I made a few snips to my plants, but I certainly wasn’t cutting at it like a bonsai tree. Honestly, I prefer to leave it alone. Isn’t that the point of an AeroGarden? If I’m supposed to be the barber of botanicals, I might as well have an outdoor garden or a larger hydroponics setup.
Not only is the AeroGarden bright, it’s a little noisy too. Once the machine kicked into “High Growth” mode, the water pump started running a lot. It sounds like a fish tank, but with more water splashing. By keeping the AeroGarden filled with water, it’s not as noisy. The AeroGarden gives alerts for low water, or when to add nutrients, but it’s not really something that requires a lot of thought.
I find myself checking on the tomatoes every day. I usually look at them once in the morning and again at night. I don’t need a computer to remind me to add nutrients. Every other Friday is pretty simple to remember. I don’t wait for an alert to add water. If I hear water sloshing around, I simply add more to the tank.
I like the AeroGarden, but I don’t feel satisfied with the purchase. It seems like a cute gift idea, but it’s basically a chore. While people might appreciate fresh tomatoes and herbs, they might not like the higher electric bill, bright lights, splashing sounds, plant pruning and other maintenance. (This thing needs to be cleaned out when it’s done. I’m not looking forward to that.)
But I suppose the real issue is this – I DON’T HAVE ANY TOMATOES YET! This project requires a lot of patience. Maybe I’ll feel better when I actually see red tomatoes growing in the dead of winter. Despite a few minor issues, the project is still on schedule.