AeroGarden Strawberries

Further examination of the AeroGarden Grow Bulb

During the waiting period for the replacement light from AeroGrow, I started wondering why I was unable to go to a store like Home Depot or Lowe’s to pick up a readily-available fluorescent grow bulb.  My curious nature led me down the path to deconstruct the grow light that left us before it’s time.  This of course led to destroying the glass tubing to get at the internal ballast and wiring.  You should not try this at home by any means.  Glass can cut you.  Fluorescent bulbs contain Mercury.

Ballast Circuitry - Front and Rear views

What makes this little guy AeroGarden light so special anyway?  Furthermore, why do AeroGarden’s grow bulbs cost ~$19.99 when you have alternative ~1450 Lumen, 26 Watt varieties available at 40%+ lower cost?  I do understand that AeroGrow’s business model depends on your purchase of said lights, but I always love a project. 

What if we could build an adapter out of the shell of the old light? Perhaps a socket for a similar fluorescent light?  Could this save us money in the long run? Here is a pair of 26 watt GE Spiral lamps for $11 bucks.  Nearly half the cost for better light.  Let’s compare the Underwriters Laboratories-accepted specifications:

	AeroGarden Grow Bulb	GE Spiral Bulb
Light Output (Lumens)	1450	1700
Energy Used	26W	26W
Estimated Life (Hours)	6000	8000

Interesting… this could be a viable option for us.  However, size could be a factor inside the cramped AeroGarden hood.  We will keep investigating.

Direct from Chino, California… THE BULBS!

Motivational Fulfillment & Logistics Services
15820 Euclid Avenue
Chino, CA 91708-9162

Straight out of Motivational Fulfillment & Logistics Services‘ sunny Chino, California distribution center comes our brand new 2-pack of Grow Bulbs via UPS.  These bulbs have arrived under AeroGrow’s warranty to replace my defective right-side bulb that went out back on March 12th.  Since only one of the bulbs went out, I now have a backup in case of a second failure.  (BOOYAH!)

Well this is a tough one… why the huge delay from the fulfillment center and/or AeroGrow?  I know from the UPS website that if a package is shipped UPS Ground from Chino to Atlanta and arrives on a Wednesday then it was shipped the previous Thursday.  March 22nd.  That means it took 8 days for AeroGarden to give the fulfillment company the go-ahead to ship my bulbs.  Either AeroGrow is having issues keeping bulbs in stock at the fulfillment center, or their internal systems that send the order to the shipper.  It does not sound like they have an ERP system in place.  Either way, the new bulbs are here and I’m excited for our little aeroberries.

Update on the AeroGarden Light

Today, I called 1-800-GROW-NOW at 6:56pm Eastern time to get some help with the blown out lightbulb.  I was on hold for ten minutes and 20 seconds.  When AeroGrow Customer Service did pick up, a friendly voice greeted me.  After informing the woman that my AeroGarden bulb had blown out within the first month, she immediately said she would have not one, but TWO replacement lights sent out the next day. 

No questions asked.

Hands down, my best customer service-related experience of 2007.   She even commented on my 404 area code that I was calling from and we started chatting about how she used to live in Atlanta and ended up moving to Colorado to get away from the traffic. (Amen to that!)

All in all, I am very satisfied with the help team experience over at AeroGrow.  Sure, the ten minutes on hold could have been better, but when my call was answered the problem was taken care of immediately.  I would much rather stay on hold for a little while and actually SOLVE the problem the first time rather than calling and having to jump through hoops to get assistance. 

Experiences like this create passionately devoted customers.

In the meantime, I have setup a simple 40W light that is pointing at the right side of the AeroGarden to ensure they receive some light while I wait for USPS to deliver the new bulbs.

BIG NEWS from AeroGrow

Did I put a little too much Irish goodness in my coffee this morning?  I know I had read rumors that AeroGrow would put out a couple of new seed kits in time for summer, but this is absolutely ridiculous.  AeroGrow announced that they will be releasing a slew of new products for the home AeroGardener:

NEW AEROGARDEN! 

AeroGarden Pro-100 - (Stainless steel trim and Adaptive Growth Intelligence that automatically adjusts the water, nutrients and lights for each plant type at three specific stages of growth, from germination, to initial growth, to advanced growth. The Pro-100 also includes the Grow Light Replacement Reminder system and the Super Grow 24-hour light cycle)

SEED KITS

The Salsa Garden - (Cherry Tomatoes and Zesty Jalapeños for salsa/sauces)
The Holiday Herb Kit - (Parsley, Sage, Oregano and Thyme)
The Salad Bar Series - (4 seed kits of mixed salad greens: Romaine, Arugula, Baby Greens and Mesclun Mix)
The Herb Chef Pack - (Two-season pack, 14 “mix ‘n match” seed pods for creating customized culinary gardens)
Salad Chef Packs - (Two-season pack, 20+ varieties of salad greens including arugula, baby greens, romaine, mesclun and butter lettuces).
The Strawberry Patch™ - (Strawberries.  I was so excited about this one that I started a blog about it.)

ACCESSORIES

Herb ‘n Serve™ Fresh Salad Dressing and Marinade Maker - (Create vinaigrettes and marinades at the touch of a button with AeroGarden herbs, oil and vinegar.)
One-Shelf Wall Garden shelving system - (Mount your AeroGarden on a wall)
Three-Shelf Wall Garden shelving system - (Mount THREE AeroGardens vertically to a wall)

Check out AeroGrow’s press release from yesterday: 
AeroGrow Unveils 12 New Products to National Retailers and Catalogers at the International Housewares Show in Chicago, March 11-13
The new AeroGarden Pro-100 with Adaptive Growth Intelligence™
Nine new Seed Kits
Boulder, CO – March 12th, 2007 - AeroGrow International, Inc. (OTC BB:AGWI.OB - News) (”AeroGrow” or the “Company”), makers of the AeroGarden™ kitchen garden appliance, announced today that it is unveiling 12 new products to the retail industry at the International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago on March 11-13, 2007 (booth L12357).The International Home & Housewares Show is the largest housewares and culinary show in the United States and one of the largest industry trade shows in the world, showcasing thousands of new products and designs from more than 2,000 exhibitors including industry giants like KitchenAid, Hamilton Beach, Bissell, Cuisinart and more."We're dedicated to offering consumers the widest possible choices for countertop gardening of the freshest, most flavorful produce, simply and easily, right at the consumers' fingertips," said Michael Bissonnette, Founder and CEO of AeroGrow. "The introduction of so many new seed kits and accessories offers an amazing choice to consumers when deciding which homegrown food to enjoy next. The consumer demand for new seed kits demonstrates the acceptance of the AeroGarden appliance and countertop gardening not only as a new product category, but possibly as an entirely new industry." The new product offerings being introduced to retailers for the first time are:The New AeroGarden Pro-100The AeroGarden Pro-100 has stainless steel trim and Adaptive Growth Intelligence that automatically adjusts the water, nutrients and lights for each plant type at three specific stages of growth, from germination, to initial growth, to advanced growth. The Pro-100 also includes the Grow Light Replacement Reminder system and the Super Grow 24-hour light cycle.Nine New Plug & Grow™ Seed and Plant Kits