Herb Garden (inactive)

[kanewai]

And we're off! While this is exactly the kind of system I was looking for in my new place, I already have a couple concerns about aerogarden the company. But first, onto the garden:

Some background: this is what I used to have at my old place. From back in February, shortly I after turned over the soil and put in new plants. It will help explain why I might get overly ambitious with, and excited about, the aerogarden!



And this is what I came home to one day in August. My garden "didn't fit the vision" of what the new property manager had for the house. And it wasn't just my vegetables: they took out a mango tree and some dwarf citrus trees, as well as my native Hawaiian plant corner. Words were spoken. It was time for me to leave anyway, but this was the final straw.



I'm happy with my new place, and I do have a strip of sandy soil ... but no sun. Most of what you see here didn't survive.



And so I was like an excited kid when my 6-pod Harvest arrived today. I had planned on putting it on my at-home work desk, but as I was warned, it was much too bright for a small studio. Luckily I have a dressing room / laundry room with a shelf just the right size for a Harvest, a Bounty, and some friends.



Here's a top-down view. There seemed to be enough extra light, especially with the mirror, that I added a few potted plants: oregano, sage, lemon thyme, lavender, and a Roma tomato. These are all plants that have never worked for me outside at my old place (which had direct sun in the day, and killer slugs at night).



I have a nine-pod Bounty on order, along with pods for chervil, savory, and marjoram. There should be just enough room on the shelf for the Bounty. I also ordered seeds for some non-traditional herbs and a do-it-yourself kit. That order, however, is still "in process" - and I suspect it might still be quite a few weeks before it ships.

First thoughts:

1. Seriously, I already love this. I researched how to build a DYI hydroponic system, but it looked overwhelming. I'm not a mechanical kind of guy. Also, the only tools I have are a hammer, a screwdriver, and a corkscrew. This is what I needed.

2. Related: I looked at different less-expensive brands, but the presence of an active online community helped swing me in favor of an aerogarden.

3. You all weren't joking that the light is bright! I'm glad this room is enclosed.

4. The seed pods that come with the system are an odd choice. I understand that you need some standardization - but the nine-pod set includes even more basil and parsley. Some variety would have been nice.

5. More of an issue - a serious issue, for me - is that aerogarden won't reveal the botanical names of their seeds. I wrote and asked, and they politely told me that the information was proprietary. What kind of nursery won't tell you what kind of plants they are selling? Given that they are selling a tarragon-scented marigold (Tagetes lucida) and calling it "tarragon," and the reports that at least the mint and sage don't taste like expected, it makes me suspicious of what some of their other herbs might be.

6. In the end, I'll probably experiment more with my own seeds than with theirs. The trust isn't there.

6. I spent a good hour trying to turn the "add water" and "add nutrients" lights. I followed the instructions, and reset the unit a couple times, then turned to Reddit - and learned that the lights don't go off. Instead, the will flash when it's time to add water / nutrients. The instructions were wrong, which I wouldn't expect from an expensive product.

7. And yet I'm still excited, and if this works I'm already pondering about what comes next ...

[Sher]

What a heartache to see how your beautiful former garden was destroyed! You probably handled it better than I would have.

And yes, there are frequent mix-ups with the Aerogarden seed pods. It happens a lot more now than it used to.

Except for something I really want, like the cascading petunias pods, I always just buy sponges and fill them with my own seeds. Not only is it much cheaper, but you can be more certain of what you are actually going to grow. You can buy the empty baskets if you need more, and they can be used and reused.

The reason they don't give you the botanical names of their plants is simply that you would buy your own seeds instead of their expensive pre-seeded pods.

Before COVID, Aerogarden's customer service was legendary.  I hope it gets back to that wonderful normal someday.

I have three Bounties and love them.  I also have several Harvests. I love the plain ones better than the Elites because they are foolproof and don't have to be reset after power fluctuations. But the capabilities of the Bounties are much greater in what you can grow.

If you love gardening, and you obviously do, you will get a great deal of enjoyment from your Aerogardens. There is a learning curve, but you will be a pro in no time.

