AeroGarden Harvest Family of Gardens Review

The AeroGarden Harvest Family of Smart Indoor Gardens is one of the most popular countertop gardens out there. 

With the popularity of the 6-Pod Harvest Garden comes continual updates and improvements each year. But that can get confusing as they have a number of models. 

I’ll go through the similarities and differences of the Harvest herb garden lineup in this comparison review. First, here’s a handy comparison table: 

Check the AeroGarden Amazon store for the latest special Harvest family deals.

What is the Aerogarden Harvest?

To better understand AeroGarden Harvest and the different models, let’s do a quick intro to the AeroGarden Hydroponic Gardens and how it works. This modern indoor gardening system was developed in California. 

Normally plants need air, light, water, essential nutrients, and soil to grow, but with AeroGarden they just need air, light, water, and soluble minerals to grow. The indoor gardening technique used is hydrophonics. 

The Harvest gardens come with a built-in, full-spectrum 20W LED light system, a Gourmet Herb Seed Kit or another pack of seed pods depending on the model, and a machine that continuously circulates water and nutrients to the roots of the plants. 

These systems are gaining popularity due to their numerous benefits. The biggest benefit is being able to have a fresh herb and salad garden producing year-round plants. Having plant yields of nutritious plant food throughtout the year isn’t something you’ll get with potted plants. 

Secondly, as there’s no soil involved, there is very little need for pesticides to be administered. There’s also no nutritious value lost in the varieties of plants that are easily grow with the pre-planted seeds grown in the 6 pod spaces.

Now let’s get into the details on these indoor garden appliances and see what’s the best for you and your home. 

AeroGarden Harvest Features and Benefits

AeroGarden Easy Setup and Use

When you get the AeroGarden package delivered, here is the list of items that come inside.

• A stylish trendy base unit
• Water reservoir
• Grow light with extendable hood
• A bottle of plant nutrients
• Six pre-seeded pods with labels and lids

The box also comes with instructions and is already partially assembled. So you can see how easy it is, here are the installation steps: 

Step 1: Look for a dry place with a wall outlet to plug in for power. Connect the cable from the pump (placed at the back) to the power adapter.

Step2: Follow the “Fill To” mark on the reservoir and fill it with water. Add nutrients depending on the water level and the number of pods to germinate. 

Step 3: Add the seed pods which you wish to grow into the pod holes. Cover the pods gently with the small, transparent humidity domes that come in the box. 

Step 4: Adjust the light arm to the lowest possible height initially.

Step 5: Finally, turn on the Harvest and let it remain on for 15 hours. 

Also a few other things to keep in mind to set up, care for, and maintain your AeroGarden. 

You can manually set the timer for automatic lights by choosing the time of day and hold the on/off button for 3 seconds. When you see the blink, the new “ON” time is set and every day at that time , the spectrum of lights will turn on. 

Maintaining optimum water levels is essential and the indicator will turn on when the water level drops to ½ of the reservoir. At that point, be sure not to delay adding more pH neutral water, because water is the foundation of hydroponics.

AeroGarden Design and Sizes

AeroGarden Harvest like most other AeroGarden systems comes with primarily a water reservoir and the LED grow light which can be extended. The average dimension of AeroGarden Harvest models is 7.5 X 10.75 X 17 inches when the grow light is extended to its highest point. 

On the reservoir lid / grow deck are six holes for seed pods and a small opening to add water. The AeroGarden Harvest models come in a variety of colors: white, sage, and black (platinum), including stainless steel finishes.

AeroGarden Harvest is rectangular and measures 10.5 X 7.5 X 17.4 inches.

Harvest 360 is round in shape in a matte black or white plastic finish and measures 9 X 9 X 17.4 inches.

Harvest Elite comes in stainless steel body and rectangular shape and measures 10.5 X 6 X 17.4 inches.

Harvest Elite 360 is round-shaped and has a stainless steel body measuring 9 X 9 X 17.4 inches.

Harvest Elite Slim is single rowed and narrow with stainless steel body measuring 5 X 5 X 11-17.5 inches. 

AeroGarden Seed Pods and Plant Food

AeroGarden systems come with seed pod kits depending on which family or model you choose. Also, dependent on which model you choose, you get specific type of seeds for vegetables, herbs, and other plants.

Each pod is comprised of a growing sponge, grow basket, grow dome, and grow label.

As there is no soil, you have to administer liquid plant food that’s specially formulated and comes with the AeroGarden system. 

The grow domes help to lock in moisture and stimulate seed germination. The grow sponges use Canadian Sphagnum Peat moss that’s a natural and organic growing medium. 

