For all our obsessions with smart homes and increasing use of technology, there’s a certain instinct for people to grow things; either to remain closer to nature or just have something green indoors. But why struggle with the messy combination of soil and water, when technology can help out?
Enter the AeroGarden 7 – a mess-free way to enjoy a spot of cultivation and benefit from the reward of some healthy herbs or a small crop of fruit or vegetables at the end of it.
In a set of neat pods, you can grow a range of fresh herbs, tomatoes or other vegetables, salad greens, strawberries, some pretty flowers or try growing bonsai or micro-fruit trees, either for pleasure a little extra natural produce or just to add a talking point to your home or kitchen.
The AeroGarden 7 offers seven seed pods (3,6 and 9 pod versions are also available), depending on the space you have available. A pump helps move the water and nutrients around, so it isn’t exactly silent.
The new models use LED lights which are a giant leap forward over previous generations of AeroGarden, and the range of crops on offer continues to grow.
It isn’t perhaps the smartest smart home gadget, with no WiFi, Bluetooth or apps, but can still contribute to the health of your property.
The following AeroGarden review delves into the details:
Contents (Jump to)
Key features of the Miracle Gro AeroGarden 7
The AeroGarden 7 is attractively priced here and comes with a LED “roof” for lighting and warmth, allowing the special eco-friendly pods to encourage produce to grow at up to five times the rate of similar greenery planted in regular soil under sunlight. A timer will trigger the lights on or off, depending on the plant’s needs.
It will fit on any table or kitchen unit, and is ideal for those without access to a yard or wall for hanging baskets.
The basic unit comes with a herb seed kit offering Genovese and Thai Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Curly Parsley, Dill and Mint, but you can also pick up a range of other seed pods, for a fair price each. These are planted and left under the full spectrum LED growing lights, that are controlled by a panel with timer settings to create the best conditions for growth.
A liquid plant food supplies the nutrients, and water sits in the base to encourage rapid growth. The unit measures 9.5 x 18.5 x 10 inches and weighs around 10 pounds, it is easy to refill and maintain.
The LED roof can slide up and down on a pole to allow for plant growth and if you become a fan of this type of gardening, then the bigger versions allow even more room for heftier types to grow.
How Does the AeroGarden 7 Work?
Here’s a video to help explain exactly how it all works:
Pros of the AeroGarden 7
- No Pests: If you’re a germophobe or otherwise against mud, slugs, snails and other pests, then the AeroGarden range provides a great way to grow produce without any of them turning up.
- Custom Growth Settings: You can control the growth and settings easily from the control panel and happily watch germination and growth as your chosen plants shoot up.
- Constant Harvest: Collect your harvest within a few weeks and you are good to go again, perhaps with something different, more colorful or useful. The AeroGarden ecosystem provides as much produce as you are willing to pay for and while costs might be way over a bag of seeds and some compost, growth is regular, reliable, regulated and a lot less messy.
- Perfect for Experimenting: The rapid growth also means you can try different products a lot more rapidly, or rotate through your favorite produce on a regular basis. If you like your time with your model 7 AeroGarden then, as long as there’s room, it is easy to see some people become hydroponic addicts and adding the larger models to encourage a veritable indoor garden.
Cons of the AeroGarden 7
- More Versatile Upgrade Out There: If you demand the best of the best the AeroGarden Ultra range is better built, better looking and more versatile, at a greater cost naturally. However, for most users, the unit looks pretty stylish when covered in plants, less so when naked. As the seeds germinate, you might need to do some pruning to encourage growth, but it is hard to mess up the overall cycle of nature.
- Not A Silent System: The pump can bubble away like a fish tank pump which means you might not want this in a quiet room.
- Not Quite a Con (Appearance): One pro that looks like a con is the mold that users may find growing on their pods, while initially unsightly, this is good for the plants and will go away, but isn’t exactly the gorgeous part of nature you were expecting.
- No App Control: Also, compared to the Grow With Root rival, the lack of a smartphone app might make this not smart enough for your home, so there’s that to consider, but the control panel does all the work and most people are home often enough to make any changes needed.
Other AeroGarden Models
There are now quite a few different varieties to choose from. The difference is subtle, but mainly have to do with sizing and styling.
Some of the more popular options include the AeroGarden Harvest, AeroGarden Harvest Elite, and AeroGarden Bounty Elite.
Final Verdict on the AeroGarden
The AeroGarden company has been around 10 years, so you should have little worry about the company going out of business and the supply of pods drying up.
The products are mostly also less expensive than the rival upstart Grow With Root company that offers a similar, if rather better looking product with a more natural design.
The results can be astonishing, and certainly less prone to attacks of slugs and other pests that most outdoor gardeners find to dishearten them.
Who is it Best For? For those living with no garden, lawn or yard space, of course, the AeroGarden is a brilliant invention, especially for those in high rises or with inhospitable outdoor environments.
Let’s face it, if climate change keeps going, we could all end up growing food like this, so consider yourself ahead of the game if you decide to go for one.
Bottom Line: So, yes, the AeroGarden products are expensive, but for anyone with a bit of a green streak to them, but who doesn’t want the grubby fingernails, this is a great option that can produce some impressive and good looking results. You can see the latest deals and savings on the AeroGarden 7 here.
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