Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've had the Aerogarden for about 3 weeks now, and it's already producing enough cilantro and dill for harvest! 2 different kinds of basil will be ready for harvest within a week. So far, I am very impressed with this little garden! I'll go against the grain and list the cons first, because there aren't very many of them: -The instructions say to drop the pods into the holes, but they don't clarify if they should just loosely rest on the base, or be pressed in with pressure. When I push them in, they tend to pop back up after a few moments, but if I don't push them in, they tend to rest lop-sided and looks kind of weird. I'm also not sure if the weight of the plants as they get larger will cause the pods to tip over, I'll update my review when I find out. -The instructions also say to lower/raise the lamp as necessary to keep the LEDs about 1-2 inches from the leaves, but the lowest setting puts the lamp about 6 inches over the seedlings. Not a big deal, but I have noticed that the seedilings tend to get a little "stringy", trying to rapidly grow to reach closer to the light source. After they gain some height, and some pruning (harvesting), the problem seems to mostly fix itself. -The substrate in the pods seems to grow mold very quickly, I noticed it after only 3 days. It hasn't spread to the plants themselves yet, though, and doesn't seem to be causing any problems. Those were all relatively minor complaints, nothing worth removing stars over. Now the pros: -VERY low maintenance! Only needs food once every two weeks, and in the 3 weeks I've had it, I've only added water once. It even tells you when it's time to add water or food, so you don't need to mark your calendar. -The 7 herb pots that came with my AeroGarden all germinated thoroughly, and in about half the time that the labels suggested they would. -You can apparently grow small fruiting plants (tomatoes, peppers, etc.), although they suggest you don't fill all 7 pods if you do that. I haven't tried this yet, but I will update my review when I do! -CHEAP! Yes, the AeroGarden itself is a little pricey, but you can buy empty (or seeded) pods and food for quite cheap. The small bottle of food it comes with should last at least 3 or 4 months. Also, this LED model doesn't require the periodic bulb replacements that the CFL versions do. Final thoughts: Is it a good financial investment? Probably not. You can buy herbs or grow them in your yard (if you have one) for a lot less. But is it fun, and an amazing addition to an apartment without a yard? Absolutely! I am seriously considering order an addition AeroGarden to expand my variety!