How Long Do Plants Last In an AeroGarden? Common Plant Lifespans

AeroGardens are increasing in popularity as the demand grows for organic and home-grown foods. AeroGardens are easy to use and don’t take up much space in your home. Growing plants in these gardens are different from growing them in the ground, which can have some people wondering how long their plant will last in these systems.

Different plants will have varying lifespans when they are grown in AeroGardens. Herbs will last anywhere between 3 and 4 months in an AeroGarden, while fruiting vegetable plants can last for as long as 9months, or even sometimes more. The life span will depend on the plant.

I will go through how long you can expect certain plants to live for when they are grown in AeroGardens, and what considerations you need to know about that can affect the life spans of each plant.

Expected Lifespan of Common Plants in an AeroGarden

AeroGardens are extremely helpful for people wanting to grow their own food in a small space. Since these systems are smaller than a standard hydroponic garden, your plants don’t have a lot of space to grow. This can cause plants to have shorter life spans. The length of time your plants will last in your AeroGarden will depend on the plants you are growing.

Different plants have different life spans, both in an AeroGarden and in the wild. Plants grow and mature at various rates, and the lifespan of yours will depend on the type of plant you have. So, how long do plants generally last in AeroGardens? Let’s look at the life span of the most common plants grown in AeroGardens.

Lifespan of Fruiting Vegetables in an AeroGarden

Fruiting vegetables are plants like tomatoes and peppers. These plants tend to have a longer life span than that of leafy greens like lettuce and herbs and other plants like flowers.

Fruiting vegetables will start to flower and produce fruit once they have established themselves in your AeroGarden and have reached maturity. Fruiting vegetables will have a lifespan of about 9 months. After which, they will stop producing fruit and begin to die off.

Once you notice that your fruiting vegetables are fading, you can pull them out of your AeroGarden and replace them with the next batch of plants you wish to grow.

However, if you are more attentive with your fruiting vegetables and care for them well throughout their life cycles, they may last longer than 9 months. Your fruiting vegetables may even continue producing their fruit for longer too.

Lifespan of Herbs in an AeroGarden

Herbs are one of the most common plants grown in AeroGardens as they are easy to grow, require very little care, and are used in so many different dishes. Herbs are easy to grow and are highly common in AeroGardens in particular, and you can grow them on your kitchen counter.

This way, they are already in your kitchen, ready to be picked and used to season or garnish the meal you are preparing. The most common herbs grown in AeroGardens include basil, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Get a mixed herb kit for your Aerogarden from Amazon.

Herbs grown in an AeroGarden will generally last between 3 and 4 months, during which time you can harvest from your herb plants about once every 2 to 3 days if you harvest from them correctly.

However, certain herbs like basil will last longer than this if you prune and harvest them regularly and ensure their needs are met. If you take care of them well, these herbs could last about 5 to 6 months in your AeroGarden.

Lifespan of Flowers in an AeroGarden

AeroGardens are not only for growing your own fruiting vegetables and herbs, but you can also use them for decorating purposes.

You can plant flowers and other plants in your AeroGardens and then place these AeroGardens on tables and in entranceways to help add a pop of color and interesting textures to areas of your home.

When grown in AeroGardens, most flower varieties will generally last between 3 and 4 months. However, a few types will only last about 2 months in an AeroGarden as they grow fast and need more space than the AeroGarden can provide.

If you want your flowers to last as long as possible in your AeroGarden, then you need to opt for the flowers that require less growing space, so they will fit better in your AeroGarden and flowers that are meant to be kept indoors.

Flowers like Petunias and Zinnias are perfect for AeroGardens as they don’t require much space or care. These flowers will also give you the pop of color you want as they come in many different color options.

Lifespan of Leafy Greens And Lettuce in an AeroGarden

Leafy greens and lettuce are highly common plants to grow in AeroGardens as they are easy to grow, and they offer a high yield of produce you can harvest. Leafy greens and lettuce also generally make up a large portion of many people’s diets.

So, having some growing right in your kitchen, ready to use, can save you a lot of money. This also ensures that your leafy greens and lettuce are always fresh and of good quality, which will cut down on your food waste every week too.

Some leafy greens commonly grown in AeroGardens include spinach, Swiss Chard, and rocket. This, along with some lettuce, will ensure you have the freshest and tastiest salads at your fingertips every day.

The only downside about growing these leafy greens and lettuce in an AeroGarden is that these leafy greens and lettuce do not last very long in AeroGardens. All these salad greens will only last about 2 months.

If you care for them properly and ensure they have everything they need and that you harvest them correctly, then you may be able to make them last about 3 months, but that’s as long as they will go for.

