The plants in this hydroponic garden grow directly in water… with no soil. Every two weeks, the little green light on the bottom turns red to remind you to put two capfulls of plant food into the water. Other than that, you just top off the distilled water each day, and you get lucious herbs. Simple.
My husband got me this one from Costco, but you can get them various places and under different brands. What they have in common is that they have pods that you place into the water. These pods contain seeds which germinate when placed in water under a grow light. The grow light on this model (Aerogarden) is adjustable. You place it lower when the seeds are germinating, and as they grow taller, you raise the light higher.
How to Set Up Your Hydroponic Garden
Here is a tutorial on how to use your hydroponic herb garden:
As you can see, you fill the container with distilled water, so as not to crust over the system with harsh chemicals from tapwater. Then put the lid on, and place the herb pods into the circles.
Place the little “greenhouse” over each pod until they sprout. Then remove the “greenhouse,” allowing the plant to grow taller.
When the herbs are so tall that they touch the light, they need to be trimmed or transplanted to another container or outside.
So far we have grown herbs (including basil, parsley, and mint) and some cherry tomatoes. It’s fun to add some greenery to your home, and to have herbs available to clipping and throw into your cooking!
Tags: hands-on science, herbs, plants, science
Neat idea! My husband is really into gardening and is always looking for creative ways to grow things. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I have to say that this was unexpectedly fun. And the leaves were fresh and not withered because they were continuously in water!
This is a good idea certainly. You can also buy some different seed packets from community garden centres as wall. Farmer markets and farm shops will also stock plenty of interesting and rather cheap fresh fruit, vegetables and other products.
You can even get a lot of colourful flowers and plants at decent prices in local garden centres and certain shops etc too. Alternatively you can always find free flowers and plants in houses, and other busy places in addition. If you have access to a community or private allotment, then do take a look there at the free plants and so on.
Popular industry events at which you can see free or cheap flowers and plants include national garden shows, plant sales and the like. Libraries often have free gardening books worth taking home in order to read or you can definitely visit a bookshop to see what is on sale. Additionally ask for advice. Gardening is fun.
See if you can find a gardening club.
I love all of these ideas!!
This is part two of my comment. You can ask your friends and family members if they have any unwanted seed packets that are left lying around. Plant nurseries often yield much promising results too. You can even request a lot more tips and advice from the garden centre staff who are currently working there.
Also use websites on the Internet. I recommend also finding some books on the topic of gardening as well at your local library or bookshop. Good luck. Do your own internet research properly.
There is a lot of fun to be had whilst gardening in addition. Alternatively make out some brief summary notes when visiting community allotments, houses of friends and family members, flower and country shows etc. Try looking on YouTube in order to find many more free handy videos on gardening.
You can even buy yourself a few glossy but quite cheap magazines on gardening from a big community supermarket or elsewhere. Explore your options.
Schools are another good source of information and inspiration as there is often a garden that is filled with colourful plants. I find flowers and plants everywhere I look these days.
Yes! I took a night class at a community college, on growing plants in my local area. It was really helpful!
I forgot all about this comment until late this afternoon. See if you can also find a recommended plant nursery in your area. They can hopefully offer you some tailored advice and tips on how to cultivate plants. Or seek out information from books on gardening at your local library etc. Make brief summary notes to help.
Often times garden centres host events that teach you plant care. Good luck. Definitely also see what type of information books are available on the topic of garden care and plant education. Find out all about suitable courses in plant care and education and so on. Start off asking for help at the local plant nursery and take it from there.
Request guidance and tips in order to know more. Embrace the entire plant world. Plants are fun. Get a hold of bright colourful leaflets on aspects of plant care and plant education. Read them carefully. Use your notes as a means of further knowledge and support.
I love plants, and I appreciate all your tips.