And, believe it or not, you will eventually adjust to the brightness of the lights as long as you keep them low enough so you don't look up into the LEDs.

I am so glad you joined us.

Maybe someone else can explain about your nutrients and water lights. I don't quite understand the problem.

[Shawn]

First let me say I am sorry that the property manager ruined your garden.  Not nice at all.

I am glad you found us and hope we can continue to help. 

The lights on your units.  Yes they can and are bright.  I have a harvest on my desk and at night I either just turn the light off early or put a Light Block in front.  I actually use a a Tri-Fold board in front of it,  It cuts the light down a lot.  I have used this early morning so it does not brighten the entire  house.

As for their seeds, I have not used them for years except for the recent tomatoes I grew so I really can't say much.  Remember you can always reuse the cages (if not ruined but huge stalks) so keep them.  Also the domes are reusable.  I even reuse the labels.  Sponges, you can get cheaper on Amazon or Park's (60-cell biosponge).  I have been growing custom for years.  This is fun because you can experiment.   Hey some fail but that is ok because I can always start a fresh project

I look forward to seeing what you grow next.  Keep us posted on your gardens

[kanewai]

Oct 29, 2020 3:31:47 GMT -5 Sher said:

Maybe someone else can explain about your nutrients and water lights. I don't quite understand the problem.

Thanks for the support!

I might not have explained that part well.  The instructions said "tap once to turn the light off," and that the light would turn on once it's time to feed or water.  I thought my machine was already broken, because my lights wouldn't go off no matter how many times I tapped them!  It turns out that's not this model: the lights are always on, and will flash red when it's time to feed / water.  Not an issue, just a very very minor frustration.

[Sher]

kanewai, if it's the regular Harvest (not the Elite) you choose what time you want the lights to come on each day. Then you set your alarm for that time and hold the white light button down for at least 3 seconds. The button will flash 3 times, and from then on, it will come on at that same time every day. You should be able to press the white button at any time to temporarily turn them on or off. Then they will still come on at the starting time you selected.

The center (blue)button is for water level. If your water level gets too low, it will come on and blink until you add water.

The green button will turn red 14 days after you first set up your Harvest.  It means Add Nutes.  After you add your nutrients, press the red button and it will turn green again.

When I start a new garden, the nutrrient light will sometimes come on off schedule the first time.  If you recently gave it nutrients, just hit the nutrient button. It will go off, then come on again in 14 days.

If it is getting close to the two weeks to add nutrients and the red light comes on, dump and refill the Harvest, add fresh nutes, then press the red nutrient button.  It will turn green again, then be set to come on automatically every 14 days.

If it's an Elite, it's more complicated.

WOW! Yes, if someone came and tore up my garden we would indeed have words.

Glad your figuring out your aerogarden and enjoying it. The thing with the indicator lights confused me as well. Why would they stay on 24/7? Seems like an odd design choice but :shrug:.

Welcome to the forum! Hope you find some good projects to work on on here. It really is a great resource and the members are very helpful and encouraging.

My porch at my apartment gets really limited sunlight. It was a godsend when I learned about aerogardens. I don't have a TON of space inside, but everything I do have is being maximized for aerogarden space. Currently saving up for a farm. Want to grow some of those 3 foot plants.

[kanewai]

Wow that was fast - Day 5, and the two basil and the thyme have sprouted.  As for the potted plants, the tomato started growing downwards to catch the light.  I moved it outside, and will bring it back in when I raise the lights.  Or when the Bounty arrives next week - I think that's taller.

[Shawn]

Yes, Basil is a fast germinator.

[joes]

AG may not give you all the information you want about their seeds, but they really do have very high quality seeds that are selected to be ideal in their gardens. Of course, others have good seeds too, but I have been very impressed with the AG pods.

[lovemonniibee]

Wanted to cry when I saw what the PM did. I would definitely be demanding payment for damages.

But I’m glad you’re now experimenting with AeroGarden! I’m a little over a month in myself and it’s definitely an experience. As far as releasing details on the seeds, just like others have mentioned above, companies love to be proprietary when they can 🙃 I have several of their seed pods but have been enjoying using my own seeds and think I’ll continue down that route.

