Home > Outdoor Living > AeroGrow AeroGarden with Gourmet Herb Seed Kit

I orginially purchased the space saver 3, loved it so much I came back to get this bigger one the Classic model with 7 pods because the white one was on sale this week for $89.00! I remember paying almost that much for the space saver 3 model. I'm so glad because there is a huge difference in the Space Saver models and getting the classic. The space saver units are noisy (I have a small place). The classic model is very, very quite. And, the space saver 3 only has 3 pods while the classic has 7 pods--grow more stuff at once.

Bright Lights
Yes, it runs for 17 hours on and 7 hours off (no surprise here, that's what it does). I run it during the day, so it's off when I sleep (again, my place is small and these lights are bright especially with 2 units running at the same time). So, having them come on when I get up is no big deal.

Electrical Costs
Like most folks I wondered about the electric bill. As these are compact flourescent lights (CFL) they do save more energy than traditional bulbs, but they are running for 17 hours a day. I sat down to figure out what that would really cost. The company recommends changing the bulbs every 6 months. Yes, they do last longer than that but CFL lose their brightness over time so changing them out frequenty will significantly increase growing. I think most folks are changing them at or near the one year mark (perhaps after 2-3 harvest). I just had to calculate wattage on CFL for a kitchen remodel because of the energy requirements in California. So, here's a rough estimate:

The classic unit has 2 bulbs that each put out about 1500 lumens each. This is about the same as 23 watt bulb. So, at 17 hours a day on a 23 watt bulb, 285 kWH per year, $.xx wKh depending on your energy bill charge, and run for 12 months. It should be about $30-40 a year.

Cost Benefit
Then add in the cost of the unit (in my case it was $90) and additional seed kits $15 for the year. You are looking at inital cost for the first year of $135-145. After that if you buy one set of bulbs ($20) and 2 seed kits ($30), with electrical the cost its about $80-90 the second year.

Now, I pay about $4-5 bucks for a small package of organic herbs at the store every week. That's about $200-260 a year, and I'm sure it's even more for me during the summer months.

So the benefit of the unit (including electrical) for me indicates the unit pays for itself back in the first year. $135-145 versus $200-260...and continues to pay for itself in subsequent years.

Get Rid of the Critters
Now, as for bugs. That's easy. The first sign of anything like that...remove the bowl and wash the bugs off the plants (if you have pets that's typically a source of transportation for them). Also, if it's near an open window, these small bugs can get through your screen-they are small enough. So, you might want to move it away from window and pets.

Outdoors in my garden I do not use pesticides, but rather I spray down with mixture of dawn soap and water (most bugs do not like the taste) and it does not harm the plants. I do this weekly, takes about 15 mintues--but worth it. I have not had any bugs with this unit but I would try to wash the plants down with a little bit of dawn soap in the sink.

Got this for Christmas last year. It drains electricity like crazy - my bill was almost doubled! In addition, the lights are on in the middle of the night and are nearly blinding. Not worth it for herbs you can easily grow outside in pots.

I've had the AeroGarden long enough to have grown one full crop and start another. Basically, the product works as advertised. You stick in the seed pods, fill it with water, toss in fertilizer tablets and repeat when the little control panel light prompts you.

The good: Its small and it does grow the plants quickly. We grew the herb garden and once it sprouted, it took off pretty quickly. You do have to trim the plants back to keep them from turning into a total tangle of herb jungle. If I do the herbs again, I will likely not put in all of them. I never use Dill or Mint, so I'd just as soon not be trimming them all the time.

Once the plants are ready to trim, they will keep on growing for at least a couple months, providing you with a decent supply of whatever your growing.

The Bad: Its pretty bright. You won't want this sitting in an area where you would care to have a couple of bright lights going nearly all the time. The picture makes it look like a nice glow, but the light spreads out quite a bit. We have it sitting on a low table in the formal dining room and it lights up that room pretty well. Imagine talking one of those clamp on shop lamps, putting a hundred watt bulb in it and pointing it at the ground. The ambient light is enough to read the manual standing ten feet away. And if your eye level is below the lamp shield, its impossible to ignore.

The unit was quiet at first, but developed a buzzing hum after a few months. I've taken the unit apart and checked for anything that may vibrate and made sure the pump is clean, but it still does it. The buzz is loud enough that it would annoy the heck out of someone in the same room.

The light bulbs are the fluorescent type, which saves on electricity and keeps the heat down, but the sockets seem rather loose. The bulbs are in no danger of falling out, but they frequently go out and I have to jiggle them around to get them to regain contact and light up again.

Final Conclusions: I give it a 'mostly satisfied'. Its a bit shoddy on the construction, but so far there are workarounds for the faults. You will not want this if you cannot put it somewhere isolated. The light and noise would be very annoying in a typical apartment kitchen. The seed kits are a bit overpriced. If they are going to rake you over the coals for the kits, they should drop the price of the unit. This seems like the kind of thing many people may get as a gift and then sell at a garage sale after using it once. You really only want it if know for sure you will use what you grow.

I got this last year fro Christmas and have been growing seeds preety much since. After one year I have never had a failure with seeds as some writers have. The plants grow pretty quickly as advertised and need little care. i have ordered two this year as gifts for family.

I have had my Aerogarden since May'08, and as of this review, 11/13/08, the first seed kit is still going.

All you have to do is read the directions, takes about 5 mins, and turn it on. 7 weeks later I had fresh herbs to use in my cooking.

Do you know how great it is to put fresh basil on all of your Italian dishes? Without even going to the store?

I love to cook, and using the fresh herbs has opened up a new arena.

Some of these herbs are $5 for 4 oz at the store in those little plastic containers. This is right in your home.

The "value" of it will pay for itself in the long run, but defiantly, not within the first year of so.

Flat out, this is a great machine, it does what it says, and it does it well, with little effort.

EDIT: 1/2/2009 My Basil has finally died. Time to start a new garden!