LetPot?

[gingercat]

Hello! I’m considered buying a LetPot because I like some of the customization they offer in the app. Has anyone tried these units?

I’m concerned that the 25w LED would make for slow growing in this 12 pod unit: a.co/d/ijuDfwK

[patlab]

I don’t know what options you are interested in but I have 3 knockoff units that have 3 different light modes for the different stages of growth and I only use the complete spectrum mode. I feel that mimics the AG lights. I bought the units because they have a 30” height limit and a 48 w light (and they were cheap!). Definitely don’t have all the bells and whistles of the AGs. The app is terrible but I don’t use that anyway and it’s difficult to customize the light timing but they serve my purpose for certain veggies. If I find a good deal on an AG I always buy that over the knockoffs. This is the first I’ve heard of this garden, and who knows, it might be great!

[slw]

I don't have any experience with the LetPot.  (I keep calling it "Le Pot" for some reason!!)   I have bought two knock-off hydroponic gardens, the MUFGA 12-pod system which I gave to my daughter and the Spider Farmer 12-pod system that I am currently using.  In my limited experience, the cheaper models are inferior build quality to AG but still a viable option. 

The MUFGA uses pods/sponges that are directly compatible with AG supplies, but the Spider Farmer uses a different size grow basket which annoys me to no end.  I have so much AG stuff that I hate to have to buy more for the SF. 

I enjoy this guy's Youtube channel, "Aerogarden Experiments."   He has a couple of LetPot models so you might want to check the videos.   Let us know if you get one!  www.youtube.com/results?search_query=aerogarden+experiments+letpot

[gingercat]

Thanks, patlab and slw. I'm mostly looking for an extra unit to grow lettuce so that I can use my Bounty and Farm aerogardens for other veggies. (The Harvest models don't work for me because the lack of custom light settings is a dealbreaker in my living space.)

That was a great youtube recommendation, slw! Thanks. Based on his review, I think I'll give the LetPot a try. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[slw]

I hope it works for you!   I'll be watching for your initial impressions and how you like it. 

[gingercat]

So far, I'm pretty pleased with the LetPot. The lettuce has been growing well--the growth looks a little uneven just because some of these were replants after thinning. It has a 36 W light--so between Bounty Basic and Bounty.

There are a ton of fancy features that I don't even use--like auto water and nutrient refill--and the options are a little more complex than aerogarden, but I was still was able to set it up without reading the manual. And the basic function has been consistent, including the app.

I like that the screen doesn't stay lit when you're not using it.

The 21 pods seem to be placed more closely together than aerogarden pods, which is obviously a little unrealistic. Right now, I have a dozen heads of lettuce started--along with some herbs that I'll move to other gardens once they've sprouted. I eat a lot of salad, so it's great that I can grow so much lettuce at once in a unit that takes up much less space than a Farm 12.

It doesn't look as elegant as an aerogarden, but it isn't unattractive, and it's getting the job done! I have a few more weeks to decide, but I think I'll probably keep it.

[slw]

Looks like a nice unit, Gingercat.   I'm glad it works well for you. 

[gingercat]

LetPot sent me an email about a product upgrade. They are now selling a 2-pod tray that you can use instead of the 21 pod tray if you are growing fruiting plants. The 2-pod tray uses grow baskets rather than the pods (which are the same as aerogarden pods). 

Personally, I don't see a need for this since I just use spacers, but perhaps if you are transplanting the grow basket might sometimes be easier to work with than pods. I am a little skeptical about the supports that attach to the grow baskets--they look much flimsier than a trellis.

[slw]

I like the idea of the grow deck with 2 holes, but that seems a bit pricey for what it is.  I wonder if standard size grow cups fit in there.   I agree that the supports look flimsy but they'd probably help to keep younger plants from leaning over while developing. 

Are you still liking the LetPot so far?  It is an attractive unit.  Does the wifi stuff work well? 

ETA--I meant to ask, how low will the grow light go above the deck?  One complaint I have with the SpiderFarmer is that the lowest setting is still really high above the deck, which doesn't seem optimal for starting seeds. 

[gingercat]

Sorry I've been slow to respond to this, slw ! I have been occupied with house guests. The lowest the letpot can go is 1 inch above the grow deck, and it extends to 18.5 inches above the deck. That is probably why all of the lettuce I planted germinated super fast.