Excited to see what you grow ☺️

[kanewai]

Week two - so far so good!

The Bounty arrived this morning, and I immediately set it up. I'm leaving four pods empty for now, as I have seeds I want to try, but the grow-anything kit is taking forever to arrive. FedEx tracker says it will still take a few more weeks.







I have 100% germination in the Harvest! The thyme and the two basils sprouted on day 5, the dill on day 7, the mint on day 8, and the parsley on day 10.  These were all the standard pods that came with the unit.

In the pots, the oregano and lemon thyme love this set up & are doing strong in the extra light. I moved the Roma tomato outside; its leaves kept trying to grow downward to meet the lights. The lavender seems to be doing well. It gives off a lot of scent; every time I brush it its leaves perfume the air.  The sage looks limp, but there's new growth that looks strong.  I have room for a few more small pots. 

In the Bounty I planted the chives and Italian parsley from the standard kit, plus savory, chervil, and marjoram pods.

I have four slots left, but have seeds for za'atar, borage, pápalo, garlic chives, culantro, epazote, and pipicha.  I change my mind constantly about which four to start with.

(links are to The Thyme Garden Herb Co., where I bought the seeds.  I'm not affiliated with them, but I love the variety of seeds they have.)

[Sher]

I am so happy for your success. It is exciting!

I had never heard of some of those herbs. I think I would like to try za'atar someday. I'll be following your adventurers!

[kanewai]

Nov 10, 2020 18:51:48 GMT -5 Sher said:

I am so happy for your success. It is exciting!

I had never heard of some of those herbs. I think I would like to try za'atar someday. I'll be following your adventurers!

Thanks!  Some are actually new to me, herbs that I've read about and wanted to try.  I'll be learning too!

Za'atar goes in a mix (also called za'atar) with sesame seeds & sumac.  In southeastern Turkey they'd mix it with olive oil and serve it as a dip for fresh pita bread for breakfast, and it was delicious.  I think all the cultures in the eastern Mediterranean use a variation of the mix.  I'm excited to have the fresh herb, I've never seen it in the markets.

Others have a similar flavor to cilanto, though they're not related - the culantro, pipicha, and pápalo.  I've only grown pápalo, which I think has a beautiful citrus scent ... though honestly, I've shared it with friends and they haven't been impressed.  Culantro we get sometimes with Vietnamese pho.  And pipicha I've only read about.

As for epazote - it's mandatory for black bean dishes in southern Mexico!  And also impossible to find fresh where I live.

[Sher]

kanewai, I am interested in wild edibles and have often heard of espazote, which grows wild in a lot of places. Based on the description of its taste by non-espazote lovers, I have never looked for it.

If you have a funnybone, read Green Dean's unflattering description of its taste -- as well as some of the defensive comments.

It made me laugh. Hope it does you, too!

link

[kanewai]

Choices, choices ... I only have four spaces left, but ten packages of seeds.

Though I know I want the epazote, pipicha, and za'atar.  I've narrowed it down to garlic chives, sorrel, pápalo, or borage for the final slot.

[kanewai]

Nov 11, 2020 8:32:52 GMT -5 Sher said:

kanewai , I am interested in wild edibles and have often heard of espazote, which grows wild in a lot of places. Based on the description of its taste by non-espazote lovers, I have never looked for it.

If you have a funnybone, read Green Dean's unflattering description of its taste -- as well as some of the defensive comments.

It made me laugh. Hope it does you, too!

link

That was good! But not enough to deter me.  There are so many things that smell really vile (fermented fish paste, for example) that actually blend well when mixed with other spices.  Hopefully epazote is one; I've never actually cooked with it.

[Shawn]

kanewai, at first glance I thought they were all Thyme Seeds UNTIL I had some coffee and realized that is the company name

[Paul]

Hello kanewai!  Welcome!!  What a story man - so sorry that blankity blank blank destroyed your garden.  Seems we all agree there would be words o plenty with that jerk.

