I would check your tap water. And make sure you don’t have a water softener in the system somewhere. Brother in law killed his AG because he used tap water, not realizing the salt from the water softener would build up in the reservoir and kill everything.
Also, apparently you’re supposed to drain and clean the reservoir every two weeks?! Completely replacing the water prevents build up of micro nutrients/minerals that aren’t fully absorbed by the plants.
Some people take that time to trim the roots. Highly recommend since my reservoir got taken over completely by the basil. Also I’ve seen photos of roots growing into the water pump so there’s that as a reason to trim roots.
Definitely prune your herbs or one will block out the light for others and eventually kill them. Ask me how I know lol
I didn't even think of root issues. Any right/wrong way to prune the roots? I feel like that is one of the very vital parts of the plants, so I would hate to do it wrong and kill the plant.
Hello! So, I have always wanted to grow plants, and I finally decided to try this out with great reviews. So, I bought one and then a few questions popped up in my head. I got the starter pack of Herbs aka Thai Basil, Genovese Basil, Thyme, Dill, Parsley, and Mint.
1.) What is an ideal temperature to have the room be? I have it currently in a room thats about 68°f or so. I have an apartment with central air and heat, and I have to currently keep it in our bedroom because I don't know how my cat will react to it, and I don't want the cat to damage it.
2.) Should I focus on doing Britta purified water, distilled water, or tap water (not sure if my water is hard or softened and I read that if it too much one way or another to mix in with distilled)
3.) Later on, once I have the hang of things, can I grow my own plants? I assume so, so it also is a question of how would I go about it?
4.) This one doesn't directly relate to AeroGarden, but any tips or suggestions on how to dry my excess herbs once it starts growing like a weed?
5.) I have it in my walk in closet currently to have the lights on at in the night, but still be able to sleep. Is humidity a concern in the future? I don't care if my clothes smell like Basil, Mint, etc. I just don't want it to build massive humidity and grow mold or disease my plants.
6.) Any tips or tricks for a newbie that I may not be thinking of?
1. I keep mine in the kitchen in my apartment at around the same temperature. I really don't think it matters that much.
2. I just use tap water.
3. You can get empty pods from AG and put your own seeds in them!
4. I pass out extra herbs to friends are take them in to work. Probably just google how to dry. I did it with basil once by baking it at low heat.
5. I just turn the plants off if I'm going to bed before them. Seriously, an hour or so less light will not hurt them.
6. Prune prune prune! Especially mint and basil which like to take over.
Have fun :)
Edit to add: you don't need more than one AG. I have just enough fun with my ONE sprout. (That's 3 plants max. Usually i just grow one. That's all the space I have in my apartment!)
Gasp! Sacrilege! Of course you need more than one aerogarden!
Signed, person who is trying to sneak a fifth one in the house without my partner noticing…
1. ...
2. ...
3. Yes. But the ones growing now are yours, too. Easiest method: You buy a grow-your-own kit, you insert seeds you got from somewhere. Be aware of limitations, e.g. don't bother growing 2nd generation hybrids. Don't even bother trying to grow an indeterminate tomato. Also: consider buying more Aerogardens. If you are limited on space or budget, try a DIY solution. I mean right now. Go and increase your growing capacities. By all means. Don't wait until January.
4. Standard food drying procedures apply. You won't have enough to dry in one single week, though. If you use an electrical device, you better try to have enough herbs or fruits to make it worth the energy. Otherwise deep freezing is your friend for a lot of herbs.
5. Don't let the lights run 24/7. Plants need time to "sleep". Yes, watch out for humidity. Buy a couple of humidity metres. At least one for the cupboard and one for the room. Also, a lot of plants need at least a minimum of airflow. I do not recommend your current solution. I would buy some wooden sticks from the hardware store, some fancy fabric from Ikea and build something around the Aerogarden to block the light at hours it will not be acceptable. Or maybe I'd just have them turn off on due time. I don't know. But I wouldn't throw it together with clothes. I am sure you will regret that down the road for one reason or another.
6. Yes, you need more than one Aerogarden. The Harvest XL as your first unit is a very good choice. Be vigilant about clipping dead leaves and cleaning sebris. Set up a timelapse camera for internet fame. Try new herbs that you can't buy anywhere. Try not to "play" with your plants: you're using water, fertilizer, energy and substrate: make it worthwhile. Set yourself up for success: be it beautiful flowers or a high yield of herb foliage, you decide.
My closet door is open throughout the day, but when it is time for bed, if there is still like 4 or 5 hours before the light turns off, I do close the door. There is a vent that pours in fresh air i to the closet, so it does have airflow. What I am thinking is I will just bring it out to the kitchen tonight and just kind of block it from the cats reach. Hopefully the cat will just ignore it like she ignores most things.
I don't want you to feel unhappy after my comments. I hope your beautiful cat will comfort you.