Yes, I'm still liking it! I'm using AG nutrients rather than the A/B nutrients that came with the garden, and I'm still playing around to figure out the ideal amount to add. I started out with the same quantity as a Bounty, but I'm now feeding it 20 ml because the bowl really is a lot bigger.

I have a dozen heads of lettuce growing in it now. If you were to try to grow 21 pods, I think the garden would be incredibly crowded.

[slw]

gingercat -- are you still liking the LetPot?   I see that Amazon has them on sale for $199 right now so I'm doing some comparison shopping. 

[slw]

Sept 17, 2023 12:05:19 GMT -5 slw said:

gingercat -- are you still liking the LetPot?   I see that Amazon has them on sale for $199 right now so I'm doing some comparison shopping. 

I decided against the large LetPot for several reasons, but chose to try the 12-pod model instead.  It is similar in specs to a Harvest XL but has wifi/app capability.  I got it for about $85.   If I like it I may buy the larger model later.

[slw]

First impressions of the LetPot LPH-SE 12 model are favorable.  It is attractive, stainless steel with a black deck and light hood.  The water tank does not sit in a separate base like an AG... it is a single piece with all the electronics built in.  The light extends 18.5" above the deck and the 24 W LEDs are really bright.  The light is extended by simply pulling up (nothing to turn or tighten) and is a bit difficult to adjust, but I suppose it will get easier with use. 

All my AG supplies (baskets, germination domes, spacers) fit perfectly which is nice.   The unit came with baskets, sponges, domes, spacers and plant support sticks; no preseeded pods.   It also came with those A/B dry nutes that I hate so I threw them away. 

I haven't tried setting up the app/wifi yet but I did load the app on my phone.  I really like that the stop/start times can be configured in the app and are not lost when the power goes out.  Hopefully it will be more dependable than the AG App. 

I have some AG sage pods that I am wanting to try so those may be my first plants in the LP.   I need to see if anyone else has grown sage and how successful it was.   Off to search the board for sage... 

[slw]

Today I set up the LetPot and connected wifi.  Everything worked perfectly in a single try and was simple to do.  It took less than 30 seconds to connect to wifi.  The app is easy to use for controlling the garden, setting the light schedule, etc.  Not bad for a machine in the "less than $100" category.

I'm not especially liking that the water tank/base is one piece, so the tank can't be easily lifted to empty.  I need to check the manual to see if the light pole is removable.  This morning I decided to try removing the drain plug to empty the tank so I sat the garden on the edge of my kitchen sink and let it drain directly into there.  That went well except I dropped the rubber plug into the sink and the draining water whisked it right into the garbage disposal. 

Luckily the disposal was not running but I had to stick my hand down into there to feel around for that plug.  Ick. 

I need to do some shuffling of stuff to find a spot for the LetPot; I dread dealing with light schedules when moving machines... again.   So far I am mostly positive about the LetPot but I will update after I start growing something. 

Oh... some people may not like this "feature" at all.  It has a float mechanism for displaying water level.  Not sure yet how much this will interfere with plants on the deck...

[lynnee]

Great review, slw! I was going to ask what you thought of having the water reservoir and the base all in one piece. It would make me nervous. I'm already pretty careless about reaching into the AG water bowl when the unit is plugged in. (On reflection, I think that I'll unplug from now on.)

[slw]

Sept 19, 2023 13:39:07 GMT -5 slw said:

I'm not especially liking that the water tank/base is one piece, so the tank can't be easily lifted to empty.  I need to check the manual to see if the light pole is removable. 

OK, the light pole is removable; just a bit of wiggling and tugging and the entire power module box slides out.  This will make it easier to clean the tank without the bother of the light and electronics...

[slw]

I thought I'd mention one more thing.  When I took the light off the LetPot, I noticed a little green tab on one side so I looked closer and found that the entire light head (LED side) was covered with a thin film of plastic wrap.    What the?   I pulled at it and this happened...

I had the lights on a couple of days ago to test the machine and never noticed that film.  Seems like a fire hazard to me and I'm glad I decided to try removing the light or I might not have seen it.