I’ve had my AeroGarden for over a 12 months now, so I feel it’s time to do an sincere overview and analysis of the product. If you happen to’ve by no means heard of those infants earlier than, sit tight. I’ll offer you an outline of what the product is. A hyperlink should you’re fascinated about buying one. And an sincere overview that can embrace my private professional’s and con’s whereas dwelling the RV Life.
I wish to level out that this isn’t a paid commercial. I’m not being sponsored by AeroGarden, and so they didn’t pay me to write down a overview. That is an sincere evaluation of how I really feel about my backyard and their product.
What’s the AeroGarden?
The AeroGarden is an indoor hydroponic backyard. A hydroponic backyard is one the place the vegetation develop in water and little or no (if any) soil. For the Aerogarden, every seed pod has a small quantity of soil in every pod containing the seeds. No extra soil is used whereas the plant grows. The roots are all free floating in water contained within the decrease bucket portion of the unit. What makes the AeroGarden so particular? They’ve made this dynamic and versatile manner of rising, simple to make use of for the frequent family.
You will get a wide range of sizes starting from a 3 plant system to an excellent giant 24 plant system. A lot of the backyard’s are counter dimension, no bigger than a toaster oven. However their Farm Household setup is flooring based mostly and would require extra space.
What Are you able to Develop in It?
I’m certain I’ve a minimum of piqued your curiosity at this level. So what are you able to develop on this factor? As soon as once more, there are a selection of choices that AeroGarden has proper on their webpage in your selecting. You’ll be able to attempt your hand at herbs. If you happen to actually like a freshly grown salad, you’ll be able to decide to plant an array of lettuces. If flowers are extra your pace, you are able to do that too. You’ll be able to even get greens that develop indoors all 12 months spherical so that you’re meals are at all times made with brisker substances. Within the uncommon case that you just aren’t glad with the seed equipment choices they provide, you’ll be able to even buy empty pods to place your personal seeds in.
Okay. Okay. You suppose this factor is fairly cool, however you’ll be able to’t maintain a small cactus alive in your kitchen window. Belief me. I get it. I don’t have a inexperienced thumb both. AeroGarden to the rescue as soon as once more. They’ve made these items for the Inexperienced Thumb Challenged particular person, like myself. It has an alert when it wants extra water. One other alert when it’s time to present your little child vegetation meals. You’re happening trip, no want to fret. You simply put your backyard into Trip Mode the place it reduces the variety of hours the sunshine is on! And it’ll even decrease the frequency the water pump runs.
What About A Warrenty?
Yup. They’ve received that too. Not solely does AeroGarden have a restricted guarantee on the backyard unit, however in addition they have a assure on the seed pods! Once you buy the merchandise immediately by way of them, they’ll again the seeds with a 100% germination assure. Loopy, proper?!
Except for the warranties and ensures that they supply, they’ve a number of FAQ’s on their web site. Earlier than you even attain out to the corporate through chat, e-mail, or telephone name, you’ll probably discover your query proper there. Questions vary from the kind of plastic used to help with the water pump not working. All questions with the most typical resolution at your fingertips with out sitting on maintain ready for customer support.
AeroGarden Professional’s
Actually, should you’ve made it up to now within the article, you need to have found out that I really like this product. Once we did our walk-thru video of our RV, we truly needed to edit out a piece of it as a result of I received caught speaking about my backyard a lot. You’ll be able to nonetheless see the backyard with all of my beautiful vegetation rising. However can I actually offer you any extra motive’s to purchase it? I actually can.
Recent Substances
It’s 2022. Actually, it’s virtually 2023. Everyone knows that FRESH meals is best for us than something that is available in a can, field, or bag. We don’t want to affix a well being membership or see a nutritionist to be instructed this. You already know it, I do know it, even your neighbor is aware of it.
Recent substances usually are not solely more healthy for us, however they TASTE higher too! Go forward… Inform me the can of inexperienced beans style pretty much as good because the contemporary inexperienced beans you picked out of your backyard. You’ll be able to’t! They don’t. I imply, they’ll work, you’ll be able to eat them. There’s even dietary worth in these canned veggies. However they’ll by no means style pretty much as good because the contemporary stuff does.
Inspiration
Huh? Right here I’m telling you that you could log on and buy pre-selected seed pods and now I’m speaking about inspiration. This goes again to that excellent assist that AeroGarden gives. Once you’re on the Aerogarden web site, you’ll be able to tab over to Inspiration. Right here, they’ve a number of articles about Rising, Cooking, Studying, and even Crafting your backyard the best way you need it. Getting began with a backyard may be overwhelming once you first begin. That is very true should you’ve by no means performed it earlier than.
AeroGarden helps you thru studying how one can prune and harvest out of your vegetation. When you’ve an abundance of Basil, they’ve an article on how one can dry and retailer it. Want a recipe for all of these tomatoes you harvested, they’ve received that! The articles are tailor-made to the precise forms of vegetation that they promote. So that you aren’t studying a recipe about Beefsteak tomatoes, they’ve one for cherry tomatoes.
