Adding Water to Your AeroGarden
When additional water is needed,
the “Water Level Low” light on
the Control Panel will blink. Add
water to raise the level up to “Fill
To Here” inside the Bowl. It is okay to add water up to “Fill
To Here” before the “Water Level
Low” light blinks. When your Tomato plants mature,
they may need water as often as
twice a week. Be sure to check the “Water Level Low” light regularly.
Use room-temperature water. Very hot or very cold water will hurt
your plants. We recommend using municipal tap, bottled or purified water. Well
or softened water SHOULD NOT be used because the extra minerals
in these sources may be harmful to aeroponically grown plants. NEVER mist the plants in your Garden. Water could shatter the
Grow Bulb glass.
Feeding Your AeroGarden
Every 2 weeks, both the “Add Nutrient” and “Water Level Low”
lights of your AeroGarden will blink on and off.
Use “Growing Nutrients” and begin alternating
between BASIC and QUICK RINSE & REFILL feeding
steps described below.
BASIC STEPS:
1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th Feeding
with “Growing Nutrients”
Add 2 nutrient tablets from the “Growing Nutrients” bag, reseal the
bag and press the Reset button.
Add water to raise the water level
up to “Fill To Here” in the Bowl.
Cross off “Basic” box on Feeding
Schedule label on “Growing
nutrients” bag.
QUICK RINSE & REFILL STEPS:
2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th Feeding
with “Growing Nutrients”
Carefully remove the Bowl from the
Base and bring it to a sink Remove the Grow Surface from the
Bowl and place on a counter near
the sink.
(Hint: Lift the View Door and slide
one hand into the Bowl. Don’t
worry if you gently tear some roots.)
Empty contents of Bowl into sink and
rinse Bowl. (Use only water.)
Fill Bowl with room-temperature
water up to “Fill To Here” and set
Bowl on counter.
Place Grow Surface back on Bowl.
Carefully replace Bowl onto Base.
Add 2 nutrient tablets from the “Growing Nutrients” bag, reseal the
bag and press the Reset button.
Cross off “Rinse & Refill” box
on Feeding Schedule label
on “Growing Nutrients” bag.
(See sample label on page 10.)
Note: We recommend checking for bugs every time you add nutrients.
See Troubleshooting on page 32 of this guide for details.
Raising your AeroGarden Lights
As your AeroGarden plants begin to grow, leave approximately 1-2 inches
of space between the top of plants and the lights. Before raising
lights, make sure that your plants are the same height (refer to “Pinch Basil Plants” part of this guide for details).
To raise the lights:
- Unplug the AeroGarden (the
backup system will save your
settings).
- Carefully remove the Bowl from
the Base and set aside.
- Turn the AeroGarden around so
the back of the Lamp Arm is
facing you.
- Firmly hold the lower section of
the Lamp Arm and push in the
Locking Button on the Arm. With
your other hand, grasp the silver
ring at the top of the Arm (where
the Lamp Hood attaches to the
Arm). Pull up firmly on Lamp
Hood until the Locking Button
becomes visible in the next hole.
Move Locking Button up only one hole at a time. The lights need
to be close to the plants for optimal light intensity.
- Replace the Bowl onto the Base
and plug in your AeroGarden.
- Lift the AeroGarden's View Door to check that
the water is flowing. If not, refer
to Troubleshooting part
of this guide.
If the Grow Bulbs are too
close to the plants, the
leaves may brown and burn.
If they are too far away, your
plants will “stretch” towards
the light and look floppy
and unhealthy.
Pruning Your AeroGarden Tomato Plants
Pruning 4- to 5-Week Old Plants
About 4 to 5 weeks after planting your Garden, it is time to prune to
strengthen the main stem and encourage the plant to branch out. A
strong plant with many branches will be able to bear the weight of
many tomatoes without breaking or tipping over.
Pruning to Control Horizontal spreading (Ongoing)
To optimize the growth of your
tomato plants and ensure strong
plants and bountiful harvests,
you’ll need to occasionally
prune branches that are growing
outside the reach of the Lamp
Hood’s lights.
