Aerogarden pods are seed cup inserts used to grow plants in AeroGarden smart gardens. The pods consist of an outer plastic grow basket frame with a brown soil sponge made of peat moss inside. The pods are free from herbicides/pesticides and contain non-GMO seeds.
Some of the most popular AeroGarden seed pod kits include herb pod blends, mixed lettuce salad greens, and mini cherry tomato plants. Each pod costs about $2-$4, depending on the package or amount purchased.
AeroGarden pod basics
AeroGarden pods are cone-shaped plastic frames called “grow baskets” with a pre-seeded soil “sponge” inside and a green label on the top. The soil-free grow sponges inside the pods are made of pure Canadian Sphagnum Peat. AeroGarden pods are non-GMO and contain no herbicides or pesticides and are specifically designed for mess-free indoor gardening.
Each seed pod kit includes pre-seeded pods, liquid plant food nutrients, clear plastic germination domes, and instructions (growing guide insert). Seed pods usually germinate in the hydroponic system within 7-14 days and can often start to be harvested as soon as 4-6 weeks after planting. AeroGarden offers a “100-Percent Germination Guarantee” where if a Seed Pod doesn’t germinate, they will replace it for free.
Some of the most popular seed kits include AeroGarden herb pods, AeroGarden lettuce pods, AeroGarden tomato pods, and AeroGarden flower pods. Most seed kits are sold as variety packs, with the odd single-variety exception like Genovese Basil and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes. If you’d like to grow only one or two types of plants at once, order a Custom Seed Kit. One of my favorite custom fresh herb seed kits is to order two AeroGarden cilantro pods, two AeroGarden parsley pods, and two AeroGarden basil pods as a custom herb pod set.
Most types of AeroGarden pods can be grown in all AeroGarden models. Only a few of the larger veggie seed pods like bell peppers and eggplant are limited to the taller models like the AeroGarden Bounty and Farm. Additionally, the fruiting plants like peppers and tomatoes are quite large and grow best if spaced out so each plant has enough space. If you’d like to use your own seeds to grow whatever you like, try the AeroGarden Grow Anything Kit, which contains fully assembled pods without seeds in them.
Let’s look at each category of AeroGarden pods by variety pack and the plants available in custom seed kits:
AeroGarden herb pods
Here are the available herb seed pod kits for AeroGardens:
- Gourmet Herbs Seed Pod Kit (Genovese Basil, Curly Parsley, Dill, Thyme, Thai Basil, Mint)
- Italian Herbs Seed Pod Kit (Genovese Basil, Italian Parsley, Thyme, Savory, Mint, Oregano)
- Fresh Tea Seed Pod Kit (Mint, Chamomile, Lavender)
- Herb Lover’s Seed Pod Kit (8 Common Culinary Herbs, 4 Basil Types)
- Chimichurri Seed Pod Kit (Cilantro, Oregano, Italian Parsley)
- Pesto Basil Seed Pod Kit (Genovese Basil)
- International Basil Seed Pod Kit (Genovese, Napolitano, Marseille, Thai, Lime, et cetera)
- Lots of Lavender Seed Pod Kit (Lavender)
- Pizza Herb Seed Pod Kit (Genovese Basil, Oregano, Chives, Thyme)
- Cocktail & Mocktail Herb Blend Seed Pod Kit (Mint, Lavender, 3 Basil Types, Dill)
Custom Herb Seed Pod Kits are also available for order with your choice of herb seeds. Available herbs in custom seed pod kits include:
- Curly Parsley
- Italian Parsley
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Genovese Basil
- Globe Basil
- Holy Basil
- Lemon Basil
- Lime Basil
- Marseille Basil
- Napolitano Basil
- Purple Basil
- Thai Basil
- Chamomile
- Chervil
- Chives
- Lavender
- Marjoram
- Mint
- Mitsuba
- Sage
- Savory
- Sorrell
- Shungiku
- Thyme
- Winter Tarragon
AeroGarden salad greens pods
Here are the available salad greens and lettuce seed pod kits for AeroGardens:
- Heirloom Salad Greens Seed Pod Kit (6 Types of Lettuce: Black Seeded Simpson, Deer Tongue, Parris Island, Marvel of 4 Seasons, Rouge D’Iver, Red Sail)
- Salad Greens Seed Pod Kit (4 Types of Lettuce: Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Romaine, and Butter Leaf)
- Mixed Romaine Seed Pod Kit (Red Romaine Lettuce, Green Romaine Lettuce)
- Mixed Kale Seed Pod Kit (Dinasour/Lacinato Kale, Curly Kale, Red Russian Kale)
- Bok Choi Seed Pod Kit (Bok Choi)
- Swiss Chard Seed Pod Kit (Rainbow Swiss Chard)
- Japanese Greens Seed Pod Kit (Mizuna, Tatsoi, Shungiku)
- Southern Greens Seed Pod Kit (Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, and Dinosaur/Lacinato Kale)
- Salad Bar Seed Pod Kit (For Farm Models)
- Great Greens Seed Pod Kit (For Farm Models)
Custom Salad Seed Pod Kits are also available for order with your choice of leafy green seeds, including:
- Arugula
- Mixed Baby Greens
- Mixed Salad Greens
- Romaine Lettuce
- Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce
- Red Sails Lettuce
- Deer Tongue Lettuce
- Marvel of 4 Seasons Lettuce
