thank you so much Charles! I am so glad you found the video helpful. If you have any questions feel free to reach out and I will do my best to answer them. What are you planning to grow in your new Harvest?
Thank You So Much!! I'm just starting out and your video has gone a long way towards answering so many of my questions and concerns.
Hi Chris! That put a smile on my face, I am so happy you found the video helpful. Growing hydroponically is so awesome (and a bit addictive LOL). We have snow on the ground here in Canada and I just harvested some beautiful paprika peppers yesterday and I am going to dehydrate them to make my own paprika powder! If you have any other questions or comments let me know and I will try and help out. Kir
Lots of good information. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Just ordered my first aerogarden to grow parsley, basil and arugula….wish me luck!
Hi Filomene! That’s so exciting! Growing hydroponically can definietly be a bit addicting, herbs are a great wat to start. I find that basil grows AMAZING hydroponically. I have ahd basil leaves as big as my hand, it’s insane. Keep me posted on how it goes and if you have any questions or video ideas let me know. Happy growing.
I just got a AeroGarden Harvest for my birthday and am very excited to start using it. I will start out with herbs until i feel comfortable trying something else. Your video was very helpful.
Happy birthday! What a great gift and I am glad you found he video helpful. If you are any questions feel free to reach out!
Just getting started and I'm happy to know you're there sharing your experiences.
You are awesome!! Appreciate this info totally subscribed 😁🙏💞
Thank you so much!!! I’m so happy it was helpful
Really enjoying your videos! I got a Sprout a few months ago and have since added a Harvest, Harvest XL and just ordered a Bounty. I'm hooked and really appreciate learning more from your vlogs. Thank you!
Thanks so much! Growing hydroponically is definitely addictive (in a positive way) 🤣 What are you growing mostly?
Am getting the aerogarden bounty basic and want to grow vegetables for my family I just don't know we're to start so many to pick lol
The bounty is a great unit! I would start with something easy like lettuce. Honestly some of the best stuff to grow hydroponically (in my opinion) is leafy greens and herbs! Once you get more confident micro tomatoes are great too
When first growing your seedlings, throw a white pillowcase or dish towel with some holes cut out to cover the unit to create 4 walls.
The walls will reflect the overhead light to side light, and prevent the plants from reaching. The holes allow the fan circulation to get through.
You can also use pieces of white board, which is clumsy to work with, or sit the entire unit in a rectangular white trash basket where the walls are high enough to provide the reflected/bounced light.
The pillowcase is the easiest, though, and washable.
Great video! I’m very new to indoor gardening. Been watching as many videos as I can before I purchase a system. FYI I’ve never gardened before ever lol. I really want to grow lettuce and tomatoes. Should I buy two tabletop systems or can I grow lettuce and tomatoes together if they are spaced apart?
Great questions! First thing you should know is there is this thing I like to call AeroGarden math…which dictates that you buy one system and very quickly end up with 10 of them 😂 without wanting to overwhelm you can grow them together (and yes space them out) but the tomatoes can get unruly. So it is up to you and what you can afford. What systems were you looking at?
@@The_IndoorGardener Lol yes I can def see myself ending up with a bunch of systems. I’m looking at the Harvest Elite for sure for cherry tomatoes and then maybe a smaller one for lettuce and herbs. I’m also looking into getting the Gardyn 3.0
I would like to grow my own peppers too so I can make hot sauce.
New subbie here to support and thank you for sharing your video. I'm thinking about getting an aerogarden soon. Blessings to you and your family 💖🙏
Amazing!!! It’s such a great thing to have! If you have any questions let me know
I`m thinking of trying one to simply learn about it and I may try regular pots and grow lights too. This could cause a raid by trigger happy cops in Louisiana though. I just ordered a 10x7x10 greenhouse to experiment with and hopefully get a crop of yellow squash without the vine borers ripping them to pieces. I love leaf lettuce and basil but I eat a lot of it and don`t see how one of these can keep up. But it would be fun to grow something indoors.
Thanks so much for this video! I started my first AeroGarden (Harvest 360) on 7/5/21. Planted three pods lettuce plus three pods golden cherry tomatoes. I see now, that was not a good idea and your comments help to explain why. While everything sprouted initially according to schedule that Aero indicated, actual harvestable food has been much slower. I did not really enjoy the lettuce. 3 different varieties, all were limp, definitely Not crispy. Don't really know what happened there. The tomatoes are another story. It's been over two months and I finally saw three tomatoes on one stalk. That was it. Yesterday though, I actually saw a new tomato starting on a different stalk. I had purchased that little vibrating bee pollinator with everything and used it with the tomatoes every time I saw flowers. Don't know if that did anything. The tomato plants have grown far taller than the integrated light kit. Since this is in a window, I guess that's okay although this window does not get a huge amount of light. We shall see what happens. One big question I have is that at a certain point, so many roots developed in the hold (where the water is), that the water was being consumed very rapidly and I have to refill it every few days because the pump stops. There's not enough water to pump. I have no idea how to change or what to do next time to avoid this, other than to not plant all 6 wells, which you did indicate is better. That's disappointing news, but if it results in a better end product I guess I'll try that next time. Another thing that I failed to do was trim all the plants properly when they were young, mainly because I wasn't sure how to do it. It would be very helpful to see a video about that. As a result, all of what I have is very leggy and did not bush out the way all the photos show. Another lesson learned for the next round. So before giving up I will take your advice, hopefully watch some more of your videos, and also purchase their pods without the seeds so I can try my own. I still have 3 each cherry tomatoes and lettuce so we'll use those up first. If I can make this work, I would be interested in buying a larger model like one of their "farm" series units, but they are expensive, so want to prove to myself that I can get a good crop with the Harvest model first. I very much welcome any advice. Oh, thanks for explaining the seed deck. Didn't understand the purpose Thanks again. Cheers.