Your AGs - Looking good!  I'm a noob myself to this, used to do the aquaponics thing years ago but was a lot of work with little reward, although it was fun.

Looking forward to your projects!  Keep posting pics!  I've been keeping a (mostly) daily photostream update on Flickr and also did a couple one week time-lapses I put on Youtube.  I think you'd be surprised when you look back from start to present at how fast the growth rates can be.

Shawn I did the same thing!  

[kanewai]

Herb Garden Month One update

I mixed the pods around, moving the faster growing ones to the Bounty.  Between the Harvest and the Bounty I've had 12/15 pods germinate ... I think.  I am convinced I saw a marjoram sprout, and logged it, and then it was gone.  There are others, like garlic chives, where I saw a sprout after a couple days, but that's all I see: a little yellowish sprout in the sponge, and nothing more.  I had thought about logging first leaves rather than first sprout; next round I will.


 In no particular order:

Genovese basil is the master of the garden.  I've had to prune leaves a number of times.  Surprisingly, I don't think this will produce enough to make a proper pesto Genovese - the official recipe requires about one plant's worth of leaves per serving!  I did experiment once, pounding the basil by hand in a mortar and pestle with the cheese and nuts - and supplementing with store-bought basil so I had enough - and it was divine.   I could probably do a whole garden just in basil.  And aerogarden basil is much much more nicer than store-basil!

Thai basil is growing strong, but what do I do with it? I used to grow this outside, and I like the taste, but it doesn't really pair will with the European or Latin dishes that I usually cook.  I like having it around for when I try making Asian dishes, but that's not too often.

Dill got pruned once.  It seemed that one stalk grew too fast, and got too weak, and just fell over.  I propped it up with shells to keep it erect while the main stalk firmed up.  I cut some of the secondary plants, and the flavor was nice, clean, and strong.

Mint started slow, and now is growing quickly.  Not enough to harvest, but I pinched some leaves off and tasted them.  There was a bitter after taste. I'm not sure I like this cultivar, but we'll see.

Thyme looked so weak and frail at first, and could barely stand, but is now looking more solid and is the fifth most vibrant of the first bunch.

Italian and curly parsley are slow ... they sprouted after a couple days, but have just broken through the paper cap now!

Zaatar (a Middle-eastern oregano), pipicha (a Oaxacan herb) and savory (an old-world Mediterranean herb) are all just under an inch.  I'm excited for these guys - I've never managed to grow any of them outside, and I have never once seen them in stores.  I can't wait to report back on how they taste!

Chives and garlic chives are going to kill me they're so slow.  One single chive sprout reached above the paper cover, but I must have brushed him when I was trimming someone else because he totally fell out of the sponge.  And I saw a garlic chive sprout four days after planting ... but then nothing.  All I see in the sponge is a little worm-like yellow sprout, lying there and not doing anything.

Chervil, marjoram, and epazote have not sprouted after three weeks.  I thought I saw a marjoram sprout earlier, but it's gone.   I re-seeded the epazote sponge few days ago, and maybe I see something? I'll know in a day or two.   I also think maybe I saw a chervil sprout this morning?  

For the official aerogarden pods, I'm only waiting on chervil and marjoram.  I am sure marjoram is not happening, but I'll give chervil a few more days until I contact the company.

And that's my fifteen!  Next up: I ordered another Harvest on Black Friday.  I intend to try chile peppers - three plants max (sigh), though I might supplement these with a couple of the herbs I haven't tried in the aerogarden yet (lovage, borage, and pápalo).  I  know that the chiles will crowd them out the herbs in time, but in the interim I'll at least learn if the new herbs are viable in the aerogarden.  

[Shawn]

Basil is always a front runner for me.  It grows fast and is usually full and lush.  You get a lot!  As for other pods, some I have never grown but what I have found is that some herbs like more nutes while others like less.  Some play nice together whiles others do not.  Do  not ask me why because I have no clue but from growing many different ones I have learned what to keep separate.  As you grow you will see what works together

Also, remember some take a long time to grow while others grow super fast.  I had a Rosemary once take 45 days until germination.