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 give you an outline of what the product is. A hyperlink in case you’re focused on buying one. And an sincere overview that can embody my private professional’s and con’s whereas residing 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 put in writing 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 further 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, straightforward 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 measurement, no bigger than a toaster oven. However their Farm Household setup is ground primarily based and would require extra space.
What Are you able to Develop in It?
I’m positive I’ve no less than piqued your curiosity at this level. So what are you able to develop on this factor? As soon as once more, there are a number of choices that AeroGarden has proper on their webpage in your selecting. You possibly can strive your hand at herbs. If you happen to actually like a freshly grown salad, you possibly can choose to plant an array of lettuces. If flowers are extra your velocity, you are able to do that too. You possibly can even get greens that develop indoors all 12 months spherical so that you’re meals are all the time made with more energizing components. Within the uncommon case that you just aren’t happy with the seed package choices they provide, you possibly can even buy empty pods to place your individual seeds in.
Okay. Okay. You assume this factor is fairly cool, however you possibly can’t hold 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 this stuff 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 offer your little child vegetation meals. You’re occurring 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 bought 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! If you buy the merchandise immediately by means of them, they may again the seeds with a 100% germination assure. Loopy, proper?!
Except for the warranties and ensures that they supply, they’ve a bunch 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 possible discover your query proper there. Questions vary from the kind of plastic used to help with the water pump not working. All questions with the most typical answer at your fingertips with out sitting on maintain ready for customer support.
AeroGarden Professional’s
Truthfully, in case you’ve made it so far within the article, it’s a must to have discovered that I really like this product. Once we did our walk-thru video of our RV, we really needed to edit out a bit of it as a result of I bought caught speaking about my backyard a lot. You possibly can nonetheless see the backyard with all of my beautiful vegetation rising. However can I actually give you any further motive’s to purchase it? I actually can.
Contemporary Substances
It’s 2022. Actually, it’s nearly 2023. Everyone knows that FRESH meals is healthier for us than something that is available in a can, field, or bag. We don’t want to affix a well being membership or see a nutritionist to be instructed this. You understand it, I do know it, even your neighbor is aware of it.
Contemporary components are usually not solely more healthy for us, however they TASTE higher too! Go forward… Inform me the can of inexperienced beans style nearly as good because the recent inexperienced beans you picked out of your backyard. You possibly can’t! They don’t. I imply, they’ll work, you possibly can eat them. There’s even dietary worth in these canned veggies. However they may by no means style nearly as good because the recent stuff does.
Inspiration
Huh? Right here I’m telling you that you would be able to log on and buy pre-selected seed pods and now I’m speaking about inspiration. This goes again to that very good assist that AeroGarden offers. If you’re on the Aerogarden web site, you possibly can tab over to Inspiration. Right here, they’ve a bunch of articles about Rising, Cooking, Studying, and even Crafting your backyard the best way you need it. Getting began with a backyard could be overwhelming while you first begin. That is very true in case you’ve by no means completed it earlier than.
AeroGarden helps you thru studying how you can prune and harvest out of your vegetation. When you have got an abundance of Basil, they’ve an article on how you can dry and retailer it. Want a recipe for all of these tomatoes you harvested, they’ve bought that! The articles are tailor-made to the precise varieties of vegetation that they promote. So that you aren’t studying a recipe about Beefsteak tomatoes, they’ve one for cherry tomatoes.
Area
As I stated earlier, these little counter high backyard’s don’t take up extra space than a toaster oven. If you plant a backyard exterior, you really must have some house. The individual residing in an residence could have a balcony to place a couple of potted vegetation on, however they don’t have a yard. Even in case you’re in a home with a yard, it’s worthwhile to dedicate an space for rising a backyard. I dwell in an RV, so my counter house is proscribed, however I had room to arrange my backyard. I used to be in a position to have recent basil, dill, and tomatoes for all of my cooking.
AeroGarden makes use of non-GMO seeds which are particularly designed for the house offered of their gardens. You aren’t buying an eggplant that can develop over 3 ft broad. 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 assume 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 possible be a lot totally different than the conventional family. However I nonetheless assume I’ve a couple of cons that each consumer want to find out about.
Energy
We dwell 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 this sort of tenting. Using a few of that electrical to run the AeroGarden, even with it’s LED lights, is electrical we have now deemed pointless. Now, the solar does nonetheless come up every single day without spending a dime. Inserting the backyard exterior will present the required gentle.
However there’s 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’s water within the unit, the vegetation will likely be superb. However we additionally want to contemplate our water utilization. The vegetation nonetheless require water, however so can we, and we have now a restricted provide. For the frequent home-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 residing 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. Possibly if we have been in a home and never a camper, it could be an excellent factor for us too. Nonetheless, we’re restricted on house. There isn’t sufficient room to dry, protect, and hold the entire 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 have now an abundance. However, we aren’t all the time with different individuals. Plenty of our tenting places 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 positioned in Texas. Once we know we have now essential mail that wants our consideration, we have now to guide a campground that permits deliveries. We contact our mail service and so they bundle and ship all of our mail to stated campground. On a couple of events we have now needed to lengthen our keep as a result of we’re nonetheless ready for that mail supply.
I can’t place an order for added seed pods until we’re stationary lengthy sufficient for them to be delivered. That is one thing we take care of for all on-line purchases. We accepted this with most issues and perceive that if we will’t purchase it in a retailer, we have to plan for ordering something. This has an added value, which deliver me to my final con.
Value
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. If you think about that it comes with a starter seed package and the plant meals, that doesn’t sound horrible. However their Bounty (the one I’ve) it’s $460! Don’t get me incorrect, they’ve choices and you’ll find one that matches your price range. However lets do a breakdown right here… How a lot does it value to choose up some recent basil on the grocery retailer for tonight’s dinner? Possibly $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 package will value about $13.50. This isn’t horrible when you think about the price of recent greens on the farmers market. However nonetheless a value none the much less. Bear in mind, we’re nonetheless attempting to get sufficient harvest to cowl the price of the unit.
Ultimate Judgement
For the Fulltime RV’er, having a backyard with you sounds fantastic in principle. AeroGarden has technically even made that potential. Like I’ve stated in your complete first half of this text, I actually adored my unit and beloved having recent components at my disposal. Nonetheless, preserving the backyard operating simply hasn’t been probably the most sensible factor within the camper.
Even in case you take out the Energy and Yield issues, you continue to must think about Getting New Pods and the Value related to it. For us, preserving our backyard going simply wasn’t pragmatic anymore. Hopefully this sincere overview offers you a couple of issues to contemplate earlier than committing to, and buying, a unit in your RV Life.