Hi Marian, Yes it can be quite a surprise when you think you have 6 or 9 holes to plant in! I will being doing more hydroponic content over the winter as my outdoor garden is wrapping up. I plant to do some videos on pruning, water testing, nutrients and also root trimming, so stay tuned! It is always good to have a fan on your hydroponic plants, especially for leafy greens! Thanks for the video suggestions and they will definitely be coming! Let me know if you have any other questions.
@@The_IndoorGardener Thanks so much for your reply. I did hear you mention getting an oscillating fan in the video, but I don't really understand why this is necessary. Is it something about hydroponics that make this more of a need than with indoor planting with soil? I've never done this before. It also will complicate things because I don't have another outlet in that location and there also is really no physical room for a fan. So unless there's a really good reason for one, I would like to avoid having to do this. However I will defer to your experience with this and try it if you think it is really necessary.
Oh, one last question. Pod covers for unused wells. Looks like they are out of stock. Since you said the purpose is simply to prevent light from getting into the water tank, how about just cutting out some cardboard discs and putting that over the empty well? Would that work or would there be a problem using cardboard over a well containing water? I actually know quite a bit about chemicals that get released from cardboard when it is in a humid environment. That's why I ask. Oh, I just thought of this- I guess I could cut a circular disc out of a HDPE (#2) yogurt or cottage cheese lid. Maybe that would be better?
Hi Marian,
The fan is primarily to help with air circulation which helps the stems grow stronger. The idea is to replicate the breeze that would occur out in the real world, so it is not specifically a hydroponic issue. But I would say it is more necessary with hydroponic grows, especially when people use systems like Aerogardens where the pod spaces are very close together which leads to over crowding and less air flow being possible. You definitely don't need the pod covers. I would avoid cardboard mostly because it is a moist environment. I know a lot of people use golf balls as they fit nicely into the holes and then don't tend to move around. But essentially anything that removes light from the equation is key. :)
Hope that helps,
Kir
@@The_IndoorGardener That makes sense. Those aero wells are pretty close together. Aero uses this as a selling point, telling customers they can get big yield from a tiny footprint. Guess this is another demonstration of magical thinking.
Oh, golf balls to cover the empty wells. You did mention that in your video. This idea is brilliant! Kudos to who ever came up with that one. Thanks again!
@@The_IndoorGardener I have a non-ossillating fan. Do you think it will work?
Just started my first AeroGarden with 6 herb pods…. Here is hoping!
Exciting!!!! It’s so rewarding to start growing your own food
Love the video...now, time to binge the rest of them :)
Please do! If you have any new video ideas let me know!
I just decided today to learn and purchase a garden. My question for you is about water, I do have filtered water. The water here was awful. What can I use?
I loved this video and very helpful as I purchase my first garden.
Hi Teresa, You could use filtered water or distilled water but this is a whole big topic of conversation and one I am currently researching for an upcoming blog post and UA-cam video. SO stay tuned for that and then I can properly answer your question :)
I have enjoyed your videos. I bought my wife the Bounty Elite for Three Kings Day and we should have it by the 4th. I was interested in the black covers you mention, but the link is broken. Thank you.
Oh sorry about that. You can just go on Amazon and search for “AeroGarden hole covers” or if you golf balls lying around the work great too. Anything that blocks the light will work!
I just received one (ScienGarden) for my birthday. So far, as a beginner, I did everything you said beginners shouldn't do lol. I have an air purifier near the system while my spinach & lettuce are growing. Yep, every space (12 of them) I am using! One thing I was really concerned about was the fertilizers that come with them all. I never considered there was a food for hydroponic growing. In your opinion, what is a great NATURAL fertilizer/food that is hydroponically friendly that is NOT Miracle Gro?
