Has anyone tried it? I kept getting ads for "Gardyn" (https://mygardyn.com/) and ended up buying it, mostly because we have small children and I thought it could be interesting for them to watch plants grow at home. Put it together between Christmas and New Year and the kids love checking in on it, right now, the plants are still tiny, but stuff is coming out already. (This is not my photo, it's taken from the web) Here is a review: https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/smart-office/gardyn-home-kit-3-0-review/ I think there are some other companies like "Aerogarden", etc. Am curious if the stuff will actually taste nice. There is an app that guides you along the way. Will report back once we get to the stage where we can try some of the food!
I`ll be honest, the only time I have heard that phrase is people talking about growing weed like this but it makes sense. I wouldn't mind fresh tomatoes in the winter. I bet it will be a hit with the kids, good luck ATW !
I used an Aerogarden for my kitchen counter. It was fine for growing a mix of herbs. I initially tried growing various lettuces with it, and it was a waste. Barely enough for a small side salad after harvesting it.
If you want to try something that would be really fun for the kids, check out aquaponic setups Sprouts in a mason jar are the only hydroponics I do, I've seen some okay setups but most of them are wonky plastic things that turn me off.
I talked a friend out of buying an Aerogarden (or pretty much anything similar). It may be great for growing things you don't use often or just for fun, but it's like "boy those 6 cherry tomatoes I grew were great... guess I'll wait a while for some more". I mean all most of these commercial things are is a plastic bucket with a light, then add nutrients. You can do that at home and get a bigger "bucket" and better lights with more being produced if you want. Aerogarden basically hopes you keep paying for their nutrients. I almost bought one, but then thought "how much am I actually going to get to eat out of this thing?" I haven't done hydroponics, but start plants under grow lights in the winter before moving them outside for Spring. Most of the stuff can just be bought off the shelf. Combine that with the fact if you put it together yourself and learn about the nutrients, etc. you actually learn about what you're growing and how to correct things if something goes wrong.
It's mostly a low risk/low reward entry hobby, but you always hear of an industrial urban revolution coming right around the corner... With outdoor gardening, there are a lot more factors such as anticipating weather, pest control, and consistent/optimum watering/nutrition. Probably more beneficial as a learning tool and rewarding experience because bad habits lead to plant death or embarrassment.
I've used my AeroGarden for years. Its especially great for Colorado winters. Grows certain herbs better than others, but I've had them sprout up to 3 feet tall. Tomatoes and Peppers have always grown really well in it too, probably harvested a few hundred last time I did those. Never tried the lettuce. I live in a highrise, so my gardening options are pretty limited. But have a pretty nice setup going in the warmer months on the patio. For someone like me, I think its fantastic.
Yeah, if you live in an apartment and are limited on space or it's the winter, I can understand an Aerogarden or two if you don't want to put anything together yourself. There's a guy on a pepper-growing forum I frequent that tried out the Aerogardens and got a bunch of superhot pepper varieties to produce pretty well in them.
If you cook, they're great little things for growing herbs indoors. Herbs are stupid expensive at the store "recipe calls for 1 tsp of fresh thyme/basil/whatever" and that's $3 for way more than you'll use before it spoils. I've never needed or cared about tomatoes or peppers, winter veggies can do what they want to in the greenhouse (and they'll never, ever, be as good as summer ones).