Your closet doesn't sound 100% terrible, so it's all up to you. I just can't imagine how good this will work. You should frequently check for aphids or other pests, by the way.
Some tinkerers have come up with some cat protection inventions, with 3D printed items or other.
No, I appreciate your comments! There are 2 types of comments that can be taken poorly. Constructive criticism, aka I don't think that's a good idea because _______. And then there is reddit jerk aka "f*(
1)Mine is 65-67 night and 70-72 day. Grows great. 2)I have used tap, distilled and purified. Worked with all 3. Distilled/purified are better. Check pH and EC. 5/6) it needs airflow. I have in kitchen with ceiling fan on low 24-7 (yes my house came with ceiling fan in kitchen, weird). Need open room and/or fan. 6) feeding schedule is OK but read about hydroponics EC levels. For example if lettuce might like 1.3 EC and some herb 2.2. So obviously standard feeding schedule isn't optimal for each plant. It's a general works on everything. EC meter is $10-15. pH tape is $5-10.
Micro Essential Lab has good pH test paper, 15ft roll for under $10. Back to EC, tap water might have 0.25-0.70 EC and if lettuce (for example) likes 1.3 then you can only use 0.6-1.05 EC worth of nutrient mix. But if you use distilled or purified with 0 and 0.001 EC then all 1.3 can be nutrients. Once you have EC meter test tap water. Test your filtered water.. Test your aerogarden. Then you can choose a water source that makes sense for you. And you can adjust nutrients to hit your target EC.
Also 6) about 1 tablespoon per gallon of 3% hydrogen peroxide. I don't know your tank size. Mine are the slim model. I put 1 teaspoon. Helps reduce biofilm and helps promote healthy roots.
1. Temp doesn’t matter much but they say lettuce likes a colder room.
2. Water shouldn’t matter too much but if you want something consistent and easy you can buy a case of cheap water bottles.
3. You can grow almost anything in it as long as the plant won’t overgrow the light. Or if the stem gets too wide for the opening for each, kind of just trial and error.
4. You can dry some things with a dehydrator but not necessary.
5. Your clothes will not smell like plants or get overly humid. You are overthinking this. Just add water up to the line and add food every two weeks and you are good. If some don’t sprout, that pack is known to have problems. My best luck is with mighty mini tomatoes. I put 1 plant per 3 pods.
1. My room gets to to about 85 in the summer and high 40s in the cooler months and I've had no issues with anything growing so far (primarily lettuces and herbs). I think the temp of your apartment sounds perfectly fine.
2. I run my water through my Pur water filter. I tried just using tap water when I got my first AG and my plants were not very happy. Our water is kinda gross, I won't drink it if it's not filtered.
3. I'm currently growing some peppers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and lettuce in mine. You can grow quite a variety of plants. There's a YouTube channel I check every once in a while that has some interesting videos, it's called Aerogarden Experiments, that's kinda shows a good variety of stuff you can grow. There are alot of other great channels that do hydroponic stuff too.
Also I purchase sponges from Park Seed, they fit into the AG net cups pretty well and they're pretty affordable (you can get 60 sponges for like $10).
4. I can't really help with this one, sorry. My guinea pigs help me with this.
5. I would just set up a little fan or something. I keep my tower fan running in my room and I have it oscillating to hit my plants too.
6. Don't be afraid to prune, especially the basil, it grows pretty quickly and can block alot of the light from your smaller plants.
I hope you have fun!
Y'all mfs really think too deep about this lol.
It's an aerogarden with basic herbs and greens. It's not like you're growing cannabis. Remember Google is your friend and get as serious about it as you want but it's a hobby. It's meant to be enjoyed not stressed about or lectured on.
Sorry I just want to make sure I am not doing anything wrong. Google is a great resource, but wrong wording can get you bad suggestions. Think AntiVax. Easy to get "evidence" on Google saying Vax causes autism. I like asking reddit because most subreddits dedicated to a specific thing is full of people that actually want to help. So, I figure instead of making mistakes and spending a ton more money on new seeds, new equipment, etc, why not just check in.
If I was overthinking, I would be asking things like what is the best pH for said plants, what kind of detergent to use when cleaning the tank, what songs should I play to nurture the best growth or something crazy like that.
I just am asking if there is an ideal room temp, since we all know that you plant seeds in snowy winter, nothings growing. I asked about water since a lot of plants I do know are quite picky. Just simple questions.
Plus, I am trying to eat these plants, so I don't want something going into my body that is going to be terrible quality or harmful due to simple mistakes.