Thanks for making this video and having this space for people like me😊
Hi Jamie, You’re growing your own food and that’s what counts!!!! Great question about the nutrients. It’s something I want to dig into more and will doing some experiments in the new year to test out different ones and to better understand what is in them. So I can’t answer that yet but stay tuned! If you have any other questions let me know
I love Fox Farms products but they can get a bit pricey. I’m currently using General Hydroponics nutrient system. There are three bottles of nutrients. The ratio of each depends on the stage of growth and if it is a flowering/fruiting plant. A chart with the ratios is on every bottle and it’s extremely easy to use (I’m a lazy gardener🤫)
Wow is this video informative! As a kindergarten teacher with an Aerogarden Bounty on order, can I grow strawberry plants in it? I know I can't grow 9, but 2? Is there enough light? Thanks for your help....
Thanks Jennifer! I’m stoked you found it so helpful. I don’t see any reason you can’t grow strawberries in it. What kind are you growing? I like the alpine strawberries for growing hydroponically because they don’t have the runners. Not that you can’t grow strawberries with runners hydroponically, they just tend to take over! If you are doing alpine ones you could probably do 4 in the bounty. If you are doing the ones with runners I would keep it to two but I would then root two of the runner babies in two other holes 😘 Hope that helps!
Fantastic video! Just planning to start and this was incredibly helpful. Thank you!
Hi Katie, I’m so glad you found the video helpful! What AeroGarden model did you get and what are you most excited to grow?
@@The_IndoorGardener I was originally thinking of one of the bigger models, but now I'm thinking I should maybe get 2 Sprouts, and use 1 for lettuce and another for herbs because it looks like trying to put it all into one might not work so well! I'm still in mega research mode and your video is very helpful
You are an angel! I am so grateful I found your videos! I have quite a large order sitting in my Aerogarden shopping cart right now and for two days haven't hit the purchase button. I have watched countless hours of videos, and compiled quite a notebook full of tips, but can't help but think I might be biting off more than I chew. If I PayPal you for your time, would you be willing to talk with me about some of my concerns?
Hi Tina,
I would be more than happy to answer your questions. Email me at ourlittlesuburbanfarmhouse@gmail.com and we can figure out a time that works! Happy you help
Kiri
Great video! I have had my Aerogarden for 19 days now and the romaine lettuce I planted is sprouting like crazy. Here is my question. When I first planted and had the domes on the pods, I noticed, what I saw were tiny black spots on some of the domes and on the white platform, and there were a few leaves that were turning brown on the edges. So I contacted the company, sent them pictures and they said it could be insect eggs. Great company! Before I said anything they sent me new pods and told me to sterilize the garden and try again. However, what I thought may have been black bug eggs, may have just been soil that had fallen out of one of the pods onto the platform and onto some of the domes. I cleaned the platform off as well as the domes. I rinsed all of the plants under running water (as was instructed) and I really haven't seen anything since, either on the platform or the leaves.As I said, they are sprouting like crazy and I am not sure if I should harvest these plantings when the time comes, because I am not seeing anything on the leaves (I use a magnifying glass), or just to make sure, throw everything out, sterilize the unit and start all over again. Any thoughts? How can I tell if I do have bugs on there? If I washed these leaves and for some reason there were microscopic insects, could I get sick? Not sure how to proceed. Thanks.
I think you may be onto something that it could have been from the pods. That said erring on the side of caution is never a bad thing. I would honestly say it's what you feel comfortable with. Having grown food for years, especially outdoors I have eaten my share of dirt and probably a bug or two ;) If it was me and the plants were growing well, I would just give them a rinse when I harvest them and enjoy some homegrown food. The only way to truly kill any bugs off is pesticides and those are no good for anyone! I hope that helps, gardening (indoor or out) definitely is not about perfection it's about trying things and learning what works for you. It's so great that you have started growing some of your own food. I always find that it tastes better :)
Kiri
@@The_IndoorGardener Thanks. I really am excited about this Aerogarden. It may become a new hobby for me. I must have been wrong about the bugs, because the romaine is growing like mad now. every few days I have to raise the light and add water to the tank. The leaves on the plants look very healthy to me. Some are lumpy with a few darker spots on them while others are smooth. Could that just the type of romaine it is and the way the light is reflecting off of it? I don't see any yellowing or burnt ends and even with my magnifying glass I can't see any trace of anything unusual like bugs. The only thing that has been happening to the leaves is that a few got torn because they are so soft. I am purchasing a fan to help strengthen them as that was suggested in my reading.
Also, two questions, if you don't mind. The first is how do I know when to harvest the romaine? On what day or how tall should they be? It is right now day 22.
In addition, if I am successful with these plantings I would like to get another AeroGarden, perhaps a smaller version, and try my hand at dwarf tomatoes using only one pod opening to give them room. But, many of the reviews I have seen say that the AeroGarden tomatoes are not edible. Many say they taste really bad. So, if I go in that direction, should I purchase a different brand of tomato seed to plant in the AeroGarden pods that you can purchase empty? Or, do you think it's something that these people are doing wrong that makes the tomatoes inedible? Also, can you grow cauliflower in an AeroGarden? Again, this is just so exciting to me to be growing this stuff. Thanks so much for your help!