These pods are suitable to grow for one season only, but you can always purchase more with over 150 types of seeds. The AeroGarden website also has an option to choose a pre-seeded kit of gourmet herb seeds. 

The AeroGarden seed pods are partially usable. This means that besides the grow sponge, all other paper or plastic materials are re-usable. If you are worried about the high cost of buying seed pods every time, then you can also make your own pods. 

You can save the plastic from the first batch that comes along with the garden system, and the next batch can be grown with a local source of sponge, seeds, and nutrient solution. 

If you want to grow something that’s not sold, you can also buy a Grow Anything Pod without seeds. 

There are also occasional defective seeds, so if you happen to run across ones that don’t germinate in 21 days, contact AeroGarden and they’ll send replacement seed pot kits. 

AeroGarden LED Grow Lights System

All AeroGarden systems come with a 20 Watt LED light panel has a white, red, and blue light which stimulates faster growth, quantity flowering, and bigger yields simultaneously. These lights are suitable for all stages of plant growth. 

One limitation to certain AeroGarden systems is that since the light can go higher to only a certain height, you may have to carefully choose the plants you wish to grow. If the plants grow too near to the lights, it will damage and burn them. 

Many people combine sunlight with the hood light to get a better yield. However, when you do that, water will evaporate faster and you may have to refill the reservoir with water sooner.

Each AeroGarden model uses a different power usage for the LED lights.

• AeroGarden Sprout gardens use an averagely of 13 Watts monthly.
• Harvest uses 23 Watts monthly.
• Bounty uses 48 Watts on an average monthly.
• The Farm uses around 126 Watts on an average per month.

Once the timer and schedule are set, the AeroGarden lights will automatically turn on and off at the same time every day. The plants will need 15 hours exposure of light per day and 9 hours of darkness to germinate and grow. Therefore the lights are set accordingly. 

AeroGarden Water Pump and Tank

Instead of soil and fertilizer, AeroGardens use water and soluble plant nutrients for plant growth. A water pump carries these nutrients to the roots.  

The pump that is fitted in the reservoir gets turned on for 5 minutes, in 25 min. intervals. This pump supplies oxygen to the roots and helps prevent microorganisms and algae growth. If you wish to test it, press the green button lightly. You can hear the water bubbling when it’s on. 

AeroGarden Control Panel

Each AeroGarden Harvest has a different control panel. Going up the list, AeroGarden Harvest has three easy to use illuminated sensory buttons that add water, add plant food, and light on/off. The next model is Harvest 360 which also has simplified control options like Harvest. 

Harvest Elite, Elite 360, and Elite Slim have LCD control panels with customizable settings available, besides all the other basic options available in AeroGarden Harvest and Harvest 360 model.

Wi-Fi Connectivity and Mobile App

Unfortunately, Harvest models don’t have Wi-Fi or voice assistant capabilities with Alexa.

Those features are only available on the AeroGarden Bounty and Farm 24XL models. If you have either of those models, you can use the AeroGarden app (Android and iOS) to configure your Amazon Echo and Alexa. 

The app also gives you full control over the light, gives you reminders to add food and water to the plants. 

AeroGarden Reminders

All the AeroGarden Harvest models including the base model have control panel buttons that indicate when plant food levels and water are low. The buttons will light up to remind you when to add nutrient water. 

AeroGarden Vacation Mode

When Vacation Mode is turned on, the grow lights will only be on for 10 hours per day, deaccelerating plant growth and water evaporation. 

Vacation mode is only available to a few Harvest models. In the Harvest Elite, Elite 360, and Elite Slim models, you can set vacation mode by pressing the leap button. You can scroll down the menu to activate “vaca mode.”

AeroGarden Harvest Plant Growth and Production

What Can I Grow in the AeroGarden Harvest?

AeroGarden Harvest model is quite versatile and falls in the medium height range to grow plants. You will get quite a range of fresh herbs and other plants like Thai basil, dill plants, parsley, cilantro, mint, sprouts, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, flowers, and if you manage to get a few more accessories, you can even grow strawberries. 

The 6-pod seed kit that comes with the system guarantees germination and free exchange. 

Due to light arm height limitations, you cannot grow high growing plants like melons, zucchini, etc. For larger fresh vegetables, you may want to go with the AeroGarden Farm units. 

Plant Growth Cycles

Depending on which plant you wish to grow, the plant growth cycle varies. For instance, the vegetable kit which includes green beans and cherry tomatoes will start harvesting within 8-10 weeks and grow continuously for six months. 