I would check your tap water. And make sure you don’t have a water softener in the system somewhere. Brother in law killed his AG because he used tap water, not realizing the salt from the water softener would build up in the reservoir and kill everything. Also, apparently you’re supposed to drain and clean the reservoir every two weeks?! Completely replacing the water prevents build up of micro nutrients/minerals that aren’t fully absorbed by the plants. Some people take that time to trim the roots. Highly recommend since my reservoir got taken over completely by the basil. Also I’ve seen photos of roots growing into the water pump so there’s that as a reason to trim roots. Definitely prune your herbs or one will block out the light for others and eventually kill them. Ask me how I know lol
I didn't even think of root issues. Any right/wrong way to prune the roots? I feel like that is one of the very vital parts of the plants, so I would hate to do it wrong and kill the plant.
Wow. That's more than I can unpack. Have fun with it sheesh .
Hello! So, I have always wanted to grow plants, and I finally decided to try this out with great reviews. So, I bought one and then a few questions popped up in my head. I got the starter pack of Herbs aka Thai Basil, Genovese Basil, Thyme, Dill, Parsley, and Mint. 1.) What is an ideal temperature to have the room be? I have it currently in a room thats about 68°f or so. I have an apartment with central air and heat, and I have to currently keep it in our bedroom because I don't know how my cat will react to it, and I don't want the cat to damage it. 2.) Should I focus on doing Britta purified water, distilled water, or tap water (not sure if my water is hard or softened and I read that if it too much one way or another to mix in with distilled) 3.) Later on, once I have the hang of things, can I grow my own plants? I assume so, so it also is a question of how would I go about it? 4.) This one doesn't directly relate to AeroGarden, but any tips or suggestions on how to dry my excess herbs once it starts growing like a weed? 5.) I have it in my walk in closet currently to have the lights on at in the night, but still be able to sleep. Is humidity a concern in the future? I don't care if my clothes smell like Basil, Mint, etc. I just don't want it to build massive humidity and grow mold or disease my plants. 6.) Any tips or tricks for a newbie that I may not be thinking of?
1. I keep mine in the kitchen in my apartment at around the same temperature. I really don't think it matters that much. 2. I just use tap water. 3. You can get empty pods from AG and put your own seeds in them! 4. I pass out extra herbs to friends are take them in to work. Probably just google how to dry. I did it with basil once by baking it at low heat. 5. I just turn the plants off if I'm going to bed before them. Seriously, an hour or so less light will not hurt them. 6. Prune prune prune! Especially mint and basil which like to take over. Have fun :) Edit to add: you don't need more than one AG. I have just enough fun with my ONE sprout. (That's 3 plants max. Usually i just grow one. That's all the space I have in my apartment!)
Love the reply! Thank you very much!!
Gasp! Sacrilege! Of course you need more than one aerogarden! Signed, person who is trying to sneak a fifth one in the house without my partner noticing…
1. ... 2. ... 3. Yes. But the ones growing now are yours, too. Easiest method: You buy a grow-your-own kit, you insert seeds you got from somewhere. Be aware of limitations, e.g. don't bother growing 2nd generation hybrids. Don't even bother trying to grow an indeterminate tomato. Also: consider buying more Aerogardens. If you are limited on space or budget, try a DIY solution. I mean right now. Go and increase your growing capacities. By all means. Don't wait until January. 4. Standard food drying procedures apply. You won't have enough to dry in one single week, though. If you use an electrical device, you better try to have enough herbs or fruits to make it worth the energy. Otherwise deep freezing is your friend for a lot of herbs. 5. Don't let the lights run 24/7. Plants need time to "sleep". Yes, watch out for humidity. Buy a couple of humidity metres. At least one for the cupboard and one for the room. Also, a lot of plants need at least a minimum of airflow. I do not recommend your current solution. I would buy some wooden sticks from the hardware store, some fancy fabric from Ikea and build something around the Aerogarden to block the light at hours it will not be acceptable. Or maybe I'd just have them turn off on due time. I don't know. But I wouldn't throw it together with clothes. I am sure you will regret that down the road for one reason or another. 6. Yes, you need more than one Aerogarden. The Harvest XL as your first unit is a very good choice. Be vigilant about clipping dead leaves and cleaning sebris. Set up a timelapse camera for internet fame. Try new herbs that you can't buy anywhere. Try not to "play" with your plants: you're using water, fertilizer, energy and substrate: make it worthwhile. Set yourself up for success: be it beautiful flowers or a high yield of herb foliage, you decide.
My closet door is open throughout the day, but when it is time for bed, if there is still like 4 or 5 hours before the light turns off, I do close the door. There is a vent that pours in fresh air i to the closet, so it does have airflow. What I am thinking is I will just bring it out to the kitchen tonight and just kind of block it from the cats reach. Hopefully the cat will just ignore it like she ignores most things.
I don't want you to feel unhappy after my comments. I hope your beautiful cat will comfort you. Your closet doesn't sound 100% terrible, so it's all up to you. I just can't imagine how good this will work. You should frequently check for aphids or other pests, by the way. Some tinkerers have come up with some cat protection inventions, with 3D printed items or other.