I love all the questions and your enthusiasm, I will try and answer them as best I can! One thing I would caution is that grocery store produce is no gauge of what real food looks like :) Nothing is that "perfect". A fan is always good and can help with air circulation, strengthening stems (not an issue for lettuce) and help prevent crispy tips on things like lettuce.
In terms of harvesting, you can do it as soon as the leaves are big enough. I just take the outer leaves as I need them and the plant keeps on growing. The younger leaves have a milder flavour as well. Some people also use the "haircut method" where they chop the tops off but personally I prefer just harvesting the outer leaves.
I don't use any of the Aerogarden pre-seeded pods, I just buy the bulk pods and use my own seeds. The micro tomatoes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds are amazing and sooo tiny! I have harvested 30+ tomatoes off a 7" plant! Tomatoes can also benefit from adding some cal-mag into the water. I have read people say it improves the flavour...now I am suddenly planning another experiment video! Tomatoes with cal-mag vs without! Thanks for the idea I personally would not grow a cauliflower in the Aerogarden just based on how big they have gotten in my garden. Plus I like to grow things hydroponically that have a higher return. If you did grow a cauliflower you would only get one, but a tomato or pepper plant can keep producing.
I hope this helps.
Kiri
@@The_IndoorGardener Again, thanks so much for your suggestions. Where can I purchase the cal-mag and the Heirloom tomato seeds? Would I use the Cal-mag in place of the AeroGarden plant food? I have a ways to go before I get to the tomatoes, but I am planning ahead. When that happens I am sure I will have many more questions. Again, thanks a bunch!
@@MsBarbieBaby1 I get my cal-mag on Amazon and I get just about all my heirloom seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.rareseeds.com). Your mind will be BLOWN by the varieties that exist!!! I have 50+ types of tomatoes and probably the same in peppers. Damn I love seeds :)
My son gave me an Aerogarden. I'm over 3 weeks in after planting. One of the seed pods said Black Seeded Simpson which is supposed to be lettuce. The plant that came up looked suspiciously like a tomato plant. It turns out it is a tomato plant. I guess those things happen. It turned out OK because one of my Heirloom Cherry tomato pods never came up. I suppose that's tomato-lettuce Karma. :)
Hi Walt, yes I have heard of that happening. I just buy the unseeded pods and use my own which lets you grow WAY more varieties. That pod that never grew you can always reuse with your own seeds! I believe you can also contact AeroGarden and they should send you a replacement pod. I always love hearing about people getting started with growing hydroponically! If you have any questions let me know!
Thanks for your great series. I'll have mine in a few days and can't wait to start! Just curious - have you ever considered a Kratky system? I've read that they work very well for lettuce and some herbs. The only big expense is the grow light.
Hi Liz, That’s exciting you have an AeroGarden on the way! I haven’t tested out kratky yet but it is on the to do list for some future videos! What are you most excited to grow in your new system?
@@The_IndoorGardener a few types of lettuce, some other greens and a dozen herbs! Now I just need to quickly decide which to start with. I will be on the lookout for used units for sure. Otoh I may switch lettuce to a simple Kratky system. I was thrilled to find a shop on Etsy who builds an Aerogarden type system. I may find myself ordering from HintsofFruitsBaskets in future - or get really ambitious and make my own.
I'm so glad I'm from a part of the world that doesn't have to pronounce the "H" in herbs. That seems like so much extra work.
Indeed LOL
@@The_IndoorGardener I’m so glad you have a sense of humor to not feed into internet comments 😂, and thanks for the video it helped me a lot!
@@KyilHellaKids LOL, I’m glad you found the video helpful :)
I heard that was a problem when Erbert Oover was president.
So helpful! I just got mine tonight, a. Sprout. Also in Canada, do you order direct from Aerogarden or order Amazon or Canadian Tire?
Always happy to connect with other Canuck! I got mine from Amazon…I wish we had those awesome sales like they do in the states!
@@The_IndoorGardener Awesome. I’m going to set it up this weekend. Your videos are so helpful! Learning a lot already. Looking forward to fresh veggies year-round :)
I’m thinking of getting an Aerogarden or 2 and this is an excellent video to introduce me and get me started. Thank you!!! One question, someone said you have to completely empty the water out and refill it every 2 weeks. Is that true or do you just add water throughout the one harvest cycle and then clean thoroughly at the end of harvest?
Hi Lorre, I am never one to say this is right or that is right. I can just tell you that personally I top up the water throughout the growing cycle and clean out and change the water completely after the harvest. A big part of gardening is experimenting and finding out what best works for you. That’s so exciting you are going to start growing hydroponically! I wish you all the best and let me know if you have any other questions. I will do my best to answer them.
