Thousands of people have Aerogardens worldwide but only a few truly maximize its potential and grow the foods that are best for them.
Over the years I’ve grown a variety of seed pods in a variety of Aerogardens. Some that went great and some that went terribly. So I’m breaking down my 7 crazy top picks for seed pods I’ve used over the years in this article.
Table of Contents
What is an Aerogarden seed pod?
When growing plants in your Aerogarden, a seed pod is simply a capsule that contains both peat and the seeds needed to grow whatever plant is described by your seed pod.
Simply add in plant food to the seed pod once it is in your aerogarden, add water to the base and watch your seed pods spring to life.
Basil Aerogarden seed pods
Introduction
Basil is a great Italian herb. What I love about Basil is the range of dishes you can use with the herb. You can use it on pesto, pasta sauces or just add it as a flavoring to any meal.
Growing time
Here are my Basil after 18 days. I decided to buy Thai Basil and Genovese Basil and grow them separately.
I assume that after a couple of months if they keep growing at this rate I can start harvesting.
What I use basil for
The seeds are selected for maximum growth and flavour. The Basil is selectively bred to have large leaves and according to the Aerogarden website you can grow up to $150 of the stuff to within four months!
Growing experience
Keeping the right chemical balance in the water hasn’t been difficult at all so far. I think I may need to adjust the light as it grows but growing has been great.
Pros and Cons
If you fill up a lot of your seed pod slot with Basil you can easily keep harvesting almost on a daily basis for cooking and the growth will be able to sustain your needs.
However, basil isn’t the most exciting plant to grow and there is not stage of waiting for fruit or seeds. In fact, when basil starts to seed it is recommended to prune it.
You can check the price of a Tomato aerogarden seed pod here
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a supply of herbs for cooking. Growing basil in your Aerogarden is a wise choice. However, don’t expect to be thrilled with your Basil every day. It is not the most excited seed pod you can grow.
Tomato Aerogarden seed pods
Introduction
This is my tomato plant after a year and a half of growing. It continues to produce fruit. Despite me sometimes neglecting this. Growing a Tomato plant in an Aerogarden is one of the best ways to produce fruit year round.
The variety I chose was the Tomato pepper seed pod kit. Despite only growing the tomatoes in the long term in the end.
Growing time
This tree started producing after about 6 months of growing and it hasn’t stopped since!
What I use tomato for
Salads, adding to the side of food and occasionally I make a tomato sauce.
Growing experience
At first, the tree may become very droopy and sag with the weight of the tomatoes. However, overtime the stem becomes woody and you won’t have to continue to prop up your tree.
I also found that when I trimmed the roots of the tree and changed the water around it was a pain because I had to keep disconnecting it from the light. However, I think the inconvenience is worth the year round tomatoes.
Pros and Cons
- You can maintain your supply of home grown tomatoes year round, despite temperature variations.
- Excellent flavour of tomato. A sweet taste with a texture that pops in your mouth when fresh
- You have to be extremely patient in order to wait for your tree to start producing
- A fully grown tree will take up room for other seed pods to grow
- Hard to change water and do root maintenance
Conclusion
If you cannot grow tomatoes year round but want to where you live consider this but know you will have to sacrifice other seed pod space and exercise patience.
Cilantro Aerogarden seed pods
Introduction
Here are some of my old Cilantros when they first sprouted from seed pod. Some also call this herb Coriander.
Growing time
After a month you could easily start the harvesting process. I got such a yield at the beginning had to prune after a couple of weeks.
What I use Cilantro for
Like most people, I use coriander as a garnish on curries, rice or even meals like chilli con carne. There’s something quite tribal and about being able to pluck fresh herbs for your meals. Almost as if you have a symbiotic relationship with your plants.
Growing experience
In the beginning this was a bit tricky to manage. They sprouted so quickly that the base of the plant couldn’t hold up the huge leaves! I pruned to manage this before they thickened up.
I had a few lighting issues where the leaves started to yellow. I adjusted the light height and moved it to a darker area of my house. It seemed to sort out the problem.
Pros and Cons
- Once you get the right conditions and your herb is thriving after a few months. Cilantro seems to grow in abundance with ease.
- Only need a 1-2 seed pods of Cilantro in your Aerogarden to produce a significant yield. Allowing room for other grows.
- If you don’t use Cilantro much in cooking then you will likely end up with far more than you know what to do with
- Not the most exciting herb to grow
Conclusion
An excellent addition to your Aerogarden. It is nothing I would grow alone. The fast growth and small need for it means you’d likely enjoy growing this alongside other crops.
Cascading Petunias Aerogarden seed pods
Introduction
The name speaks for itself. These Petunias love to climb and cascade on whatever is given to them. The wait for bloom is well worth it and they produce a lush, vibrant flower once mature.