The picture at right shows a bird’s
eye view of plants that need
pruning. The circled branches
hang too far over the edge of the
Grow Surface and do not receive
enough light from the Lamp
Hood to be productive. Use scissors to cut branches
that hang over the edge of the
Grow Surface. Make your cut
so that the branch is even with
the Grow Surface.
The photo at left shows how
your plant should look after it
has had its first pruning.
The photo at right shows the
same Garden after pruning. The
branches no longer hang over
the edge of the Grow Surface. Branches that touch the lights when
the Lamp Hood is at the highest
setting need to be pruned. • Use scissors to cut branches
that are growing into the lights.
Follow the branch to where it
meets another branch – make
cut just before this junction.
Don’t be discouraged if you end
up cutting a branch with some
flowers, or even a few small unripe
tomatoes. Pruning strengthens your
plants and allows your Garden to
put energy into growing branches
that can support many tomatoes.
The photo at right shows the
same Garden after pruning.
The branches are longer
growing into the Lamp Hood.
Pollinating Your AeroGarden Tomato Plants
In nature, pollination is done by
the bees and the wind. Indoors,
your tomato plants depend on
you to pollinate them.
You will need to start pollinating
your plants regularly once they
begin to flower approximately
4 weeks after planting).
Place an open hand gently
inside the tomato plant
branches.
Move your hand rapidly back
and forth about 10 times. This
movement will spread the
pollen, though you will not
be able to see it moving.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each
tomato plant. • Pollinate your flowering
tomato plants at least every
other day, and only when the
lights are on.
Hand pollinating is an important
task. Tomatoes will only grow
from pollinated flowers.
Keeping Your AeroGarden Healthy
Keeping a watchful eye on your Garden is not only a joy, but
also a smart way to make sure your tomato plants stay healthy.
As your tomato plants age you
may see some brown or yellow
leaves. This is perfectly normal. • Remove these leaves with
scissors or pinch off with
your fingers. • Keep the Grow Surface clear
of dead leaves. • Remove dead, brown stems
at the base with scissors.
These older branches will not
continue to produce tomatoes.
Plant Problems and Remedies
These pictures show plants that are stressed. Follow the suggestions to
restore your Garden’s health.
Wilted
Tomato plant is not getting enough
water. Check water level.
Burned
Tomato plant is too close to the
Grow Bulbs. Raise the Lamp Hood.
Curled Inside Dome
Dome was left on too long.
Immediately remove Dome.
Blossoms Falling Off Plant
If you see flower blooms on your
Grow Surface, your tomato plants
are not being pollinated sufficiently.
Pollinate your plants as described
on page 16.
Supporting Your AeroGarden Tomato Plants
Support Tomato Plants
If you did not prune as described earlier in this Guide, you may find
your plants are starting to tip over or even break due to the many juicy
tomatoes now growing and ripening on the vines. When this occurs, support your tomato plants and bring them back to
the upright position by securing each plant to the Lamp Arm with a tie.
Do not use ties that will dig into (and damage) the stem, such as string
or wire. Also avoid materials that stretch, such as stretch ties sold in
gardening shops, as these are not strong enough to support heavily
laden tomato branches. !
Suggested Materials to Use for Supporting Tomato Plants There are a variety of materials you
can use to support your tomato
plants, all of which are easy to find
at a local hardware store or even in
your own home. Some options are
shown at right. The plant on the right is in
need of support. The following
steps explain how to support
your plants. • Loop a tie around the main
stem at a point where it:
a) is strong enough not to
bend or break when the
tie is secured, and
b) stands upright when the
tie is pulled towards the
Lamp Arm.
Helpful Hint: The best way to figure out where to place the tie, is to very gently push on the main stem with your fingers, testing for
strength and ability to support the plant. typically, your tie will be
no more than 2” above the base of the plant. Tightly loop one end of the tie
two times around the Lamp Arm.
Hold the tie in position with
one hand. With the other hand,
gently pull the opposite end of
the tie to bring the main stem to
an upright position. • Secure the two ends of the tie
to each other (in this case, we
used velcro). • If you notice other heavy
branches that need additional
support, secure them to the
Lamp Arm as well.
The photo at right shows the
same Garden after tie supports
have been added.
