Just two months ago we bought a Miracle-Gro AeroGarden Bounty Elite as a Black Friday deal. Previously I covered the activity in the first two weeks of growth. At the time I felt it was surprisingly fast and continue to feel that way. In just 6 weeks from planting we’d grown from pods, to sproutlings, to decent sized plants with flowers, to visible tomatoes! So now it’s just a matter of time until they mature and we’ve got tasty snacks in the middle of winter!
In the two weeks since we first started to see tomato fruit, a lot more have shown up in various sizes and stages of growth. I’d estimate there are a few dozen fruit already with more appearing daily. One of the big learning experiences has been properly pruning the plants as they grow. These indoor plants should be treated more like bonsai with small regular trimmings, rather than the occasional big prune back — live and learn.
Possibly the most hilarious accessory that we purchased with the AeroGarden is aptly titled “Be the Bee Pollinator“. It’s a simple wand with a small vibrating motor, used for pollination of the flowers. The AeroGarden didn’t say this particular item was required but would “increase yields”. As previously noted our yield is extremely impressive so well, so I suspect it is working. It helps that my fiance shouts “I AM THE BEEEEEEEEE” everyday while putting this tool to use — obviously she enjoys helping cross pollinate.
Beyond the occasional trimming and pollination, the AeroGarden continues to be extremely low maintenance. Every two weeks it notifies us that it’s time for more fertilizer. Other than that the only action required is to add more water when it starts beeping. The first few weeks it didn’t need any additional water, but as the plants (and fruit) grow, it starts to require more frequent watering — still no more often than once every 3-5 days. So you’re safe to go on short vacations without the worry of drought (just top it off before you leave).
Next time we cover the MiracleGro AeroGarden… I’m hoping for delicious red ripe tomato treats.