Have you ever wanted to grow something indoors but the seeds that you have wanted are not available in a seed pod form? Well, there are a couple of ways on how you can do it yourself. The amount of effort that this should take is minimalistic and will produce really good results if you do it right.
How can you grow anything indoors with your Aerogarden?
Well, truth be told you can not really grow anything. For example, corn is a plant that requires a lot of height because its final size exceeds 8”. And also there are plants that produce vegetables “underground” like carrots and potatoes. Because of the limited space that your Aerogarden provides, those kinds of vegetables are also not really suitable for indoor growth.
But there are however some plants that can be grown in your indoor gardening system using the DIY method. Plants like cucumbers are a great example. They will grow just as well as any other plant that you might have bought in a seed pod packed form.
So the way to grow anything in your AeroGarden is to make your own seed pods. It is not hard at all. Well, the third method is kinda tricky but I would not recommend using it at all since the first two are so much easier and will probably result in a better harvest.
There are 3 methods:
- Grow anything seed pod kit (the easiest method)
You will have to purchase the grow anything seed pod kit online first and also the seeds that you want to plant separately. Once you got your grow anything seed pod kit, it should contain grow baskets, grow domes, grow sponges, labels, and nutrients. You take your seeds and insert them at the top of your grow sponge(there is a hole in the middle). You should insert about 3 to 5 seeds. It depends on how big the seeds are. After that, you put the grow sponge in the grow basket and finish it off with a label. Insert your pods into a slot on your aerogarden and put a dome on. Do not forget about the water and liquid nutrients!
- Reused seed pod kits (a bit more work but also a bit cheaper)
This method is the same as the first one, but instead of buying the whole seed pod kit, you just have to buy new grow sponges and nutrients, because they are not reusable. To reuse old seed pods, you first have to take them out of your AeroGarden and then remove the plant with the grow sponge from your grow basket. The best way to do this is with a pair of scissors or gardening shears.
First, cut all the stems of the old plants as low as you can. Next, cut as many roots from the bottom side as you can. If you have done it correctly, you should now be able to just push the old grow sponge out from the bottom side up. This will leave you with only the grow basket.
Remember that the old plant with the grow sponge intact is completely organic and therefore nature-friendly. Not only that, but the sponge is also made 100% from peat moss which will have amazing effects on your compost. It will speed up the process of composting and will heavily reduce the odor that your compost makes.
Once your old grow baskets are empty, the process from here on will be the same as it was at the first method.
Take your new grow sponges and put some seeds inside. There is a hole on the top where you should put them in. About 3 to 5 seeds is the right number, depending on the size of the seeds. 3 for the bigger ones and 5 for the smaller seeds. Next insert your grow sponge into a grow basket from the top down. Finish it off with a label and voila-you have your own reused seed pod. Insert it into your Aerogarden and cover it with a dome.
Do not forget about water and nutrients!
- Make your own seed pods
I have tried making my own seed pods but truth be told I did not like the whole process. I was successful but there were a few close calls when it came to hurting myself. The only good thing about this method is the cost of it. It is definitely cheaper than the first two methods, but I did not save enough money that I would keep doing it. It was purely just to try it out and to see what happens.
There is an article with a step by step guide on how you can do it. If you want to read it, you can check it out here.
So, in my opinion, the second method is the winner. It will save you some money and will result in no plastic waste. I am a big fan of going green but also like to keep things simple. If you use the third method it will definitely not be easy.
IMPORTANT:
Different plants require different care. That is why it is really important that you do a bit of research on the plant that you want to grow. How long will it take for it to grow, how many nutrients, water and light it needs, when and how to prune/trim/harvest it and so on. Those are some really important information that you always have to know. If you, for example, cut it wrong or don’t add enough nutrients, then the results will definitely not be satisfying. You will just end up wasting a bunch of time, money and energy. So do some research before. Another important factor is the space that your plant requires. Not all AeroGarden models are suitable for all plants. If you want bigger plants you need more space. Period.
Thank you for reading and if you are going to try any one of my methods please let me know which one and how it went in the comments below. Have a nice day!
