For a full guide to cleaning, visit AeroGarden’s help page here. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for AeroGarden Harvest 2015 with Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit, Black at Amazon.com. This light is extremely bright, and if you were trying to relax having it on would be an issue for a lot of people. The Harvest model is designed to grow six non-GMO plants at a time without any chemicals–in other words, a completely organic indoor grow operation. In other words, the light’s height shouldn’t be a problem for frequently used plants. Cons: Bulky footprint (17″ wide, 11″ deep), bright light, pricey. With a 60W LED light, you can be sure that your plants will grow strong and healthy. Harvest model is an intermediate entry point but still easy to operate. Then, plug in the pump cable (behind the unit) and the power adapter. What that means is that, with very little effort on your part, the Aerogarden unit will provide a nutrient solution to pre-planted seeds under optimal lighting at pre-programmed intervals. Some of the other herb kits that would perform well in the Harvest are the International Basil seed pod kit, the Pesto Seed pod kit, and the Italian Herb seed kit. Keep growth rates in mind when selecting what plants or herbs to grow together. We used Tiger Bloom and had more flowers than we could count! Maxigrow and General Hydroponics Flora Series are extremely economical alternatives to the nutrients sold by Aerogarden. These units can hold up to 9 seed pods at once and have a larger 30W LED light. This is a bit unsightly, but it is completely safe and natural. We wanted to find out for ourselves whether the Aerogarden lived up to the hype, so we purchased the Aerogarden Harvest with the gourmet herbs starter kit, and put to the test. The other buttons are more or less indicators for your plant food level and water system. You just have to choose which plants you’d like to grow, add water and nutrients, and plug in a few wires. Then, you mix in the nutrients as instructed, and you’re ready to program the system via the control panel. It is normal for a plant to look a little droopy and sad the first 48 hours after transplanting, but it should perk up after a couple of days. Tomato plants also grow to be large and heavy, likely needing support when they begin setting fruit. I think the seeds … The same is not true of veggies, so only practice this with herbs. While not 100% foolproof, this is about as close as a compact countertop hydroponic system comes to being bulletproof. Setting up the AeroGarden is really, really simple. Of course, peppers were an important factor to us (we are Pepper Geek, after all). They are made of coco coir and can be used with old plastic seed pod housings. Our dill plants grew at a much higher pace than any of the other herbs that came in the starter kit. it is important to use PH neutral water, so if you know your tap water is very hard or contains a lot of chlorine, you should probably use distilled water or rainwater. We have had many issues with plant edema in the past, so it may just be an issue with our water and air circulation. Some people have had success with growing string beans as well. We love a good experiment, so why not try growing watermelon or blueberries? Pros: Much more space for plants, highly adjustable light height, stackable design, Amazon Alexa connectivity, trellis included. The integrated water pump continuously aerates the nutrient solution and maintains the level of root moisture necessary to keep your plants growing. While we’d love to tell you there are no issues with the unit, that would be unfair. The AeroGarden Farm may be the right choice for you. People who live in small apartments or who lack yards or sunny spots should know that there is a means to grow delicious herbs and veggies indoors without even having a green thumb. However, it is also a lot of fun to experiment with growing different foods (we may try Carolina Reapers or blueberries next). Due to the limited grow height of the Aerogarden Harvest model, it is probably best to stick to herbs, salad greens, and other low-profile plants. Don’t worry, it is easy! A little algae growth doesn’t pose a significant threat to your system, but a large bloom is a huge issue. This is because, without bees and other pollinators, your flowers will not be able to fertilize one another.