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In 2020, with the world locking down and slow pursuits like sourdough baking, Animal Crossing, and jigsaw puzzles spiking, a tech company’s indoor gardening products were suddenly a hot commodity.
AeroGarden’s soil-free hydroponic plant-growing devices were much in demand. When my brother turned me on to these foolproof gardening gadgets that year, I hunted across multiple sites that were sold out, finally securing an AeroGarden from Kohl’s that took weeks to arrive. (Remember extended supply-chain delivery delays?)
In the years that followed, I'd end up owning three AeroGardens ranging in price from around $75 to $300 each, growing everything from kitchen herbs to cascading petunias to lots of Genovese basil to … uh, other types of plants. I gave AeroGardens out as gifts to friends and family members. I was a huge fan of the concept and the products.
For some, like me, it served as a gateway to learning how to garden and discovering what it was like to grow your own vegetables, aromatics, and herbs.
As popular as they once were, AeroGardens are hitting the end of the growing season. In early October, the company, which is owned by ScottsMiracle-Gro, said it will close operations after the end of the year.
In a note on its website and social media, the company said it would stop selling its products on its website that week and on Amazon by the end of 2024. “This was a difficult decision but one that became necessary due to a number of challenges with this business,” AeroGarden said.
But the post left a number of questions unanswered. While some of the less-expensive AeroGardens like the Harvest are simple, three-button gadgets that require only water, a nutrient mix, and proprietary plastic seed pods that slot into the device, the more deluxe models such as the Bounty Elite and the larger Farm models are app-enabled products with touchscreens and wireless connectivity options. How long will the app be supported? And will those devices keep working after the company is long gone?
Though AeroGarden says it wants customers to continue being inspired to “to enjoy indoor gardening through the holiday season and beyond,” it's hard not to be concerned. Here's what we know so far about the end of the AeroGarden era and what customers can expect.
What to Do if You Own an AeroGarden
Your next steps will depend on which model you own and when you purchased it.
If you bought your AeroGarden this year, you’ll still be covered by a one-year warranty, but for purchases after November 1, 2024, that warranty period will shrink to 90 days after purchase.
If you're unconcerned about the company's demise and are able to get an AeroGarden cheaply, don't expect to get any customer support past that 90 days.
In my experience, AeroGardens are pretty modular. Replacement parts are easy to find, and they’re easy to repair as long as the lights and the electronic parts keep working and as long as you keep your devices cleaned and well-maintained.
Of the three AeroGardens I owned, only one still functions normally. A Bounty Elite model I owned developed problems with its LED lighting, and since the device was out of warranty, the company told me it couldn't repair or replace it. I haven't bothered to seek out a replacement part on Ebay or other third-party seller sites.
A Harvest model I previously owned that stopped operating was within its warranty period and was replaced by the company. I kept the older model for spare parts. The replacement Harvest is still running fine after two years.
If you're worried about running out of seed pods and the company's proprietary nutrient liquid, don't be. The plastic seed pods can be reused (I have so many of them in my house, I'll never run out), and there are a lot of online sellers offering compatible off-brand pods and the conical sponges that go with them. You can drop any off-the-shelf garden seeds into these pods, as you can with AeroGarden's Grow Anything kits.
For the liquid nutrient, you can either stock up on large containers of the plant food, which contains 16 minerals, or use an alternative mix. Astute growers have figured out and posted online about what's in the mix, but since hydroponic growing is popular beyond the AeroGarden community, it's not hard to shop for or find information on how to make your own alternate nutrient mixes that will work with whatever types of seeds you're trying to grow.
As long as your AeroGarden keeps working, you should be able to find supplies and parts to continue growing plants for years to come.
What Happens to the AeroGarden App?
The answer to that question is much less clear. The company updated its apps for iOS and Android this year but only says the app will continue working “for an extended period of time” that is undetermined.
AeroGarden models that use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can be operated without the app, as the company describes in its user manuals. If you're concerned about AeroGarden disappearing from the web, it wouldn't hurt to save a copy of the electronic manual for your model just in case.
What if I Want to Move on From AeroGarden?
If you still would rather grow your plants inside instead of transitioning to outside gardening or other types of soil-based planting, there are other hydroponic devices.
Click & Grow makes indoor planters comparable to AeroGarden's starting at about $80 with its current discounts. Ingarden makes a line of microgreen growers and nutrients that sell for $149. Modern Sprout and Gardyn are other options starting at $239 and $499, respectively, if you want something app-enabled and hydroponic.
AeroGarden might be going away, but don't let that rob you of the joy of growing your own plants, whether you do it with or without soil, indoors or outside, or even (gasp!) without any technology at all.
