Kitchen Gadget Expert’s Top Pick for Indoor Gardens
Gadget expert Lisa McManus shares her top picks for indoor gardens.
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Can you just buy some full spectrum lights and make your own grow lights? Is there something else that is special about these other than the fact they give you the pods to start? 2:11
One problem with the big one. How do you change the water. Believe me it can stink if you don't change the water once a month.
Just buy a few packs of seeds and a pot outdoors. $20 max.
I've had the AeroGrow for over 20 years now. It has adjustable height lighting, a huge water reservoir, and no, you don't need to use their pods. You can squish into the plastic inverted cones whatever growing medium you want. The only things I've had to do were buy a light, once, and replace the water pump, once, as well as buy more liquid fertiliser add ins, once, from a third party seller. After using it for herbs, with the provided materials, I have used is multiple times for… other kinds of plant, and it works amazingly. Start your "herbs" in mid February, and after the last local hard frost, transplant them outdoors. They'll be 3" high by the 4th of July.
iHortus
I bought a used Aerogarden for thirty bucks, but haven' t got it going yet….soon though…😉
I agree! I have the Click and Grow 9 and love it. I also agree it doesn’t matter if you put it in a window or now. I had mine by a window when I first got it and then moved it months later to the bar between our kitchen and dining room. It looks better there and performs the same. The only think you said that I don’t agree with is that the water lasts for weeks. If you have 9 plants in I get about a week’s worth of water. When the plants get bigger, I need to water more often, maybe twice a week.
😱 😰 very expensive!
I have a large yard and big enough indoor real estate but my house is north south facing with large old growth oak trees and it is a protected historic area where tree removal is discouraged but not forbidden. After all we all like to breathe clean air. I’m no schnoz when it comes to gardening, I do have a beautiful shade garden/yard, but herbs are impossible because I don’t have enough sun either in the yard or inside the house. These systems were designed for situations like mine. I don’t have one but I’ve been looking for something like this because I love fresh herbs to cook with. The cost isn’t about just having one crop of herbs. It’s about having access to long term use.
I was gifted the Aerogarden and I love it. The herbs grow like crazy. But I would not personally have spent the money.
Sounds great until the bulbs burn out in 2-3 years and you realize they aren’t replaceable so you have to buy a WHOLE NEW SYSTEM :/
I've had an AeroGarden for several years & love it. Don't want an app nagging at you? Just buy the base model which doesn't use an app – you can get it for under $100 with sales/coupons. The grow light canopy is adjustable, from about 5-6 inches (for germination) to over a foot (for Genovese basil, cherry tomatoes, etc.). I water my garden every morning, and add liquid plant food every 2 weeks (it comes free with the seed pods) – couldn't be easier. Plus, I have successfully transplanted the basil to my outdoor herb garden in summer both times I've tried.
This is the first time I've disagreed with Lisa, but the unit she recommends takes up way too much counterspace for my kitchen.
My 6-pod AeroGarden is compact but grows enough lettuce that I don't ever have to buy any – – and bonus: I can just harvest it & eat it: 100% organic and clean.
Thanks ATK for reviewing these products.😀
The idea of these things are great, but unreasonably expensive, and poorly executed. If you are going to use a grow light system, once the seeds germinate, the light needs to be much closer to the seedlings and the light needs to be able to adjust in height as the plants grown. Also, once they get about 3 to 4 inches tall, they need more room to grow, so the little pods are going to be too small and the plants are going to get root bound. These also take up a huge amount of space. If you have this much kitchen real estate to spare, you likely have a yard, patio, balcony, or decent size window ledge available somewhere near the kitchen. You'd be better off getting a variety 6-inch pots and planting your seeds in those (separate herbs in separate pots will be the easiest) and keep them in a sunny place but shaded from direct sun so they don't burn. If you use a good potting mix, you don't need to add plant food or fertilizer. Stick your finger in the soil to the first joint of your finger every few days (more often if you live in a hot climate). If the soil feels moist, you don't need to water. You'll get a bigger yield and it will ultimately be far easier and less expensive. And you won't need to get replacement pods. And kept indoors, most of them will just keep growing forever as long as you cut off any flowering parts before the flowers open up.
This one looks like a winner, but not at $299.00! Always do your research, type in Smart Garden 9, and this will cost you nearly half that amount at $160.00 w/discount.
You lost me at $200.00
Gtfoh, people growing herbs since before they were called herbs. If anyone spends this for that, well no one will. The uppers will spend even more and everyone else will spend pennies.
theres some great alternatives on amazon for these things, even starting around $80 for 12 plots. I'm going to buy one soon, but I've heard great things about these cheaper alternatives
Are these lights harmful to us or pets. I have an insanely curious cat, he is into everything.
A little to expensive for my budget. It will take years for it to pay for itself. Appreciate your opinion however.
"Natural light didn't matter, both sets performed about the same". Looks like I'm gonna save $300.
ThankU Brenda 4 more Pro & honest info
You stated that they were around $200… Your Winner, $299.92! l don’t consider $299.92 around $200! By the way, I usually love when you guys do this particular type of video… But not today!
I've tried a couple of these. The first time they worked, but anything after was just a mess of spider mites. Maybe just where I live 🙁 I cleaned fully between crops.
I grew my first indoor garden underneath the sink when I was in college. It wasn't… intentional.
Oh wow a whole 2 minutes to get me up to speed on something I’ve been meaning to find out about.
Well… if you’re gonna do it at all you may as well do it thoroughly. Now let me settle down and take it all in 😬😬