AeroGarden?

[beac]

Usually, I would put this question in the Gardening forum, but since that group is largely dormant for the winter AND there's a good bit of overlap w/ C&B, I hope you'll indulge my posing my question here.

My stepfather has recently been told that he can no longer eat citrus of any kind, either raw or in recipes. He can't have tomato sauce or chocolate either, poor thing! Alas, there is no herbaceous substitute for marinara or Godiva, but I Lemon and Lime basils really do wonders as substitutes for their citrusy cousins in terms of taste.

Anyway, in order that my mom and stepdad not have to wait until Summer to enjoy some of their favorite dishes, I was thinking of getting them an AeroGarden to start growing those basils this winter.

Do any of you all have experience using an AeroGarden? The reviews online are all over the map.

[The empressof all]

1. I have a six pod one

I too use it only for basil. I love it. Shop around I got mine on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond for under 60 bucks.

I love always having fresh Basil. I have found six pods of basil a bit too much for the two of us so I'll probably put two pods of Italian Parsley in the next planting.

It's fairly simple to get started and easy to maintain. The replacement pods and lights can get pricey but probably not more than the cost of buying all that basil fresh over the course of a year. I'm not that ambitious but there are kits you can buy to use your own seeds rather than the pre planted pods. So really the varieties of herbs that you can grow is pretty endless.

Once the plants are established they'll have enough Basil to cut to make a fairly substantial amount of pesto on a weekly basis. They just need to cut it at the joint of new leaves to keep the plant going.

[beac]

2. I just had a feeling that our resident gadget-head might own one.

;)

Thanks for your review. Feel better knowing it has the "Good Empress" seal of approval. :)

[trud]

3. or, cheaper

I'm not sure you need to shell out for that thing. Probably small pots under grow light if they already have one or a bright window would do.

Edit: Can he have carob?

[beac]

4. Yes, I think carob is okay-- but nothing can really match

the taste of the dark, bittersweet chocolate he loved. :(


Grow light idea is a good one. I'll have to research and see if it could be set up easily as I live too far away to do it for them and I don't want to suggest something that would be frustrating to get going.

[noamnety]

5. I had one.

Loved it the first year.

Put it in storage over the summer because it's silly to run the pump and stuff during gardening season. Pulled it out the second year and the pump wouldn't work, which is apparently not all that unusual. They sent a replacement one for free but we couldn't get it to work. I put it back in the basement in frustration. I guess I should give up and throw it out, I lost patience in trying to fix it. Wasn't worth the money given its life span.

[beac]

6. Isn't it frustrating how many things have a "limited warranty" and then give up the

ghost just after the "limit" passes? :(

[noamnety]

7. I think they do it

just to make me feel incompetent.

[NJCher]

8. same thing happened to me

Cher

[pengillian101]

9. My first Aeroplant was growing flowers during the winter.

What a MOOD uplift!

I loved it!

But, I don't have city water and had to spend $3 every so often for bottled water. Plus their seed packets are way expensive.


For now, I quit the system and just use the light to grow - like the grow light it is.