- Parris Island Romaine Lettuce
- Rouge d’Hiver Lettuce
- Mixed Kale
- Dinasaur (Lacinato) Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Collard Greens
- Beet Greens
- Mustard Greens
- Bok Choi
- Tatsoi
- Mizuna
AeroGarden vegetable seed kits
Here are the available veggie seed kits (tomatoes and peppers) for AeroGardens:
- Red Heirloom Cherry Tomato Seed Pod Kit
- Mighty Mini Cherry Tomato Seed Pod Kit
- Golden Harvest Cherry Tomato Seed Pod Kit
- Jalapeno Pepper Seed Pod Kit
- Chili Pepper Seed Pod Kit (Jalapeno, Red Fire Chilies, Purple Super Hots)
- Salsa Garden Seed Pod Kit (Red Heirloom Cherry Tomato, Jalapeno Pepper)
- Jumbo Veggies Seed Pod Kit for Bounty & Farm (Mega Cherry Tomato, Poblano Pepper, Sweet Bell Pepper)
- Sweet Bell Peppers Seed Pod Kit (For Bounty & Farm)
- Cayenne Pepper Seed Pod Kit (For Bounty & Farm)
- Fairy Tale Eggplant (For Bounty & Farm)
- Mega Cherry Tomatoes Seed Pod Kit (For Bounty & Farm)
- Salad Bar Seed Pod Kit (For Farm Models)
- Heirloom Cherry Tomato Kit (For Farm Models)
Custom Tomato/Pepper Seed Pod Kits are also available for order with your choice of veggie seeds, including:
- Red Heirloom Cherry Tomato
- Golden Yellow Cherry Tomato
- Jalapeño Pepper
- Thai Pepper
- Purple Super Hot Pepper
AeroGarden flower seed kits
Here are the available flower seed kits for AeroGardens:
- Cascading Petunias Seed Pod Kit
- Mountain Meadow Seed Pod Kit (Dianthus, Snapdragon, Gazania Daisy)
- Lots of Lavender Seed Pod Kit
Custom Flower Seed Pod Kits are also available for order with your choice of ornamental plant and flower seeds, including:
- Calendula
- Coleus
- Coreopsis
- Dianthus
- Gazania Daisy
- Baby’s Breath/Gypsophilia
- Lavender
- Marigold
- Cascading Petunia
- Mini Pink Petunia
- Polka Dot Plant
- Stock Flower
- Snapdragon Mix
Specialty AeroGarden seed kits
Here are the specialty seed kits for AeroGardens:
- Grow Anything Empty Seed Pod Kit
- Seed Starting System (Grow Deck & Empty Seed Pods)
- Microgreens Seed Packets
- Wheatgrass Seed Packets
You can use your own seeds with the “Grow Anything” seed pods. If you’re just seed starting, the Seed Starting System packs in quite a few more plants due to its included grow deck with extra slots. For the Microgreens and Wheatgrass, you’ll need to purchase the AeroGarden Microgreens Grow Kit Deck.
Where to buy AeroGarden pods?
AeroGarden pods can be purchased from the manufacturer or from a number of retailers:
Cost of AeroGarden pods
AeroGarden pods usually retail for about $2-$4 USD each. The price per pod varies with the package size and the type of seeds in the pack. The AeroGarden Seed Pod Shop frequently offers sales through their website (and free shipping if you order a few pack at once).
- 3-Pod Seed Kit: $13.95
- 6-Pod Seed Kit: $16.95-$17.95
- 9-Pod Seed Kit: $21.95-$22.95
- 12-Pod Seed Kit: $29.95
- 24-Pod Seed Kit: $45.95
Approximate Price Per Pod: $1.91-$4.65
Re-using AeroGarden pods
AeroGarden pods can be re-used by saving the plastic frame grow baskets and filling them with fresh replacement soil sponge inserts. Then you can simply use your own seeds for herbs, popular lettuce varieties, or dwarf tomato plants like Tiny Tim Tomatoes. You can buy soil sponges directly from AeroGarden or find compatible soil sponges from alternate retailers:
- Grow Sponges (50 Pack) from AeroGarden, Regular Price $19.99
- AeroGarden Compatible Coco Coir Sponges (50 Pack) from Urban Leaf, Regular Price $14.99
- AeroGarden Sponges on Amazon
- Growth Sponges on Amazon (100-Pack)
Making your own DIY AeroGarden pods
Making your own AeroGarden Pods is relatively simple using peat moss or coco coir. Making DIY AeroGarden pods is easiest if you keep the plastic grow basket frames from a previous planting and then make the soil sponge inserts. If you don’t have plastic frames to reuse, you can purchase replacement plastic grow baskets. Grow domes can be reused or replaced with any type of clear plastic cover.
Start by mixing up some peat moss or coco coir with water until damp. Take a small handful and roll it into the shape of store-bought soil sponges as best as possible. Check the size by placing the damp pod into a plastic grow basket. Take a skinny cooking skewer and poke a small hole in the top of the soil sponge, about a half-inch deep. Then set the damp soil tube down to dry. The easiest way to let them dry is in the special grow deck from the AeroGarden Seed Starting System, as it has skinny holes perfectly sized for the soil sponges.
Planting AeroGarden pods in soil
AeroGarden pods can be planted in soil once the seeds have germinated and the seedling plants have outgrown the AeroGarden. Transplanting into a planter or outdoor soil is most common with longer-lived herb plants and perennial flowers. Shorter-lived plants like lettuce and determinate tomatoes are generally discarded into the compost after harvest rather than transplanted them into the soil.