Always love your content. What oscillating fan do you recommend. I am growing fairy tale eggplant, lots of flowers, but no eggplant
Thank you so much! Any will do really, personally I was looking at the “DisplayHoneywell HTF210BC QuietSet® 13" Table Fan, Black, with Oscillation, Slim Profile, and Easy-Touch” from Amazon. I liked that it is slim, but seriously if you have one already that would be fine. You just need a gentle breeze. You can also tap the stem, I do that every day with the peppers and tomatoes. I’m actually growing my first indoor eggplant so it will be interesting to see how that goes. You’ll have to give me any tips you learn! :)
@@The_IndoorGardener we have been growing the fairy tale eggplant for 130 days, so we have no tips 😔
@@The_IndoorGardener
Will this work with Farm 12XL? How far away should it be placed? The fan looks perfect
How often and at what stage do you pollinate? My tomato plants are 17 days old and thriving.
Hi, Tomatoes are self-pollinating but once you see flowers you can give the stems a gentle shake to help increase pollination. Having an oscillating fan blowing gently on them is helpful as well to make stronger stems and increase pollination. Hope that helps and happy growing!
This video is soo informative! Thank you for that. I was curious to know if you’ve ever tried to grow flowers in one of these or have any tips on that?
Not yet! I am about to grow a field of camomile in my AeroGarden Farm but I usually focus on growing veggies. What flowers were you wanting to grow?
Nothing sprouted. Tried basil, sage and celantro. One celantro plant is growing out of 12 pods. I noticed a dark green (almost blackish) slime on top of a couple. I don’t know what it is so I’m not sure what to do. Can I reuse the same pods with different seeds? It’s been over a month. 10 hours of light exposure. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I just started growing my garden and found your video helpful. A friend said she had little bugs around her garden and now I hesitate to use it. Has anyone experienced this?
Hi Sophia,
Apologies, I thought I had answered your question but it doesn't look like I did! I have had "bugs" in my Aerogarden but that was at least in one case my own fault as I had Brough some dirt in from outside (NEVER do this) which had some creepy crawlies in it and then they moved into my Aerogarden and made themselves at home! I did also have some aphids in another garden and this was AFTER the first incident and I wasn't bring dirt in anymore (like never again). So it IS possible that they come in the pods you buy. So as long as you are careful and keep an eye on your plant babies you should be fine. I have only had it happen twice in more than 5 years and both times I was able to get it under control. So while it is possible it is not probably and just think about how much food you could grow! I hope that helps.
Kir
I just started with my garden, your video was very helpful. A friend said she started getting little bugs around the garden, now I’m hesitant on using it. Has anyone experienced this?
I’m so glad the video was helpful. It is possible to get bugs in an Aerogarden, the same way they can appear in houseplants. I find it’s best to keep outdoor plants outdoors and any plants coming into your house should be quarantined to make sure they don’t contain pests. But while it is possible it is not necessarily probable. Whenever you are gardening (indoor or outdoor) you need to be watching you plants. That said I would definitely start growing food with your new garden!
This video was super helpful, but wondering where I might find information regarding when to start each plant due to the different germination time, and where the best placement as far as growing for the plants? I am going to be doing herbs, basil, parsley, chives, rosemary, and cilantro. Also one of the iDoo hydroponic units has a "fan" in the top where the light it, have you researched that particular brand?
do you add the plant food when you start the seeds or wait until you have sprouts?
Hi Mimi,
I like to wait until the seedlings have the first set of true leaves before I start adding in any nutrients. The first "leaves" you will see are actually the cotyledons and the look different than the real leaves of the plant. The cotyledons (I think they kind of look like little hearts) are there to absorb light and allow the plant to form its first true leaves. Until those real leaves show up the seedlings should have everything they need to grow. I hope that helps!
Kiri
@@The_IndoorGardener Thank you. I will be on the lookout for the first leaves!
Hi thank you for the video, question can you have the aerogarden in a cold room? Or does it have to be in a warm room? or it doesn't matter? Thanks
@The Indoor Gardener do you recommend adding Aero Gardens plant food and Cal Mag at the same time?
Hi, That is what do and then I top up the water after I add them.
@@The_IndoorGardener thank you
My tomato plants are doing well but the leaves are looking a little wilted. They have plenty of water. Should this be a sign I should start pruning and how?
If seeds don’t germinate, can I reuse the pods
So is it ok to plant the seeds and then start the lights or do they need to sprout first? Then turn on the lights?
Have you ever grown chives? Can I buy the 3 hole sprout system and just use the light to grow the chives indoors throughout the winter in Mn??
Wish I had seen your videos a year ago. I had good luck with my Bounty Basic growing the 9 pod herbs and then later the 9 pod flowers. Two weeks ago I planted 7 cherry tomatoes and 2 jalapeños. Now I'm finding I shouldn't put that much in. Should I take some pods out or just thin these 9 pods to one stem each? Sad that Aerogarden doesn't give you more information on growing. Happy you are there to enlighten me. Thanks for your video!
