What better way to spend the coldest day of winter than staying indoors and setting up my new AeroGarden Ultra?

I have always wanted to try the AeroGarden, so I’m considering it a completed bucket list item, or maybe a New Year’s resolution that I actually saw through. The AeroGarden is a small, self-contained hydroponics unit that comes with all the supplies you need to start growing herbs indoors. It fits perfectly on a kitchen countertop, making it easy and convenient to harvest fresh herbs for cooking.

The Aerogarden Ultra model has seven planting holes, but there is another model available with six planting holes that fits into a corner and several smaller models with only three planting holes if space is an issue. There are also models that use LED lights and even fun ladybug or spotted cow patterns available!

Not all of the planting holes have to be planted, which allows for larger plants like tomatoes to be grown in the unit, if you like.

Setting Up the AeroGarden

Setting up the AeroGarden was a snap and required no tools. It came in three separate pieces: the base, the adjustable lamp arm, and the lamp hood. The pieces slid easily into place, as did the three grow bulbs and the power supply cord. Then I simply filled the reservoir with water, added nutrients, and placed the seed pods into the planting holes.

There is a small quiet pump in the reservoir that circulates the water and nutrients. I’m using distilled water since I have extremely hard well water, but regular tap water should be fine otherwise. The AeroGarden also includes easy-to-understand settings for light timers and alert sounds for adding water and nutrients.

Accessories

I also browsed the AeroGarden website and found lots of great accessories like seed starting trays, strawberry planting bowls, pH adjusters, and much more. I should also mention that any seeds can be grown or started in this system, so you’re certainly not limited to herbs. The AeroGarden would also be an excellent way to start your own flower or vegetable seeds in anticipation of spring. I’m starting with herbs, since they are provided in the initial kit, but I’m excited to try other options in the future.