Growing time
I got flowers after 62 days and they continue to bloom producing new flowers every couple of weeks until the flowering slowed down and I potted them in soil.
Why I grew Petunias
I wanted to have a variety of things to grow in my Aerogarden and switching around my seed pods and growing some temporary flowers seemed ideal. They provided a great view for weeks.
Growing experience
Admittedly, I was new to my Aerogarden when I first grew my Petunias. I had a seed pod not germinate as I didn’t keep the grow dome on.
But once they sprouted, the growth was explosive almost. Lush leaves and new leaves formed every week until just over two months in my Petunias blossomed.
When growing these 4 seed pods of Petunias, I grew some Romaine on the other side of the Petunia seed pods. To put thing in to perspective I harvested them three times before I saw my Petunias flower. Patience was key with this one. Although the growth made it clear it was only a matter of time.
I had to learn to dead head the flowers as they began to shrivel up and die to allow for more flower growth
Pros and Cons
- Beautiful looking flower
- Blooms last a good week or two before they die
- Can transfer your flowers to pots later to free up seed pod room
- A few of the seed pods didn’t sprout
- Purely for aesthetic purposes (No yielding crops as it’s a flower)
Conclusion
I don’t think flowers are my personal preference for growing in an Aerogarden but despite that, the flowers produced did look amazing. I think Aerogarden did a great job with the seed selection.
Gourmet herb Aerogarden seed pods
Introduction
The gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit has made this list because of the variety of the pack. I you’re not sure exactly what herbs you will use the most or enjoy growing the most, starting off with a variety is the best way to go. This is what worked best for me.
Start with:
- 1 x Italian Parsley
- 1 x Chives
- 1 x Mint
- 1 x Thai Basil
- 1 x Thyme
- 1 x Dill
- 1 x Curly Parsley
- 2 x Genovese Basil
Growing time
Most of these herbs sprouted for me within a week and weren’t ready to harvest until a month or so. I remember Basil growing the quickest out of this pack.
What I use the pod for
I used all of these herbs in my cooking at some stage although I find myself only using herbs like basil and Cilantro on a regular basis. It’s a great way to find out what you enjoy growing, harvesting and eating.
Growing experience
The growing experience of the Gourmet Herb kit was relatively simple. The hardest part is understanding that each of the different herbs will need root trimming and pruning at different rates.
They all grow at their own paces with Dill being among the slowest to grow before I could harvest.
Pros and Cons
- Good for beginners figuring it out
- Excellent for those who cook with various herbs
- You will need to exercise patience with each different herb
- You may find yourself not using some of the herbs
- Different grow rates make maintenance more time consuming
Conclusion
If you want to start growing herbs but are not sure where to start, start here. If you know what you like growing. Go for that straight away instead.
Mixed Romaine Lettuce Aerogarden seed pods
Introduction
mmmm crispy. Those were my first thoughts when I bit in to my Aerogarden grown lettuce. A slightly sweet almost buttery flavor. Perfect for introducing to salads as a side with a meal.
I think Romaine lettuce is one of the best seed pods to grow in an Aerogarden or any hydroponic style growing system. Keeping a constant nutrients, growing temperature and lighting creates produces mighty fine lettuce!
Growing time
I planted all 6 of my seed pods in my Aerogarden as soon as I got them and harvested them all around the 60 day mark. I purposely waited for the leaves to get nice and full before my first harvest. I probably could have harvested sooner but it was definitely worth the wait.
What I use Romaine lettuce for
Salads mainly. I think that’s the social norm
Growing experience
A pretty straight forward growing process of just monitoring lighting.
Nearing harvest, I had to keep on cutting off the seeds that they kept growing. I’ve read that when they start to seed they tend to stop growing and sprout seed pods quite a lot. Thankfully Inly discovered a couple of flower buds shortly before I harvested them.
Pros and Cons
- A variety of leaves
- Delicious, buttery taste
- Full leaves
- Relatively short grow time (2 months)
- Difficult to know when to harvest for best yield
- Flowing lettuce can be a pain
- One time harvest
Conclusion
I don’t think you can go wrong. Definitely one of my easiest grows with some of the best tastes. It comes down to personal preference but if you enjoy salads. Definitely give this pod a go
Can you make your own DIY Aerogarden seed pods?
Yes, you can always use your own seeds but from my experience the seed selection of Aerogarden is excellent and they pick the right seeds for maximum yield and plant appearance.
If even that doesn’t tickle your fancy, here is an exotic seed pod which grows purple super hot peppers which can be found on the Aerogarden website! It is a bit more difficult to grow hence why I have left it off of the list.