On the other hand, green salads will start to harvest in just three weeks and produce continuous yield for three months. Gourmet herb seeds start to harvest in four weeks, and they can grow for 4 months. 

The germination time for most seeds is 3-14 days. 

AeroGarden Harvest Production

Who is the AeroGarden Harvest garden good for?

Harvest is perfect for a family of two. As the rate of production is 5X faster, each cycle is repeated every 4-6 weeks. And in that yield, you get a considerable amount of produce. This process continues for the next 6 months. 

Therefore, if you are a small family and need continuous fresh salad greens and herbs, the AeroGarden Harvest is an excellent choice. 

AeroGarden Harvest Family Comparison Reviews

AeroGarden Harvest Review

The basic model with a matte black plastic finish is the AeroGarden Harvest model. The plants in all harvest models can grow high up to 12 inches. While selecting the Harvest Basic model you get to select from four kits, where individual kits have a variety of either herb, fruits, vegetables, or flowers. 

You can select from the following free seed kits that’s included:

• Gourmet Herb Seed Pod Kit
• Heirloom Salad Greens Seed Pod Kit
• Cascading Petunias Seed Pod Kit
• Red Heirloom Cherry Tomato Seed Pod Kit

AeroGarden Harvest 360 Review

Harvest 360 model is slightly oval-shaped and is available in three different colors: sage, white, and matte black. The seed pods that come along with this model are Genovese Basil, Thyme, Curly Parsley, Thai Basil, Dill, and Mint. 

This model is slightly different from the base Harvest model in shape and size. Rest all other controls are similar. 

AeroGarden Harvest Elite Review

Harvest Elite model comes in a stainless steel finish in four different colors: sage, stainless steel, platinum, and black. The all-natural high-quality seed pods that come with this kit are Dill, Thai Basil, Curly Parsley, Mint, Thyme, and Genovese Basil.

What’s unique about this model is the stylish look that it gives to your countertop and adds to your home décor. It has an LCD touch control with more customization options than the base Harvest.

AeroGarden Harvest Elite 360 Review

Available in four different colors, the Harvest Elite 360 is oval/circular and also has six seed pod kits. The round shape makes it compact and doesn’t take up much counter space. The seed pods that come along are similar to that of the other Harvest models. 

AeroGarden Harvest Elite Slim Review

Unique to other Harvest models, the Elite Slim model is a slim, narrow design and three different color options. Although narrow, it also comes with 6 seed pods. The compact size makes it easily fit in small areas, adding stylish décor to your house and kitchen. It’s a great choice if you have limited space for larger gardens.

AeroGarden Harvest Comparisons

AeroGarden Harvest vs Harvest 360

The only difference between the AeroGarden Harvest and Harvest 360 is the shape. The Harvest 360 is oval, while the Harvest is rectangular. Both models have the same control panel, features, pod capacity, and reminder system. 

AeroGarden Harvest vs Harvest Elite

The AeroGarden Harvest Elite is more advanced and has more features than the base Harvest model, with the main difference being Elite has Vacation Mode.

Other differences lie in the way they look. The Harvest Elite model has a digital screen with four illuminated push buttons.. The Harvest only has three push buttons controls. The Harvest has a matte finish, while the Harvest Elite has a stainless steel finish and is available in four different colors. 

AeroGarden Harvest vs Harvest Elite Slim

Size and the visual design are the main differences between the AeroGarden Harvest and Harvest Elite Slim. The Harvest’s is wider and larger than the Harvest Elite Slim model. The Elite Slim garden has a stainless steel finish to go with its LCD screen and four push buttons, while the Harvest only has three buttons. The other major difference is the Elite Slim model has Vacation Mode, so you won’t have to worry about leaving for a weekend getaway. 

Final Thoughts on the AeroGarden Harvest Garden

The AeroGarden Harvest line is a versatile garden that allows you to grow a variety of fresh herbs, vegetables, and flowers. The Harvest models are good for lower budgets and tighter spaces at home. All the models are designed for small families of two and gives continuous production of herbs and smaller plants for months at a time.

For the Harvest lineup, the AeroGarden Harvest Elite offers the best value overall for growing fresh herbs and vegetables at home.

But if you’re looking to grow multiple kinds of vegetables at the same time, then the AeroGarden Farm family is a better option. The Farm models allow for growing more plants for multiple people simultaneously.

Overall, the AeroGarden Harvest is an excellent choice if you wish to get a fresh and regular supply of herbs and veggies from your personalized garden.