I’ve had my AeroGarden for over a yr now, so I feel it’s time to do an sincere assessment and analysis of the product. For those who’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 the event you’re serious about buying one. And an sincere assessment that may 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 jot down a assessment. 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 method of rising, straightforward to make use of for the widespread family.
You will get a wide range of sizes starting from a 3 plant system to an excellent massive 24 plant system. A lot of the backyard’s are counter dimension, no bigger than a toaster oven. However their Farm Household setup is ground primarily based and would require more room.
What Are you able to Develop in It?
I’m certain I’ve at the least piqued your curiosity at this level. So what are you able to develop on this factor? As soon as once more, there are a number of choices that AeroGarden has proper on their webpage to your selecting. You may strive your hand at herbs. For those who actually like a freshly grown salad, you may decide to plant an array of lettuces. If flowers are extra your velocity, you are able to do that too. You may even get greens that develop indoors all yr spherical so that you’re meals are all the time made with brisker substances. Within the uncommon case that you simply aren’t happy with the seed equipment choices they provide, you may even buy empty pods to place your individual seeds in.
Okay. Okay. You assume this factor is fairly cool, however you may’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 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 obtained 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! Whenever you buy the merchandise instantly by them, they’ll again the seeds with a 100% germination assure. Loopy, proper?!
Other than 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, in the event you’ve made it so far within the article, you must have discovered that I really like this product. After we did our walk-thru video of our RV, we truly needed to edit out a piece of it as a result of I obtained caught speaking about my backyard a lot. You may nonetheless see the backyard with all of my beautiful vegetation rising. However can I truthfully give you any further cause’s to purchase it? I actually can.
Contemporary Components
It’s 2022. Actually, it’s virtually 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 hitch a well being membership or see a nutritionist to be instructed this. You realize it, I do know it, even your neighbor is aware of it.
Contemporary substances 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 contemporary inexperienced beans you picked out of your backyard. You may’t! They don’t. I imply, they’ll work, you may eat them. There’s even dietary worth in these canned veggies. However they’ll by no means style nearly as good because the contemporary stuff does.
Inspiration
Huh? Right here I’m telling you that you could go surfing and buy pre-selected seed pods and now I’m speaking about inspiration. This goes again to that very good help that AeroGarden supplies. Whenever you’re on the Aerogarden web site, you may tab over to Inspiration. Right here, they’ve a number of articles about Rising, Cooking, Studying, and even Crafting your backyard the way in which you need it. Getting began with a backyard could be overwhelming once you first begin. That is very true in the event you’ve by no means performed it earlier than.
AeroGarden helps you thru studying the way to prune and harvest out of your vegetation. When you’ve an abundance of Basil, they’ve an article on the way to dry and retailer it. Want a recipe for all of these tomatoes you harvested, they’ve obtained that! The articles are tailor-made to the particular sorts 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 mentioned earlier, these little counter prime backyard’s don’t take up more room than a toaster oven. Whenever you plant a backyard outdoors, you truly must have some house. The particular person residing in an condominium might have a balcony to place a number of potted vegetation on, however they don’t have a yard. Even in the event you’re in a home with a yard, it’s essential dedicate an space for rising a backyard. I stay in an RV, so my counter house is restricted, however I had room to arrange my backyard. I used to be capable of have contemporary basil, dill, and tomatoes for all of my cooking.
AeroGarden makes use of non-GMO seeds which might be particularly designed for the house supplied of their gardens. You aren’t buying an eggplant that may develop over 3 toes extensive. You might be getting a plant that may slot in throughout 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 great 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 assessment my cons. A few of my causes will probably be a lot totally different than the traditional family. However I nonetheless assume I’ve a number of cons that each consumer wish to find out about.
Energy
We stay in a camper. Our energy provide is restricted. After 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 once we do this kind 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 on daily basis at no cost. Inserting 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 will likely be nice. However we additionally want to think about our water utilization. The vegetation nonetheless require water, however so will we, and we have now a restricted provide. For the widespread home-owner, this isn’t actually a con it’s essential fear about. However for the RV Life-style it’s.
Yield
Doug and I are solely 2 folks. There isn’t anybody else residing in our camper. The seeds supplied by AeroGarden yield SO a lot that we truthfully couldn’t sustain with it. Now, I do know for lots of people, that doesn’t sound like a foul factor. Possibly if we had been in a home and never a camper, it will be a very good 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 have now an abundance. However, we aren’t all the time with different folks. A variety 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 may 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. After we know we have now necessary mail that wants our consideration, we have now to e book a campground that enables deliveries. We contact our mail service and so they package deal and ship all of our mail to mentioned campground. On a number 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 extra seed pods except 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 convey me to my final con.
Value
Yeah. Right here it’s. The true zinger. These infants are costly. For the smallest backyard unit AeroGarden gives it’s an preliminary $100 funding. Whenever you think about 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 unsuitable, they’ve choices and you could find one that matches your funds. 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? Possibly $2.00. I must use basil in 230 days of dinner simply to cowl the price of the unit. Tomatoes could also be sooner.
Seed pods have an expense too. 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 price none the much less. Bear in mind, we’re nonetheless making an attempt to get sufficient harvest to cowl the price of the unit.
Ultimate Judgement
For the Fulltime RV’er, having a backyard with you sounds great in concept. AeroGarden has technically even made that attainable. Like I’ve mentioned in the complete first half of this text, I actually adored my unit and cherished having contemporary substances at my disposal. Nonetheless, retaining the backyard operating simply hasn’t been essentially the most sensible factor within the camper.
Even in the event you take out the Energy and Yield considerations, you continue to must think about Getting New Pods and the Value related to it. For us, retaining our backyard going simply wasn’t pragmatic anymore. Hopefully this sincere assessment offers you a number of issues to think about earlier than committing to, and buying, a unit to your RV Life.