Wed, 2009/01/28 - 10:01pm
A topic for posting ideas for things we wish Aerogrow would do...
Thu, 2009/01/29 - 12:04pm
#2
I would like a light cycle of 12 hours on, 12 hours off for the bloom/fruiting phase. At the moment we are stuck with the 16 to 18 hour 'on' cycle.
Why not get together with a manufacturer of liquid nutrients, sell an 'Advanced AeroGarden', complete with liquids, simple pH test kit and cheap EC meter? Throw Peat's Guide in and I can take a cut of the royalties. 
Thu, 2009/01/29 - 12:14pm
#3
Could sell "Peat's Advanced Aerogarden" accessory pack without Aerogrow as a partner. 
Though a listing on their site as an approved and trusted accessory pack would certainly help. Guess you'd have to add a timer to get the 12 hour cycle, though. Though maybe only the Pro series have the 24-hour "on" feature that goes well with the timer control. Hmm.
Maybe we could sell seed kits and enhanced lighting arrays as well.
Thu, 2009/01/29 - 12:23pm
#4
LOL, like that, 'Peat's Advanced Aerogarden'... 
Or, if I can find the right water pump (having problems with the size at the moment), 'Peat's Advanced Aeroponic Garden'...
Thu, 2009/01/29 - 12:29pm
#5
The aeroponic setup uses a water pump?
Thu, 2009/01/29 - 12:37pm
#6
Yes, you need to pump water to the misters. The pump will reside in the base of the AG, pump water up to a T piece which will have two horizontal pipes at each end. In the pipes you insert the misters, the ends of the pipes are sealed - if that makes sense?
You need something like a 300 GPH (gallons per hour) water pump, the problem is finding one which is small enough to reside in the base. If I find one then I will also have an airstone in there, my small cylinder type one. I will then have an aeroponics system, which, if it all goes wrong will still function as a standard AG, roots in aerated water.
Thu, 2009/01/29 - 1:11pm
#7
Very cool! 300 GPH sounds like a lot.
Guess we should have started a different topic for this, huh...
Thu, 2009/01/29 - 1:18pm
#8
I'll start a Blog once I get things sorted...
Thu, 2009/01/29 - 5:50pm
#9
Neat idea, Peat, can't wait to see how it comes out. Gisette, the deluxes also have a 24 hour cycle. I'm surprised the AG timers drift so much. Over 3 months they drifted almost an hour. I reset them to all go off at the same time and within 3 weeks, there's a good 5 minute difference between one classic and two deluxes.
I'd like to see an even bigger model, something like my 48x48x20 grow tent but wider and have an option to close it off, like with a mylar blanket. I really miss seeing my chiles in the tent.
I'd like to see an auxiliary water tank that could be sit beside an AG to increase the water volume through syphon or a float valve.
I'd like to see them actually have things in stock that people want and have them available worldwide.
I'd like a million dollars for my ideas but would settle for half a mil.
Tue, 2009/03/17 - 7:45pm
#10
Oy! I just got an auto-answer email from Aerogrow Customer service saying they currently have a two week backlog on responding to email! 
That's kinda stunning, huh...
Wed, 2009/03/18 - 11:28am
#11
Probably because they sacked a third of their staff, either nobody left, too many complaints or they are selling so many they can't keep up - all angles covered here.
Tue, 2009/04/07 - 9:24pm
#12
On the latest email from Aerogrow - Garden Starter Tray Tips - Tomatoes & Peppers, there's a misstatement. They suggested when transplanting tomatoes into soil to bury 50% of the stem and leaves.
The 50% is similar to other advice I've seen, but you need to prune off the leaves/branches from the part of the stem to be buried. It's supposedly not good for the plant to bury leaves.
Fri, 2009/05/08 - 11:30pm
#13
I would like Aerogardens equipped with a straightforward reset-timer button. I can never remember how to reset the timer, and there are two different arcane button-push systems between my 4 AG's. (Yeah, I know, you're supposed to reset the timer on minis by unplugging them. That's never worked on mine.)
I'd like the pod baskets to be redesigned to stand up. All they'd need is a flat rather than round bottom. Well, the newer long ones would probably also need to be a bit wider on the bottom...
This would make them ever so much easier to work with! Both for stuffing seeds into them, and as I'm now doing, starting replacement pods outside the Aerogarden, when the other pods are drinking too rich a soup for the replacement pods to get started.