Harvesting the Tomatoes From Your AeroGarden
After approximately 10 to 12 weeks, you can begin
harvesting your tomato plants! • Pick your tomatoes gently
with your fingers. • A ripe tomato feels firm,
but has a little bit of “give”
when pressed. • Ripe yellow tomatoes will
still be a little green. • Continue to hand pollinate
tomato flowers. • Harvest tomatoes just before
eating for a “sun-ripened”
sweet flavor. • After harvesting your
tomatoes, lower your lights,
if necessary. (See ”Raise
Lights” on page 12.) Great for snacking – right off
the plant. • For a wonderful, low-calorie
tomato salad, try splashing
chopped tomatoes with balsamic
vinegar instead of olive oil. • Harvest tomatoes in clusters to
retain freshness if they are not
going to be used immediately. If
you leave the tomatoes on their
stems they will continue to draw
moisture and nutrients several
days after they’ve been harvested. • Never Refrigerate Fresh Tomatoes!
Cold temperatures make the flesh
of a tomato pulpy and destroy
the flavor.
Reminders About Planting Your AeroGarden
Please use the Quick Start Guide included in your original AeroGarden box for more detailed setup instructions.
Setting up Your AeroGarden
- Is the Lamp Arm firmly
inserted into the Base?
- Are the Grow Bulbs firmly
inserted into the sockets in
the AeroGarden's Lamp Hood?
- Is the Lamp Cord plugged
into the AeroGarden's Lamp Hood?
- Is the Bowl securely placed
in the Base?
- Is there water in your Bowl
up to “Fill To Here” line?
- Is your Lamp Hood at the
lowest level?
Planting Your AeroGarden
- Does the Seed Pod
arrangement in the AeroGarden's Grow
Surface match the layout
in the Seed Kit Tray?
- Did you put a Dome on each
Seed Pod?
- Are the AeroGarden Seed Pods pressed
firmly into the Grow Surface
openings (until the rim of the
Dome almost touches the
Grow Surface)?
- Did you add 2 Starting
Nutrient tablets from the green
bag in the Nutrient Box and
press the Reset button?
- Did you record your AeroGarden planting
date on the cover of this guide?
Starting Your AeroGarden
- Did you plug in your
AeroGarden?
- Is the water flowing?
- Are the Grow Bulbs on?
- Did you select your plant type?
Questions & Answers About the AeroGarden Nutrients
What is in the nutrient
tablets? AeroGarden nutrient tablets
consist mainly of mineral salts.
These provide the 13 micro and
macro nutrients that all plants
require, in just the right
proportions for your tomato plants.
The tablets also contain: Seaweed for a boost of
70 micro nutrients and
trace elements. A buffer so you can use tap
water for your plants without
adjusting the pH. A binder to hold the tablet
together.
Are the nutrients organic? The AeroGarden nutrient tablets
are organic, according to
current APFCO (American
Association of Plant Food
Control Officials) standards.
Can I use leftover nutrient
tablets from a different Seed
Kit with my AeroGarden Cherry Tomato
Garden? No. The nutrient tablets are
specially formulated for each
Seed Kit. Using nutrient tablets
from a different Seed kit type
may harm your tomato plants and
result in less than optimal flavor
and growth.
What happens if I run out of
nutrients while my garden is
still growing? You can extend the life of your
garden by ordering additional
nutrients.
Questions & Answers About the AeroGarden Lights
Do I need to turn the
AeroGarden lights on and
off manually? No. Your AeroGarden includes
a built-in timer that turns your
lights on and off at specific
intervals. These intervals are
designed to maximize the
growth of your tomato plants.
The timing system started as
soon as you plugged in your
AeroGarden. Every day it will
automatically turn your lights
on for 17 hours beginning at
that time.
Can I change the time of
day the lights go off? Yes. To change the time your
lights go off, follow the simple
steps in Setting Your Light
Timer” in the next section of
this guide.
Does it matter what time
of day the lights go off? No. It makes no difference to
the plants when your lights go
on and off. Some people like
to have the lights off when they
go to bed and come on in the
morning when they wake up. Others prefer to use the
AeroGarden as a nightlight.
Even if you place your AeroGarden
in a sunny location, you can still
set the lights to go on at any time.