Hi Betty,
That definitely sounds like its a bit crowded. I have 1 tomato, 2 peppers and 1 eggplant in one side of my AeroGarden Farm (12 pods) and that's already crowded. No matter what you end up doing, I would always thing each pod of tomatoes or peppers to one stem only. You could wait until they get growing and then you could transplant a few to soil or a lot of people also transplant to kratky jars. I can't offer you any insight into those as I haven't tried those before but there are lots of videos on how to do those. I really should try it out and make one myself too... OR you could prune like a beast and let them fight it out. There is no right or wrong, or at least I won't tell you there is. So much of gardening both inside and out is about testing things out and seeing what works for you. But if it was me I would move a few to new homes once they have a few sets of true leaves (not the first baby ones you see). I hope that helps. Let me know how it turns out.
Kiri
Did you make/post the video re: pruning aerogarden plants? (mentioned at 12:14) My plants definitely need pruning!
Not yet! I got side tracked in the outdoor garden but as it is getting colder I will be doing way more hydroponic content! I am just setting up the root trimming video and then right after I will do the pruning one! What are you growing?
@@The_IndoorGardener I am growing the genovese basil which needs root trimming and thinning out. Any advise on those problems so i don't kill it?
Thank you so much for doing such a wonderful job explaining the Aerogarden basics! I just got a Bounty and am looking forward to growing some lettuce. Do you have any suggestions for a good beginners lettuce? Thanks again! New subscriber.
Yay! Welcome and I am so glad you found the video helpful. I LOVE buttercrunch!!! I had never had it until I started growing it and I am obsessed now. Another one I like is Rouge D’hiver.
@@The_IndoorGardener Thank you so much for the reply! I will try the buttercrunch. I have never heard of the Rouge D' hiver but I will look for it as well.
Excellent and informative video! I just planted mine 2 days ago, already knowing not to overcrowd but did not cover the empty holes up. Since it's only day 2, should I empty the water and add new fresh water and fertilizer after I cover the holes up tonight?
Exciting! I would just cover the holes you should be fine. What are you growing?
@@The_IndoorGardener Thanks for the fast response!! I'll just go with the flow :) I'm growing 1 Basil, 1 Chives, 1 Thyme and 3 lettuces. And I planted the Basil kinda on its own to the far side of the Bounty Elite model.
@@shannonpalo4536 You’ll most likely be surprised how BIG the basil leaves are when you grow hydroponically! Mine are often as big as my hand!
@@The_IndoorGardener Glad I put Basil Baby in the corner!! LOL!
i put all of my herbs in all the holes, im worried about that. i thought maybe i took the dome off to early, i am starting to notice it in all my other sprouts to. im worried and would love to know how to fix this
I've been testing on growing cannabis using the aerogarden and im currently in the flowering/bloom stage and would like to produce good and potent buds organically. I've seen that seabird guano is a great option but unsure if it works well with the aerogarden, I don't know if u have knowledge on growing cannabis but seems u know how an aerogarden works do you think that could cause any problems using this or any dry organic fertilizers?
Hi, I haven’t grown cannabis but I would say that personally I would be concerned about using any dry fertilizers or the guano in case it doesn’t dissolve fully and could cause an issue with the pump. That would be my gut reaction… I hope that helps and it you DO try it, let me know how it goes. Also the guano is potent stuff so less is probably more..in a hydroponic setup you are going direct injection 😉
I’m currently using small pieces of aluminum foil to cover the open slots. Is that okay or must I purchase the covers?
Great, informative video. I am about 1 mo. in to AG. Have Sprout with seeding tray (not tried yet) and Harvest. Am VERY interested in knowing the very BEST AND SWEETEST AND SHORTEST GROWING TIME CHERRY TOM. for both Sprout & Harvest. Would love to know the recommended plants to grow in each unit. Also, does anyone out there have the Tower Garden outdoor unit as well as AeroGarden? Sorry if not proper to ask that. Thanks so much.
Hi Kathie, That’s awesome you are on your way to growing some food! I love to grow the Oranga Hat tomato from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I find them very sweet, prolific and they are only about 6-8” tall! I will be doing some videos over the winter about what I grow in my Sprout. Totally cool to ask questions here. I haven’t used the Tower garden but hopefully someone else can answer that for you.
Kiri
Hi Kiri ❤
I just saw in a group this...They said that the AeroGarden sponges are not good and have aphid and thrip eggs in them. They are not sterilized. Have you ever heard of this or experienced this?....or bugs in your AeroGardens? That would be horrible if the sponges have the bugs or whatever in them. She said she freezes the bag of sponges for a couple of weeks and then opens the package. That seems like a lot of work...I hope this isn't true. Thank You...Hugs Viv ❤
Hi Vivian, I have heard of that happening but it hasn’t happened to me. You run the same risk if you buy a new houseplant or bring a plant in from outside and don’t quarantine it. I managed to bring thrips in when I grabbed some soil from outside on a fluke warm day in January to plant some beans I got in a trade 🤦🏼♀️ If you are going to freeze them I would get the bulk sponges…some seeds may not appreciate the freezer! Hope that helps!
Kir
@@The_IndoorGardener Thank You Kiri...It sounds weird to me to freeze them. Good News that you haven't experienced this before with the sponges. I don't even know what thrips are. I'll have to look it up.
