Indoor Herb Growing Kits

[C.Morris]

I got an email advertisement for gifts from Amazon, and I stumbled across this interesting indoor garden for growing herbs (here's the product on Amazon). Is a kit like this useful, or is it just as effective to by standard potting equipment? I like the idea of having a few common fresh herbs handy, since I always end up buying herbs and wasting them as they don't hold well in the refrigerator.

I figure that Christmas is coming up soon, so a slight frivolous cooking purchase seems in order, since the rest of Christmas is going to be knife sharpening stuff .

[jayt90]

I bought one two years ago ($160 at the time) and while it does grow the initial pack of herbs well, there is a lot of maintenance to get a second or third batch.

The unit has to be drained and cleaned up (there will be some scum or algae in the reservoir). The seed pods have to be replaced (expensive).

New fertilizer packs have to be acquired (expensive). New light bulbs (the originals are good for 6 months before the color temp. changes.)

Once you have all that, you have to re-program the device, so it will turn off late at night.

I think potted herb plants, under a fluorescent grow light or in a south window, are the way to go.

[heidih]

I agree with jayt90 though I have never used the product mentioned. Those little things do not really grow enough to use anyway. I do think that potted rosemary is an herb that is perennial and a little goes a long way. I have seen stores sell them trimmed in Christmas tree shapes and they are festive and useful- even just for running your hands across and getting kitchen inspired.

[butterscotch]

the only advantage they provde is a good light source and consistant watering. but not all herb like the same amount of water, so with some research you can do a smarter cusom set up yourself. And not have the complicated scum ridden machine to deal with. i have heard a mix of flourescent and the "natural daylight" bulbs work well. you could get a gorgeous copper tray and pots that you actually like the look of too. Prettier cheaper and worlds more flexible in terms of what you are planting.

[OliverB]

renegade "gardening supply stores" might have small hydroponic setups that you could use. After all, they are made to grow "herbs" and "weed"...

But if you have a bright window somewhere just planting some in pots might work as well. Or if your climate allows, grow them outside in pots, that certainly works well. I plant herbs like thyme and oregano just around other plants in pot as edible ground covers. Looks nicer than the dirt too!

[IndyRob]

There's another topic on this but I'll forge ahead anyway....

I got one of these for Christmas last year and so have about a year of experience with it. Lessons learned:

1) Because of all the proprietary bits, it's way cheaper to go with a homemade hydroponic setup. It's also better as it's more flexible. But this is true only if you like tinkering and have a place in your house where you can hide a big ugly setup.

By contrast, the Aerogarden is extremely easy to set up and is very attractive. Besides cost, really the only big problems are a lack of flexibility and lights. The lights are very bright and will be on for 18 hours/day. So you don't want one anywhere near where you might be sleeping.

2) I think it would be better to have two or more three-pod setups than the bigger six or seven pod models. Buying one three pod model is also less risk as a starting proposition. The main issue I have found has been mixing different plants. For instance, growing basil and chives in the same unit is pointless. Basil grows like crazy and it (depending on how on top of your pruning you are) is going to grow up or out. One way or another, the basil is going to hurt the chives by either shading them, or causing you to move the lights up out of range of smaller plants.

But growing chives in one of these things is pointless anyway since you'll only get a base that's about, at best, a dime's width. Cut off enough to use in meal and you'll have another week or two before you have more. A pot with some soil and seed, kept watered outside is just as easy (in season) and will give you a much better yield.

Having more of the three pod models would give you the options to specialize each and keep them on different schedules.

3) They are really great for starting plants to be transplanted outside - even for a brown thumb like me. I have yet to have seeds not germinate (even my own), or not successfully transplant. I think this year I'm going to start sometime in February and transplant nearly mature plants in the spring. I've also had good luck starting peppers in it.

4) I think the transplanted plants have more aroma/flavor. The hydroponic herbs are not the best (but possibly better than nothing in the winter).

5) Don't plant things just because they came with your kit. If you let it grow but don't use it, it will be taking away from the stuff you want. Mint is a common culprit. You start out by thinking you'll find a use for it, but most never do.

Overall, I think the Aerogardens are great confidence builders for people like me who are just not experienced in raising plants. Follow the instructions and you will have success. You just have to manage that success.

[peterm2]

I also like the Aerogardens, and they work great in apartments with no south-facing windows and cold winters that keep me from having fresh herbs any other way except the grocery store. I generally try to grow annuals, which will die anyway, in the Aerogarden. I've also got several of them at this point, and am going to try growing some bell peppers and chile peppers in a couple of them to see how that works. And like IndyRob says, they are a great way to start plants early for the growing season.

In terms of cleaning them out between uses, that is really not hard at all from my experience. As of now the only proprietary thing I use is the bulbs, but I'm thinking of changing the socket so I can use any bulb, which doesn't look too hard to do.