Considerations Concerning Plant Lifespan In AeroGardens

When you are growing your plants in an AeroGarden, there are a few aspects you need to consider regarding the lifespan of your plants in a system like this one. All these factors will affect the lifespan of the plants you grow in your AeroGarden, so they are important to keep in mind.

If you want to grow healthy plants and you want to ensure you get the most from the plants you are growing, then you need to consider the following:

• The type of AeroGarden you are using
  
• The variety of plants you want to grow in your AeroGarden
  
• The quality of the plants you buy for your AeroGarden
  
• The care required for the plants you wish to grow
  

These four factors will influence how well your AeroGarden and its plants will do in your home. Let’s look at these factors so that you can understand them better and ensure your AeroGarden does well.

Type Of AeroGarden You Buy

The type, size, and brand of AeroGarden you buy will affect the plants you wish to grow in it. Not all AeroGardens are created equal, and some are not worth the exorbitant price tags they have. While AeroGarden is a brand there are many knock-offs available on the market.

Some off-brand AeroGardens are not made from quality materials, and they can also be more difficult to maintain. Some AeroGarden models are smaller than others, which means they won’t be able to hold a large number of plants, and they won’t be able to hold plants that require a good amount of space to grow.

When you want to start growing plants in an AeroGarden, you need to research the size of the plants you want in your AeroGarden and the space they need. Once you have this information, you can buy an AeroGarden to give the plants the space they need to grow healthy and happy.

The Sprout is the smallest AeroGarden available holding only 3 plants at a time. The Farm 24 is the largest Aerogarden allowing you to grow 24 plants at one time. The Harvest can hold 6 plants while the Bounty can hold 9.

You need to keep in mind the brand of AeroGarden you buy, as many off-brands will not be as good as the original Aero Garden brand. Ensure you read the reviews of the AeroGardens you are looking at before you buy them. 

Some brands will not grow your plants and others will even cause the water to be a murky mess as they are very difficult to clean. Off-brand AeroGardens may also be made from non-food grade materials that could leach into the water and your plants.

Buying the name brand of AeroGarden, while likely more expensive, is one way of avoiding issues like harmful plastics. I cover all the details about how safe AeroGardens are in my article, Are AeroGardens Safe.

The Variety Of Plants You Want To Grow

The type of plants you wish to grow will also determine how well your AeroGarden does in your home. Different plants require different levels of care and have varying needs. Some plants may only require you to plant them and prune them once every two weeks.

Then other plants may require you to have a more hands-on approach and rely on you for their every need. Before you decide on the plants you want to grow in your AeroGarden; you need to decide how much time and work you are willing to give to the plants every day.

You need to keep in mind the life span of the different types of plants and decide if you can take care of the more needy plants for as long as they live.

Quality Of The Plants You Plant In The AeroGardens

When you buy plants or seeds to populate your AeroGarden, you need to ensure that they are of good quality. If you purchase lower-quality plants or seeds for your AeroGarden, you may not get your desired results.

Poor quality plants may not last as long as the times mentioned above. They also may not grow as quickly or produce the kind of harvest you expect. Low quality seeds may not sprout.

Good quality plants also have a higher chance of lasting longer than expected as they were looked after from the day they started growing. Good-quality plants also produce a bigger harvest and better-quality produce. So, you will have a good producing plant for longer.

AeroGarden has a sprouting guarantee on all of the seedpods you buy from them. If your plants don’t sprout you get your money back.

How You Care For The Plants In Your AeroGarden

When you keep your plants in an AeroGarden, you need to ensure you care for them well and give them all the nutrition, care, and space they require to grow strong and healthy and be good producing plants.

Some plants require more care than others, especially in the pruning department. However, if you ensure that the plants in your AeroGarden receive everything they need to stay healthy, they will generally have a longer life span than expected.

So, make sure you know what your plants need to thrive, and you will have the AeroGarden of your dreams.

How To Help Increase The Life Span Of Plants In AeroGardens

The only way to help increase the life span of the plants you are growing in your AeroGarden is by knowing what your plant’s needs are and ensuring that they are met.

You need to keep the water in your AeroGarden clean and filled with the right nutrients in the correct quantities for the plants you are growing.

You should plant complementary plants together where possible. This will ensure that all the plants in your AeroGarden will receive what they need to thrive as complementary plans generally have the same care and nutritional requirements.

Final Thoughts

Growing plants in an AeroGarden is a great option for people with little to no space in their gardens to grow some fresh foods. Different plants will have varying life spans in AeroGardens as they have different life cycles.

Plants that are cared for properly in AeroGardens will most likely last between 3 and 4 months, but they will only last about 2 months if they are not well cared for.