House
As I stated earlier, these little counter prime backyard’s don’t take up extra space than a toaster oven. Once you plant a backyard outdoors, you truly must have some house. The individual dwelling in an condominium might have a balcony to place a number of potted vegetation on, however they don’t have a yard. Even should you’re in a home with a yard, it’s worthwhile to dedicate an space for rising a backyard. I reside in an RV, so my counter house is proscribed, however I had room to arrange my backyard. I used to be capable of have contemporary basil, dill, and tomatoes for all of my cooking.
AeroGarden makes use of non-GMO seeds which can be particularly designed for the house offered of their gardens. You aren’t buying an eggplant that can develop over 3 toes extensive. You might be getting a plant that can slot in inside the confines of the backyard. This alone saves house.
AeroGarden Cons
You didn’t suppose I had any, did you? I’ve gone on an entire rant about how fantastic and superb this factor is. You’re even prepared to purchase one. However maintain up a minute. Let me go over why I don’t even use my unit anymore. Actually. You should still need one even after I overview my cons. A few of my causes will probably be a lot completely different than the conventional family. However I nonetheless suppose I’ve a number of cons that each consumer want to learn about.
Energy
We reside in a camper. Our energy provide is proscribed. Once we go Boondocking for two weeks at a time, we’re solely operating on photo voltaic panels and a generator. Each single amp of energy must be accounted for after we do such a tenting. Using a few of that electrical to run the AeroGarden, even with it’s LED lights, is electrical we now have deemed pointless. Now, the solar does nonetheless come up day by day free of charge. Putting the backyard outdoors will present the required mild.
However there may be additionally the tiny water pump. This too attracts energy. To not fear, the backyard will nonetheless work with out the pump going. So long as there may be water within the unit, the vegetation shall be high quality. However we additionally want to contemplate our water utilization. The vegetation nonetheless require water, however so can we, and we now have a restricted provide. For the frequent house owner, this isn’t actually a con it’s worthwhile to fear about. However for the RV Way of life it’s.
Yield
Doug and I are solely 2 individuals. There isn’t anybody else dwelling in our camper. The seeds offered by AeroGarden yield SO a lot that we actually couldn’t sustain with it. Now, I do know for lots of people, that doesn’t sound like a foul factor. Perhaps if we had been in a home and never a camper, it might be factor for us too. Nonetheless, we’re restricted on house. There isn’t sufficient room to dry, protect, and maintain all the harvest.
We began harvesting and giving it away there was a lot. We’re all for serving to one another out and offering to others when we now have an abundance. However, we aren’t at all times with different individuals. A variety of our tenting areas are in solitude. Then I discovered myself having to throw out completely good herbs and greens.
Getting New Pods
Once more, this isn’t one thing that can impact a family. Solely one thing that must be thought of when utilizing one in an RV. We don’t get mail or packages on a regular basis. We aren’t even in most locations lengthy sufficient to order one thing. Our mail is delivered to a mail service situated in Texas. Once we know we now have essential mail that wants our consideration, we now have to e book a campground that permits deliveries. We contact our mail service and so they package deal and ship all of our mail to stated campground. On a number of events we now have needed to prolong our keep as a result of we’re nonetheless ready for that mail supply.
I can’t place an order for extra seed pods until we’re stationary lengthy sufficient for them to be delivered. That is one thing we cope with for all on-line purchases. We accepted this with most issues and perceive that if we will’t purchase it in a retailer, we have to plan for ordering something. This has an added value, which deliver me to my final con.
Price
Yeah. Right here it’s. The true zinger. These infants are costly. For the smallest backyard unit AeroGarden provides it’s an preliminary $100 funding. Once you consider that it comes with a starter seed equipment and the plant meals, that doesn’t sound horrible. However their Bounty (the one I’ve) it’s $460! Don’t get me flawed, they’ve choices and you’ll find one that matches your finances. However lets do a breakdown right here… How a lot does it value to select up some contemporary basil on the grocery retailer for tonight’s dinner? Perhaps $2.00. I must use basil in 230 days of dinner simply to cowl the price of the unit. Tomatoes could also be quicker.
Seed pods have an expense too. Only a fast poke on the web site reveals me {that a} 6 pod tomato and pepper equipment will value about $13.50. This isn’t horrible when you think about the price of contemporary greens on the farmers market. However nonetheless a value none the much less. Keep in mind, we’re nonetheless attempting to get sufficient harvest to cowl the price of the unit.
Remaining Judgement
For the Fulltime RV’er, having a backyard with you sounds fantastic in principle. AeroGarden has technically even made that attainable. Like I’ve stated in the complete first half of this text, I actually adored my unit and cherished having contemporary substances at my disposal. Nonetheless, preserving the backyard operating simply hasn’t been essentially the most sensible factor within the camper.
Even should you take out the Energy and Yield considerations, you continue to must consider Getting New Pods and the Price related to it. For us, preserving our backyard going simply wasn’t pragmatic anymore. Hopefully this sincere overview offers you a number of issues to contemplate earlier than committing to, and buying, a unit in your RV Life.