Have you had any bug problems? What did you do to make them go away?
I don't have any other plants in the house. I only have my AeroGardens.
I hope I never get bugs...Have a Great Day Kiri!!!
Hugs Viv ❤
@@viviancutler3918 I had the thrips I brought in and that soil had been frozen so not sure the freezing would make a difference…since then I always have sticky traps up and I use nematodes in my systems if I see an issue. I am going to try some carnivorous plants too. It was a looooong and hard fought battle to get rid of the thrips. I even had to shut down most of my systems at one point. Be aware is the best I can say…a stray aphid or other wee beastie could even grab a ride on your clothes in the summer.
@@The_IndoorGardener Oh Wow!!! Thank You for this information Kiri ❤
Does the fan help reduce mold or mildew?
The fam helps with air circulation which helps prevent a host of issues. It also helps to build stronger stems by simulating the wind that plants would encounter outdoors. If you are growing lettuce it can also help reduce tip burn.
thank you
Amazing video! I am waiting for my very first AeroGarden to be shipped to me this week and your videos are going to be my online AeroGarden classes. I have questions for you already!
1: I plan to move my AeroGarden around quite a bit from my bedroom to living room. After the initial set up on the control panel, would it be ok to unplug it and move it to a different location or would it lose the setting? I am assuming AeroGarden would work like microwaves in keeping up with the time setting and etc even if we occasionally unplug them for a short period of time. 2: And in eastern climate, December and January will be pretty cold. They are indoors, but I tend to leave the windows open during the day, all day. Would this be too bad in the beginning? 3: Do you recommend putting the Aerogarden by the window where it can get natural sunilght and wind?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Hea,
That's so exciting that you are just getting started with growing hydroponically (it's a bit addictive). I'll do my best to answer your questions :)
1. When I unplug my AeroGarden Farm it does ask me if I lost power and if I click yes it keeps the old settings. What model are you getting? Also I am curious why you want to move it around?
2. You wouldn't want the seedlings or even bigger plants in the path of a cold draft of air. Seedlings are when the plants are weakest. As long as they are not directly in the cold air they should be ok. But a big part of gardening (inside or out) is paying attention to your plants. So just be sure to keep an eye on them, if they don't seem happy then I would move them somewhere warmer. It also depends on what you are growing. Things like lettuce and other leafy greens are frost hardy so they will have a lot more tolerance. I'm in Canada and today its 0C (32F) and I have lettuce, celery, kale and broccoli still outside and they are all quite happy.
3. I have all my systems up in my office/grow room (I may do a tour video soon) and there is a large window and they do fine. But I also had the Aerogarden Farm Plus in the basement for years and everything grew fine there too. The lights in the systems are pretty much made to give the plants what they need. The only thing I would not recommend is to have the lights on during the night and then have light coming onto the Aerogarden during the day from a winter. Your plant babies need to 'sleep' too ;)
I really hope this answers all your question, if you have any more or other video ideas please let me know!
Happy growing,
Kir
@@The_IndoorGardener Thank you so so much! I am getting the Bounty Basic soon, and it has nine pods. I thought about moving it around from time to time just in case it gets too cold in the living room where I keep my window open and lights on most of the time. I thought maybe I should bring it to my room at night. I will pay close attention to my little seedlings as you have advised, and adjust environments accordingly. I am learning so much from your videos. I ordered my little fan already for my lettuce collection. I am mainly doing lettuce varieties some jalapeno, and cilantro with just two pods of tomatoes. I will start out with maybe six pods instead of doing all nine because what you mentioned about it makes perfect sense! I will have more questions and ideas for you as I get my hands on these babies soon. Thanks again
@@heakim1892 The peppers and tomatoes will lay down BIG roots and they can grow quite tall. I would keep them towards the back and one in each corner (so one of each). If you end up getting another system (chances are you will…they are addictive LOL). You may want to keep the leafy greens in one system and the flowering plants in another one. But experiment and see what works best for you! It’s the best way to learn.
@@The_IndoorGardener thank you ! will keep you posted!
Can you transfer starter plants into the AeroGarden? Or do you have to use seeds?
Hi Olivia, I have never tried that and I would worry it would be too much of a shock to their system. I'll put it on the To Do list for a future video to try it out! I have always started from seed so that the plants are used to growing hydroponically and then I DO transfer some of them to soil once they are still young as it helps with the shock of switching growing mediums in my experience.
So I’ve been trying to watch videos and read around and I can’t find out what my problem is. In short, I constantly have stunted growth. I have the XLs, I only use 3 of the pods at a time, so I only do one capful of food every two weeks. I do a water change once a month and the plants look to be better for a few days then go back to being crappy. So it must be the ph balance or something in the water. But besides water changes what can I do? I’ve tried to clean the whole thing out and start over a few times but I always end up with the same results? What am I doing wrong?
My thoughts would be that the nutrients are too diluted by your using only one capful. You could test out this theory by putting the recommended amount in one grow bowl and continuing your one capful in the other. Hope that helps and let me know how it goes.
