Aerogarden/Amazon knockoff or similar?

[kingpin]

Anyone use one of these type of things?
I don't want a huge rack system just a small system to grow Basil, Cilantro and hopefully green onions. Maybe some Rosemary or Thyme.
All stuff that are impossible to get fresh here unless I drive to the city.

I'm not a green thumb and I despise gardening and that crap so these small footprint all in ones seem like they would work great for my space.

[Tikiman]

My wife tried one for much the same purpose as you. The problem was that it didn't put out enough light and the herbs "stretched". They were craving more light so they grew a lot of vine and not much foliage.

I ended up buying her a 400 watt HPS light from HTG Supply off of Amazon. About $120. Hung it in the laundry room and she was able to not only grow great herbs, but she also brought in the tomatoes and green beans and kept them going through last winter as well. When Spring came, she took the tomatoes and green beans back outside and kept them going through another season!

She relegated the Aerogarden to seed starting.

[kingpin]

My wife tried one for much the same purpose as you. The problem was that it didn't put out enough light and the herbs "stretched". They were craving more light so they grew a lot of vine and not much foliage.

I ended up buying her a 400 watt HPS light from HTG Supply off of Amazon. About $120. Hung it in the laundry room and she was able to not only grow great herbs, but she also brought in the tomatoes and green beans and kept them going through last winter as well. When Spring came, she took the tomatoes and green beans back outside and kept them going through another season!

She relegated the Aerogarden to seed starting.

That's what my dad is trying to get me to do. He has a dozen 3 shelved systems in the basement but like I said I hate all the dirt and mess that goes with it. It's ashame he's 4000kms away or I would get him to grow it for me. LOL

There's one called click and grow I'm thinking of trying. They have a 3 and 9 slot units. I'm thinking of trying the 3 slot one just for simple basil and cilantro and see how it goes.

[Tikiman]

My wife just places pots on some shelves I built for her. She does all the potting outside so there's no mess in the laundry room.

The Aerogarden would be a fine product if the light were better. The reality is that it just doesn't put out enough lumens and the result is less than stellar. She runs the 400 watt light on a timer - 12 hours on, 12 hours off - and she grows us tomatoes and green beans in the middle of the winter. The herbs are bushes with no stretching and the basil has to be seen to be believed. I did the math and the light is costing us roughly 50 cents a day on the electric bill. She's got some largish pots on the floor with lots of greenery coming out of them. I asked her what they were and she said "potatoes". :willy:

[Unsuspicious]

Don't overthink it. Shop light or desk light, plant bulb, dollar store plastic bins.