4/27/22

I bough this hydroponic system a month ago and all I have to say is WOW! It's a must get for anyone. I will continue to post updates and pictures. Currently growing: Basil, parsley, oregano, lettuce, gourmet lettuce, mixed salad, spinach, collard greens, kale lacinato, blue dwarf kale, kale premier, arugula, pepper, and hot pepper. Note: the basil and parsley I recently put in pots. The pots you see in the pictures DO NOT come with the hydroponic system. I just put the pots next the hydroponic system and it just so happened to work out.

Shipment and Smart features:

I received it very fast and it was easy to construct (my kiddo helped me do it). It took a few hours but the directions on how to put it together is the QR code. Just scan the QR code with your phone camera and the files with video instructions are right there. I love that it is digital like that! I also really love the smart feature it has where you're able to control the lighting and watering through the app. You can literally set it and forget it! There is also a small digital thermometer/timer and a fan that is located at the top of the hydroponic tent.

Cool features 😎:

This hydroponic system can be used indoors and outdoors AND you can set it up so it's on wheels (I did this). I think it's so convenient to have the flexibility of being able to have this system indoors or outdoors. I currently have it indoors but I do plan on putting it outdoors at some point or maybe even buying another one.

Maintenance:

It is very easy to keep clean so far. I will be needing to change the water here shortly (it's been a month) but I will definitely write an update when I do so!

Growth:

I moved these plants over from a smaller hydroponic system I used to germinate them. Once I transferred them to this hydroponic system the growth literally EXPLODED. I would say within 2 weeks I noticed a huge difference in the health of my plants. My basil and parsley got so big I had decided to put them in pots. I am very happy with the salads and lettuce wraps I've been eating lately! I will continue to update the growth of the plants.

Pros: it takes up very little space, comes with everything you need, health plants, ability to use it both inside or outside.

Cons: the electric brick for the lights can get pretty hot, the lights also get hot so I set a timer for the light to turn off periodically throughout the days.

There are so many things to like about this unit, it is hard to know where to start. The picture in my review is after one month of growth after transferring seedlings into my system. I followed the instructions for adding nutrients and did not touch a thing. These were the results, however it is important to take note of EC readings (a measure of nutrients in the water) and PH to ensure that your water is in an optimal range. I knew that I needed a PH and EC meter before I purchased this unit, but decided to just get started without them. I decided on bluelab meters. The EC rod is particularly helpful. What I learned when I did take measurements is that my ph was great at 6, but my nutrients were getting low. As time goes on you will learn when to add nutrients and water. If you are new to this and are unfamiliar with some things, you will learn as you go"¦There is also a great Facebook group for extra support and growing guides. I definitely have not done everything right this time, but am confident that my next generation will be even better after I decide to do a full teardown. The great thing about this unit is that I really think that it can turn someone who knows nothing about gardening into a successful one. I decided to start with a mix of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and herbs. I have not had to buy lettuce and herbs for months and am about to get my first red tomatoes. Growing greens and fruiting plants together can be a bit tricky I am learning, but I think I found the right balance. You will also need to sucker your tomatoes like a hawk, which I wasn't quite doing enough of and hence delayed my tomatoes. The unit needs about 30 minutes of care a day +/- 30 minutes. A day or two can be skipped but you will have a lot more to do. The plants also need to be harvested when they are ready whether you plan to eat them right then or not. This was one of the more expensive purchases I have made on Amazon and I am very happy with it. I thought about the competition and DIY setups for month and concluded that that was the best option for me. At least one of the others did not come with tents and, well, I pretty much consider the tent a necessity in a common use room. The first time I had this unit on at night it looked like a spaceship. I now zip half of the flaps down during the day and zip them mostly up at night and it's perfectly fine. So far I am on my third month of harvesting from this unit and have basically eliminated the need to but fresh herbs and lettuce from the store"¦oh and you dont have to wash anything anymore! Soon i will have tomatoes and peppers too and have started a new round of lettuces. Depending how you want to set this up, I would say this it can easily provide for 2-4 people. The unit is built very well and looks great too. More rockwool cubes, nutrients and maybe a few more seed packs here and there is all I really need to keep the unit going. If you think this is worth it to you, this is a great investment. This unit will change your trips to the grocery store!

I almost never write reviews: But the AeroSpring is SO amazing, I just HAD to share!
Overall: The system arrived quickly within one week. I have no experience with this sort of thing, but I found the directions and videos to be very clear and thorough. So, we had no problem setting up the unit, though it did take several hours. All the components seem to be of excellent quality. Nothing about the Aerospring seems cheap! Just superb! Now, you do have to start your seedlings in advance. That was no problem. I actually use Root Riot and Rock Wool for that. I don't remember how long that took, but I do remember that the Root Riot (for hydorponics) product is the quicker route. Customer service is also excellent. I had several questions and all were answered very quickly.... They are exceptional.
I've attached pictures of my first seedlings/then a few weeks later to today, which is about 5 weeks of growing. I grow: Lettuces: Romaine, Iceberg, Escarole, Parris Island, Kale, Broccoli Rabe (It loves growing in the Aerospring!) Brussel Sprouts, Eggplant, Zucchini, peppers and tomatoes-- along with some herbs.
There seems to be plenty of space for everything to grow. We've already had several salads of Broccoli Rabe--Kale--Iceberg and Romain-- just absolutely, incredibly delicious! :-)
One point of comparison: I also bought an Aerogarden Farm XL. I had experience with some of the smaller ones. True, it's more of a "set it and forget it": but, mine had issues with one of the lights not working. I had a long, drawn out experience trying to get results from Aerogarden's customer service. After one month of back and forth with various customer service reps-- always requesting multiples of pictures, videos, explanations. When they finally approved sending me a new light-- they told me they were backordered and I needed to wait an additional 4 weeks for them to possibly be back in stock. I returned the whole unit to Walmart as a result and got a replacement.
The point: The Farm XL touts being able to grow 24 plants. Well, as you can see from the photo, that might be true of growing very small, slender plants such as: Dill, Chives, Oregano. My XL has 3 cherry tomato plants and has virtually overshadowed the rest of the unit. There is no comparison: The Aerospring is by far the Superior product to the Aerogarden. We love it!