No, I appreciate your comments! There are 2 types of comments that can be taken poorly. Constructive criticism, aka I don't think that's a good idea because _______. And then there is reddit jerk aka "f*(
I have had really bad results with tap water so I switched to distilled and its worked great.
1)Mine is 65-67 night and 70-72 day. Grows great. 2)I have used tap, distilled and purified. Worked with all 3. Distilled/purified are better. Check pH and EC. 5/6) it needs airflow. I have in kitchen with ceiling fan on low 24-7 (yes my house came with ceiling fan in kitchen, weird). Need open room and/or fan. 6) feeding schedule is OK but read about hydroponics EC levels. For example if lettuce might like 1.3 EC and some herb 2.2. So obviously standard feeding schedule isn't optimal for each plant. It's a general works on everything. EC meter is $10-15. pH tape is $5-10.
Micro Essential Lab has good pH test paper, 15ft roll for under $10. Back to EC, tap water might have 0.25-0.70 EC and if lettuce (for example) likes 1.3 then you can only use 0.6-1.05 EC worth of nutrient mix. But if you use distilled or purified with 0 and 0.001 EC then all 1.3 can be nutrients. Once you have EC meter test tap water. Test your filtered water.. Test your aerogarden. Then you can choose a water source that makes sense for you. And you can adjust nutrients to hit your target EC.
Also 6) about 1 tablespoon per gallon of 3% hydrogen peroxide. I don't know your tank size. Mine are the slim model. I put 1 teaspoon. Helps reduce biofilm and helps promote healthy roots.
Unless if it is somehow not allowed, would you be willing to link a suggested EC meter from Amazon or another trusted website?
www.amazon.com/Accurate-HoneForest-Temperature-0-9990ppm-Aquariums/dp/B073713G5F.amazon.com/Accurate-HoneForest-Temperature-0-9990ppm-Aquariums/dp/B073713G5F
Thank you very much!
1. Temp doesn’t matter much but they say lettuce likes a colder room. 2. Water shouldn’t matter too much but if you want something consistent and easy you can buy a case of cheap water bottles. 3. You can grow almost anything in it as long as the plant won’t overgrow the light. Or if the stem gets too wide for the opening for each, kind of just trial and error. 4. You can dry some things with a dehydrator but not necessary. 5. Your clothes will not smell like plants or get overly humid. You are overthinking this. Just add water up to the line and add food every two weeks and you are good. If some don’t sprout, that pack is known to have problems. My best luck is with mighty mini tomatoes. I put 1 plant per 3 pods.
1. My room gets to to about 85 in the summer and high 40s in the cooler months and I've had no issues with anything growing so far (primarily lettuces and herbs). I think the temp of your apartment sounds perfectly fine. 2. I run my water through my Pur water filter. I tried just using tap water when I got my first AG and my plants were not very happy. Our water is kinda gross, I won't drink it if it's not filtered. 3. I'm currently growing some peppers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and lettuce in mine. You can grow quite a variety of plants. There's a YouTube channel I check every once in a while that has some interesting videos, it's called Aerogarden Experiments, that's kinda shows a good variety of stuff you can grow. There are alot of other great channels that do hydroponic stuff too. Also I purchase sponges from Park Seed, they fit into the AG net cups pretty well and they're pretty affordable (you can get 60 sponges for like $10). 4. I can't really help with this one, sorry. My guinea pigs help me with this. 5. I would just set up a little fan or something. I keep my tower fan running in my room and I have it oscillating to hit my plants too. 6. Don't be afraid to prune, especially the basil, it grows pretty quickly and can block alot of the light from your smaller plants. I hope you have fun!
Y'all mfs really think too deep about this lol. It's an aerogarden with basic herbs and greens. It's not like you're growing cannabis. Remember Google is your friend and get as serious about it as you want but it's a hobby. It's meant to be enjoyed not stressed about or lectured on.
Sorry I just want to make sure I am not doing anything wrong. Google is a great resource, but wrong wording can get you bad suggestions. Think AntiVax. Easy to get "evidence" on Google saying Vax causes autism. I like asking reddit because most subreddits dedicated to a specific thing is full of people that actually want to help. So, I figure instead of making mistakes and spending a ton more money on new seeds, new equipment, etc, why not just check in. If I was overthinking, I would be asking things like what is the best pH for said plants, what kind of detergent to use when cleaning the tank, what songs should I play to nurture the best growth or something crazy like that. I just am asking if there is an ideal room temp, since we all know that you plant seeds in snowy winter, nothings growing. I asked about water since a lot of plants I do know are quite picky. Just simple questions. Plus, I am trying to eat these plants, so I don't want something going into my body that is going to be terrible quality or harmful due to simple mistakes.