The natural light shining through
a window is weak compared to
the intense light provided by the
Grow Bulbs.
Can I change the number
of hours the lights are on
and off? Only by selecting a different plant
type on the Smart Garden Control
Panel. The “tomatos/Basil” setting
will keep your lights on for 17
hours and off for 7 hours, which
is an ideal light cycle for rapid
growth of tasty tomatos.
Can I temporarily turn off
my lights? Absolutely. Just push the “Lights”
button and then immediately release
to manually turn the lights off
(or back on). This will not change
any of the settings for your AeroGarden
and your lights will turn on
(or off) at the next regularly programmed
time. Occasional use of
this feature will not harm or slow
the growth of your plants.
Setting Your AeroGarden Light Timer
Your AeroGarden has lights
and a built-in timer that
automatically provide your
plants with 17 hours of “sunlight” and 7 hours of “night”, which is optimal for
the healthy growth of tomatos.
As long as your plants get
this amount of light, it does
not matter when the lights
are turned off. You may find
it convenient to have the
lights go on in the morning
and off at night to match
your own wake and sleep
schedule.
Note: If the reflection from
your AeroGarden
lights is visible from
your bedroom, you
may want to set the
lights to go off about
the time you usually
go to bed, so as not to
disturb your sleep.
5 Simple Steps...
In order to make this as simple as
possible you only need to set the
time you want the lights of your
AeroGarden to go off (Off Time)
and your built-in light timer
automatically sets the On Time...nothing more for you to do.
Do the following at the time you
want your lights to go off: Decide what time of day you
want the lights to go OFF.
AT THAT TIME check that the
lights are on. If they are off,
quickly press the Lights button
and immediately release.
Press and hold the Lights
button until the green light next
to “tomatoes/Basil” starts blinking – about 5 seconds.
Release the button.
When the blinking stops (about
9 seconds), the lights will go off.
Your lights are now set to go off
at this time every day.
Now, each day, your AeroGarden lights will automatically turn off at the time you set using the steps on
the previous page. Remain off for 7 hours, Turn on for 17 hours.
You can reset your timer as often as you want.
Note: In case of power failure, your AeroGarden has a back-up
system that stores your light timer and plant selection
settings. When the power is restored, your AeroGarden
will go back to the Off-On cycle you have set.
AeroGarden Troubleshooting
What do I do when one of
my Grow Bulbs burns out or
if I lose my nutrient tablets? Replacement parts can be
ordered from our website.You
should replace your Grow Bulbs
after 6 months of use.
What do I do if I want to move
my AeroGarden to another
location? Go right ahead! Your AeroGarden
has a factory installed back-up
battery that lets you unplug it
without losing any of the settings.
To move your AeroGarden, be
sure to pick it up by holding the
Lamp Arm with one hand and
sliding your other hand under
the bottom of the Base.
My Tomato garden doesn’t look
healthy. What can I do? If you are concerned about the
health of your garden, please go
through the following before
calling Customer Service…Keep the lights as close to your
plants as possible, without the
leaves touching the bulbs. Follow the pruning and
harvesting instructions in
this guide (pages 11-22). Don’t use softened or
un-filtered well water. Don’t harvest more than 1/3
of any single plant at a time.
How long does the backup
battery last?
The backup battery works for
6 months after activation. To
replace it, use any CR2032
3-volt lithium battery.
What do I do if I see bugs? Occasionally bugs might decide
to visit your tomatoes. If you see
bugs, you will mainly see
aphids, who usually find their
way into homes by hitching a
ride on clothing or cut flowers.
Aphids especially seem to like
Dill, Basil and Cilantro. Bugs
are clever about hiding under
leaves and in the joints between
leaves and plant stems, so they
can be difficult to see at first.
Initial signs that you have bugs
are either unhealthy-looking
plants or a sticky substance
on your AeroGarden’s Grow
Surface.
To identify the bugs, we
recommend you visit either
www.whatsthatbug.com or the
entomology (bug) department
at Texas A&M University at
http://vegipm.tamu.edu/imageindex.html.
This is the easiest way we’ve
found to get rid of bugs: Remove the Bowl from the
Base.
Carefully lift the entire Seed
Pod and plant out of the
Grow Surface.