Help! Cannot seem to find the pruning video?
That’s my fault. I never ended up making it. Last year was stressful for me and I didn’t get all the videos I wanted to get done done. But I will be doing one this year. I will also be doing a month by month grow room tour (I just posted the first one) and I will show stuff like pruning etc as I do monthly updates. So stay tuned.
@@The_IndoorGardener Thank you so much for responding. I'm such a newbie.
Nothing wrong with being a newbie! Just take it one day at a time and enjoy it! If you have any questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them!
Pickering? I grew up in Ajax 😛
Awesome!
I like aerogardens design except the reservoir is so small I don't think the price tag fits the product
Hi there, you mentioned an oscillating fan, but I don't see a link where I can purchase one.
I am going to my first farm 12xl, after having Aerogardens for over 15 years.
Thanks ☺️
I have yet to find a nice clip on one that works but any old oscillating fan should be fine. You don’t need a special one, just make sure to keep it in low as you just want a gentle breeze
Those grow domes don't "snap" on or even fit. I couldn't get mine to stay on the pod at all. I had to just place them above the pod loosely. Is the normal? Does the dome have to "snap" on at all in order to work? (The domes wouldn't snap on because the pod labels weren't placed perfectly around the opening of the pod. They were mostly off-center, some by quite a bit. The instructions in the booklet says to "cover the seed pods loosely" with the domes, so I'm assuming that there is actually no "snapping" that should be happening anyway.)
Hi Phil, Snap may have been a bit strong of a term, mine fit on snugly and grip. That said my pods all had the old labels on them. I just used the new green sticker/cover labels and the pods are defineitly more loose on those ones! BUt no worry either way, you just want to keep the domes on until the seedlings are almost but NOT touching the domes. We don’t want to burn those new little leaves! What are you growing in your Aerogarden?
@@The_IndoorGardener Thanks for your swift reply! Well, mine are neither snug nor do they grip. I could blow on them and they would move. I'll just keep them centered above the hole in the pod and trust that will work. I'm growing the 6-pod herb kit that came with the product. Hasn't been 24 hours yet, so ...
Oh ... I don't think they should sell the plastic covers for unused holes. I think they should come with the package. It's expensive enough as it is.
@@PintoSixty The waiting is the hardest part! The domes I just put on today with the new stickers I could easily blow off too. Not to worry you should be good and growing herbs and saving money soon enough!
@@PintoSixty Yeah I agree! My Rise Gardens come with the hole covers and I think that makes a lot more sense. A lot of people wouldn’t know to cover the holes anf could end up with an algae problem! That said you can use anything that will block the light, golf balls is what a lot of people use. The main thing is to block the light
Why specifically an oscillating fan?
The idea is to simulate the breeze that would occur naturally in an outdoor environment. So the oscillation allows for a bit of a breeze and then a break from it. It should also be on very low.
😱 I took off parts of the labels to let the light get to the bottom of the plants. I'm on day 27. What should I do to prevent algae?
Hey Wendy, Don’t panic! You can just cover the tops with aluminum foil. I cut pieces to cover and then cut out the centre…then you should have a metallic donut of sorts and I cut a slit from the edge to the centre. That way you can “open it up” and fit it around the growing plant. I hope that makes sense….if not email me at ourlittlesuburbanfarmhouse@gmail.com and I’ll make and send you a little video of what I am talking about
I know what you use the bumblebee for😂
what about rain water?
Hi, I am planning to do a whole video on what types of water are best in a hydroponic system (and why). But I still have a bit of research I am doing, so stay tuned!
oh man I wish I would have watched this before setting up my Aerogareden :( I took the labels off and theres too much Algae I'm a dumbass
Not at all...I learned just about everything I know from a string of dumbass moves :) You don't know what you don't know! I would suggest adding some aluminum foil over the tops and hopefully the algae will settle down a bit. All is not lost!
@@The_IndoorGardener you are a sweetheart 🙂
So nice to hear you’re from Pickering. We have the same climate lol I’m in Hamilton
@@zoerossi46 Awesome! 👋🏻
I want and need to grow herbs!!! I have seeds for parsley, basil. I currently have chinese chives, and mint. I want thyme, dill, rosemary, cilantro, and some other common herbs. We're huge on using herbs, and if I could have a continuous supply, I'd be in heaven!!!
Herbs are prefect for growing hydroponically. Honestly I grow most of my herbs indoors even in the summer when my outdoor garden is in full swing. basil specifically grows so much better hydroponically in my experience. Plus you have the benefit of being able to grow them year round, save money AND free up space outdoors to grow things that don't grow well hydroponically.
Omg!!!!! Are we sisters? ... Iam a seed-whore too!!!!! I'm so ready to get started with herbs turn my kitchen hydroponic ally!
Amazing! It’s definitely addictive! I just bought 10 new kinds of basil and about 4 more kinds of cilantro so can’t wait to try growing all those and see the difference!