I highly recommend the Aerospring! As soon as I can figure out WHERE to put another-- I'll be ordering at least one more!!

Amazing hydroponic/aeroponic kit. Images are for 7 weeks in, but the tower looked about as full at 5-6 weeks and we've been harvesting away since then. Can't keep up with the output to be honest.

I have had cheaper hydro set ups before but this is by far the best one I have owned. Costs about $15/month in electricity which is totally worth the convenience of fresh greens and if you grow and use a lot of herbs it easily pays for itself over time.

Pros:
- Amazing, thoughtful design. The grow tower being round instead of flat against a wall (iHarvest) or a DWC system (aerogarden) means that each plant has more room to grow and there isn't as much crowding. Often the more flat designs will have more than 27 spots but effectively you can't use many more than 27. All spots can hold full sized greens in the Aerospring without crowding. Obviously fewer large plants like tomatoes and peppers can be grown in one device. The tower being encased in a grow tent is also a huge plus compared to the alternatives. No light leakage means less energy is wasted (so it's cheaper), plants grow faster, and you can have the device in a living/sleeping space without very bright lights being a distraction. I have grown basil in an aerogarden and DWC systems before but never gotten massive basil leaves like in the aerospring, and my guess is that is because of how bright it gets inside the tent while using relatively little energy. The tent also keeps our dog out which is great otherwise we would have no plants left. The round tower + tent design is just so much better than the flat and open alternatives for growing plants. The tank is the largest one among the alternatives I considered, which is great because I need to refill it way less.
- High quality materials. It feels like a premium product which is good because it's certainly priced as one.

Cons:
- Expensive. This is among the more expensive kits out there. The alternatives I considered before purchasing this, like iHarvest, are more in the $700-900 range, so this is a lot more at $1200. But if you have the money to spare it's definitely worth it. I have no regrets 7 weeks in.
- Takes up a fair bit of room, so make sure you have the space. Assembly was a pain the first time around but that is to be expected with a device like this and I could put a second one together much more quickly.
- There was some visible rusting on the tent frame when I received it. I'm not too concerned about the structural integrity of the frame but noting anyway.
- A flat design with more than 27 slots is better if you're more interested in growing baby greens. It's not worth it to grow baby greens with only 27 spots because you can't have that many plants growing in one space.

Recs for changes:
- several reviewers have complained about the large size of the two wifi plugs (they are so large that you need two power strips). I had smaller wifi plugs at home ($5-$10 ones that only switch on an off, no cycle) and I used one of those for the lights as they don't need the cycle functionality. Aerospring should just supply one of that instead of the large one (a large and a small one do fit on one power strip).
- I think having some levels of tower with more than just three slots (or wider slots that can hold large pieces of growing medium) would be great. If I want to grow smaller plants or harvest plants when they're small (eg baby greens) then each plant does not need as much space. Right now it feels like a waste of space and energy to use this for baby greens.
- I would have personally purchased 2-3 units if this was priced at around $800 instead of $1200 to grow fruiting plants in the other ones. As of now I'm content with just one as shelling out $1200 for another to grow tomatoes is not worth it for me. I see that some other reviewers have decided to do so at the current price. Nevertheless I do think the device is significant better than the sub-$1000 kits on the market and totally worth the premium.

The media could not be loaded. Before you purchase this unit, decide on your level of determination. Because it does take major determination for most folks. If you can maintain a high determination level, you will get exciting results.
I did, and I live with the handicap of impaired mobility and I can still get great results.

The routine of setting up and actually growing delicious greens can be overwhelming at first even with determination. Just keep going. I've had the unit for 14 months now and have gone through a few rounds of growing simple lettuce, herbs and Chinese cabbage. Keep it simple. Advise planting what is recommended and not getting carried away at first (I did and there was a little disappointment but that's on me). It's a big unit and you can grow a lot. Some people grow gorgeous flowers all over the tower.

Just decide on your level of determination. Make it high and you'll have great success.

The box arrives gigantic but sturdy. Items are packed genius to fit but not necessarily in order of assembly. A neighbor helped me assemble mine over 3 evenings of her spare time. We scratched our heads some yet figured it all out. The Smart Life app took the most determination to get set up. There is not one main video showing all setup, which would have been my preference; rather, there were only pain point videos accompanying a decent online manual. Still, setup gets done and then the thrill of planting begins. The nutrients last quite awhile that come with the unit. Otherwise inexpensive to purchase brands available in your part of the world going forward. You'll go through plenty of rock wool plugs for planting, so figure on that continued expense.

Really, it is so worth it to me to gaze at my unit growing amazing green garden goodness, the tower set next to a window (not necessary, works in a dark cave lol) with the backdrop of 2 feet of Minnesota USA snow. It feels like a friendly joke on Mother Nature to have fresh produce growing at home during snow maze days.

Don't do it unless you can summon some real gusto about it. The company has a very responsive Facebook group. They definitely work with you about any non-functioning parts. Expect to have to replace the motor sometime in its lifetime.

It's a brilliantly designed rig, in my opinion. Make it work and have a great time with it.