Turn the plant upside down
in a sink and gently run
room temperature water over
the underside of the leaves
to rinse the bugs off.
Check your plant for any remaining
bugs – rinse again if
necessary – and then return
the plant and Seed Pod to
the AeroGarden.
Check all surrounding
plants to make sure the bugs
haven’t spread. If they have,
follow the above steps with
any other buggy plants.
Replace Bowl onto the Base.
How do I take care of my
Garden when I go out of town? Add water to raise the level up to “Fill To Here”. A newly planted
Garden with Domes removed
may not need care for up to 2
weeks. However, if your Garden
is mature and you will be out of
town for several days, we recommend
you make arrangements for
someone to care for your Garden
while you are away.
You may want to set your lights
to go on at night for added home
security while you are away. See “Setting Your Light timer” on
page 31 for instructions.
Shouldn’t water always be
flowing over my Seed Pods
and plant roots?” Yes and no. When you selected “tomatoes/Basil” on your Smart
Garden Control Panel you
selected a setting that has been
specially designed to optimize
the growth of tomatoe plants by
regulating the flow of water to
the roots of your plants. On the “tomatoes/Basil” setting,
the AeroGarden moves water
through the Seed Pods whenever
the lights are on to achieve maximum
growth and flavorful tomatoes.
If your lights are on and the water
isn’t flowing in your tomato Garden,
please check the following: Is the Lamp Arm fully inserted
into the Base? (see your Quick
Start Guide, page 1, step 1C). Is the Bowl firmly seated in the
Base? (see your Quick Start
Guide, page 2, step 1G). If the water still isn’t flowing,
you may have a broken pump.
Contact Customer Service.
What can I do to reduce the
sound of water dripping from
the Seed Pods into the Bowl? Keeping the water level in the
Bowl at “Fill To Here” will help
reduce the sound of dripping
water. As your plants grow and
the roots reach the water in
the Bowl, the dripping noise
will go away.
Preparing For Your Next AeroGarden Planting
After the final harvesting of your Tomatoes: Unplug the AeroGarden.
Carefully remove the Bowl
and Grow Surface from the
Base and bring to a sink. Set the Base and Lamp
Hood aside.
NEVER SUBMERSE BASE
AND CONTROL PANEL
IN WATER.
Remove the Grow Surface
from the Bowl and place on a
counter near the sink.
Empty contents of Bowl
into sink. Remove Seed Pods and roots
from Grow Surface. Pull the Seed Pods out of
the Grow Surface openings. Throw away Seed pods
and plant debris (plant
growth and roots). These
cannot be reused. If you
compost, the plant debris
can be composted.
Rinse and clean the Pump Stand
and Pump Filter. Use a soft scrub brush to
clean tangled roots from the
Pump Stand. Remove the Pump Filter from
the Pump Stand. Gently scrub
the roots from the Pump Filter. Place the Pump Filter back
into the Pump Stand.
After cleaning, there may still be a
few roots in your Pump Stand or
Pump Filter. This will not affect the
operation of your AeroGarden.
Clean the Bowl and Grow
Surface. Use a soft cloth or sponge
to thoroughly wipe the Bowl
and Grow Surface. A mild
soap may be used if desired,
but rinse thoroughly.
Sanitize your AeroGarden. Fill Bowl 3/4 full with water. Add 1 cup of chlorine bleach
(example: Clorox). Replace Grow Surface on
Bowl, place Bowl on Base
and plug in AeroGarden for
1-2 minutes. Unplug AeroGarden and
emply bleach water from
Bowl. Refill Bowl with tap water
and replace on Base. Plug in and run AeroGarden
for 1-2 minutes. Unplug AeroGarden and
empty water from Bowl.
Use only water and mild
soap when cleaning your
AeroGarden (except when
Sanitizing). Do not
use abrasive cleaners or run
through the dishwasher.
Towel dry the Bowl and Grow
Surface before putting them
back together and setting
them back onto the Base.
Your AeroGarden is now
ready for replanting.
If you are going to store your
AeroGarden before replanting,
remove the back-up
battery from the underside
of the Base. If you need to
replace the back-up battery,
use any CR2032 3-volt
lithium battery.
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