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62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Investment I've Made in 10 Years!!!, May 3, 2009
This review is from: AeroGarden 2490-21S 2490-21S Classic 7-Pod Indoor Gardening System with Herb 'n Serve Dressing Mixer and Herb Chef Seed Kit, Silver (Lawn & Patio)
I purchased 2 of the 7-pod Classics mid December '08. Cancer patient restricted to the house because of no immune system, so grocery shopping in a public place was out of the question. I started herbs and chef salad bar greens and began harvesting the salad greens within 10 days: they are both still going strong. I enjoy Mesclun Mix, Salad Greens, Romaine, Baby Greens and Arugula (and have 7 remaining pods for replacement when these have lived their life). The second one began providing herbs to use within 16 days: Parsley, Italian Basil, Purple Basil, Thyme, Mint, Dill and Chives. The only disappointment was Chives (they failed miserably). The Purple Basil didn't last longer than 3 months before it 'died', but the others are still going strong 5 months later.
I had been following the prices on these units and just couldn't afford them until they went on sale. I could not be happier with my purchase of 2 units, the quality of the product, ease of use, and resulting herbs/produce. I have made a 'drying' screen for the herbs that grow faster than I can use them and once dried, I simply place in an old 'spice jar' from long-ago used up store-bought spices/herbs.
Units advise when to add water and nutrients (included with each seed pod set) via small flashing lights, although I check every few days to keep water levels high. I add luke-warm water vs cold right from tap in an attempt to not shock the plants when adding more water. The taste of the produce is fresh, clean, no sand or grit, not a critter in sight. I find myself picking mint, parsley and lettuce from the units as I walk by to munch on while doing chores. They have saved me tons in money as we eat lots of salad combos and I love cooking with fresh herbs and spices.
The lights on these are bright: very bright, so keep that in mind when figuring on a location for them. The plants require 16 hours of 'sunlight' and 8 hrs dark for best results but the units have built-in timers to make life simple. Once set up, they will turn on/off as programmed (easy as pie to program) and will even remember the programming in the event of a power outage.
Light bulbs are recommended to be changed every 6 months for best results, but mine appear to be going strong even at 5 months. The units make a bit of gurgling noise when first starting up, but that soon disappears.
I have just ordered my 3rd unit as I am anxious to continue with the lettuces, herbs and I want to try my hand at salsa pepper/tomato combo and cherry tomatoes next.
Warranty can be submitted via Internet or US Postal Service with the promise of $50 in coupons for future Aerogarden supplies purchases. Once you get this unit running and it begins producing, you will be hooked.
I think this would be a tremendous gift. The 7-pod unit has a footprint of approx. 16" long x 7" wide and when the light hood is raised to the highest position, maybe 18" high. The lightbulbs are simple to install and are protected underneath the canopy. If the need arises to move the unit while it is filled, it is also easy. Simply lift the unit out of the base. Instructions are precise, complete and easy to follow. Tips and guides included as well as troubleshooting info and photos of healthy/unhealthy plants to keep one on track.
Can't wait for my third unit to arrive. These are wonderful!
July 24, 2009 - well, 3rd unit up and running. I can already see several cherry tomatoes about the size of a cats-eye marble. No jalapenos yet, but the flowers that preceed the fruit are evident. I am soooo excited about these. I have noticed that this particular Salsa Garden requires water almost every day now since the little yellow flowers that turn into tomatoes began blooming. Mind you, the lights don't flash, but upon checking inside the unit periodically, this garden drinks a lot! This, too, requires a lot more pruning in the beginning than any others I've grown to date. I was a bit nervous, but a simple e-mail to Aerogarden Cust Svc resulted in a fabulous response with clear to understand explanations, support, encouragement to NOT be afraid to 'prune', etc.
This garden also requires ME to pollinate it in order to produce the toms and peppers. Great way to get rid of stress. Grab the thick stalks of the tomato plants down low and wiggle back and forth about 10 times every other day. Can't see/feel anything happening, but once I started 'pollinating', these things took on a mind of their own.
A few notes of things I've noticed after having these for a while:
- after the unit has been operating for a bit, if/when you hear trickling water, it is a sure sign that the water level is below the 'fill to here' tab. Even though your indicator lights are not flashing, feel free to dump in some water.
- if you have multiple units in the same room/location, reset them so the lights go on/off at the same time
- if you're about to set up an additional unit, do so on the day you need to add nutrients to the existing unit. The flashing lights that indicate the need for water/nutrients are about a 2-week timer, so by scheduling your units this way, the indicator lights on multiple units will trigger on the same day, saving you time and effort
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't Fail Gardening!!, May 3, 2009
This review is from: AeroGarden 2490-21S 2490-21S Classic 7-Pod Indoor Gardening System with Herb 'n Serve Dressing Mixer and Herb Chef Seed Kit, Silver (Lawn & Patio)
I have the classic black (as well as the Pro 200) and have been completely satisfied with the product. Any problems were dealt with swiftly and courteously by the extremely helpful sales and customer service staff. We use this product in winter to produce fresh greens and herbs (separate units). The unit is quiet and pretty error free. Even if you have a brown thumb it will be hard to not grow your own vegetables with this product. The computer tells you when to add water and nutrient tables. The light bar is a snap to raise as the plants grow. After six to nine months of usage the natural lights should be replaced. An easy task and the lights are readily available from Areogrow and Amazon. The seed kits may seem pricey but we figure that we save easily 3-10 times the price of the kits.
We have yet to have any insect or other infestation with this unit after two years of use. Read the manual, follow the manual and if you are stuck the website has an excellent FAQ. Customer service is also quite available if all else fails.
These make excellent gifts for your gardening friends, parents and in-laws. Not bad for Mother's day either! :-)
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed, May 3, 2009
This review is from: AeroGarden 2490-21S 2490-21S Classic 7-Pod Indoor Gardening System with Herb 'n Serve Dressing Mixer and Herb Chef Seed Kit, Silver (Lawn & Patio)
Bought this same AeroGarden as a gift for my son for the holidays. One of the two bulbs burned out in a week and then the water pump died, causing the plants to dry up and die. AeroGarden customer service was impossible to deal with, reporting a two hour wait for service, due to high volume of callers. The concept seemed great, but it did not work out at all for us. Fortunately Amazon was great about accepting a return and giving a full refund.
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