Since the seeds came from market-bought peppers, we don’t know the growth habit of the plants: how tall they will grow, whether they will need to be pruned, staked or tied, or if they will produce peppers all season long, all year long, or all at once. What we do know, for sure, is that they are self-pollinating.

Who knew growing vegetables indoors could be so much fun?

click photos to enlarge

DAY 60:

Two months after planting seeds…	…we’ve got a good crop growing!
Many are the size of jalapenos…
Color should be developing soon

» Click to see the first AeroGarden bell pepper crop «

See also…

• AeroGarden indoor units and accessories
• Liquid hydroponic nutrients
• Pepper seeds

Before ordering an AeroGarden we started saving seeds from tomatoes (cherry and grape) and bell peppers. Some particularly delicious miniature bell peppers yielded a good crop of seeds, so they are the first seeds to be sown in the new AeroGarden PRO200.

Red, orange, and yellow baby bell pepper seeds were sown midday immediately after unpacking the AeroGarden. Seeds sprouted on the 5th day – earlier than anticipated. Bumper crop on the way…scroll down for the latest photos.

click photos to enlarge

DAY 1:

Not much to see here yet…

DAY 5:

DAY 6:

DAY 28:

Baby bell peppers at 28 days. A garlic plant grows in a pot to the left, and thunbergia seedlings (black-eyed susan vine) are in plugs to the right. A minimum-maximum hygrometer/thermometer monitors the humidity and temperature.

DAY 31:

31 Days into the growth cycle – flower buds are forming

Buds on AeroGarden pepper plants

(click on images to enlarge)

DAY 40:

The first flowers began to open around 40 days after planting.

DAY 48:

The first mini baby bell pepper!

See how the pepper plants look at 60 days…click here!

See also…

• AeroGarden indoor units and accessories
• Liquid hydroponic nutrients
• Pepper seeds

AeroGarden Classic in Black

At first, I had indoor garden envy. As an indoor grower of herbs and flowering house plants I had to admire the beauty of the thing. After all, most of my grow systems are ‘jerry-rigged’ out of net pots, inexpensive plastic pieces and miscellaneous odds and ends soldered together – efficient and productive, but not very attractive. That’s what you get when experimenting (in soil, soilless, hydroponic, semi-hydro, aeroponic, passive hydro etc.) on a budget.

After observing my mom’s first growing season with the AeroGarden I was already thinking of ways I would reverse engineer the unit (if I had one) to grow the plants that *I* would want to grow, without having to buy the seed kits from AeroGrow. For this primary reason I wasn’t in any hurry to purchase a unit.

Fast forward to December 2009: I decided to get some replacement bulbs and seed kits as stocking stuffers for Mom. I discovered the Master Gardener Kit that allows you to plant whatever seeds you want in your AeroGarden Classic (so, Mom is getting that for Christmas, too). And I discovered all the different models that have come out since the original AeroGarden, from cute and colorful (see below) to space-saving units and the Pro Series. They even have a trellis system for tying tall plants like tomatoes and peppers.

Finally, after three years, I made the commitment – I ordered an AeroGarden Pro200:

To sweeten the deal, I got 20% off and free shipping. Check out unboxing the AeroGarden Pro200.

If you’re interested in a smaller unit, the AeroGarden 3 comes in lots of colors and patterns:

=> See all the AeroGardens available now

Basil is a very aromatic, bushy annual that grows very well as a house plant. Basil is a staple in the indoor herb garden, and probably one of the best herbs for hydroponic sytems. Basil stems can be rooted in water and will often grow there happily without ever being transplanted into soil or soilless mix.

Types of Basil Plants

Basil varieties range from dwarf varieties that grow only 6 to 8 inches in diameter to larger bushes reaching 2 ft. or more in height. Flavors vary depending upon the strength and character of the oil in the leaves.

Here are some popular varieties of basil growing in our indoor herb garden:

click to enlarge

Plant tray, back row: Genovese (Sweet Italian) Basil, Lemon Basil, Basil Fino Verde

Front row: Basil Aroma, Greek Basil, Lime Basil, Basil ‘Spicy Globe’
In the background: Sweet mini baby bell peppers growing in an Aerogarden, and a tray of thunbergia plantlets.

• Sweet basil (also called Basil Genovese, or sweet Italian basil) – this is the most popular, “common” variety of basil for Italian recipes, pesto sauce, etc. Indispensable to the kitchen garden
• Lemon basil – a small-leaved variety, small plant variety, with a strong lemon scent and flavor. Excellent for adding flavor to salads, salad dressings, and teas
• Greek basil – a very compact and bushy plant with tiny leaves. Fragrance is that of anise and clove, and an excellent addition to tomato-based dishes
• Lime basil – a compact grower with small light green leaves scented like citrus lime and sweet basil
• Aromatto basil (Basil ‘Aroma’) – has large, flat purple leaves and aromatic, spicy scented leaves. Grows tall (up to 18 in.)
• Basil ‘Spicy Globe’ – A compact hybrid that grows in a small, perfect globe. Excellent for containers and (we hope) indoor plant stands

Purple basil and cinnamon basil are also very popular varieties of basil for the kitchen herb garden.

How to Grow Basil Indoors

Basil seeds can be sown in pre-moistened peat plugs or Jiffy® pellets, or any moistened, well-drained seed-starting mix. Sow the seeds at room temperature (70-75F) about 1/8″ deep and one to two inches apart and place under lights or in a bright windowsill.chive seeds in a bright window or under lights. If you have a dry environment you will have the best results using a covered seed propagator, and if your environment is cool or the indoor temperature drops significantly at night a heat mat will help germinate your basil seeds.

Basil seedlings in starter plugs

» NOTE: To hasten germination use a heat mat and propagation dome.

Basil seeds germinate and grow exceptionally quickly when planted in an AeroGarden herb-growing system. If you use the Master Gardeners’ Kit you can sow and grow healthy basil plants of any variety all year round.

Harvesting Basil

You can start using leaves from your basil plant after the second set of “true” leaves emerges. (The first set of green leaves are the cotyledons, or embryonic leaves.) Once the second set of leaves emerge and are large enough for your use, pinch off those leaves above the node, which will cause the plant to branch out. Soon you will have a full, bushy plant and lots of lots of fresh basil.

Herb scissors are useful when harvesting basil leaves.

Drying Basil / Freezing Basil

The best tasting basil is fresh basil. Dried basil and frozen basil just can’t compare to fresh basil leaves. But if you have a large harvest and want to preserve basil, freezing is recommended over drying since much of the flavor is lost in the drying process.

If you decide to dry your basil, pick the leaves just before the plant flowers. To freeze basil, coat each side of each leave with olive oil and layer the leaves flat between sheets of wax paper and freeze in a plastic freezer container. You can also store whole basil leaves in olive oil and use as needed.

You may be interested in…

• Basil Seeds
• Seed Starting Supplies
• Herb scissors – very useful if you do a lot of cooking
• Herb grinders – useful if you dry herbs for later use

Recommended reading:

The Complete Book of Herbs: A Practical Guide to Growing and Using Herbs

Little Herb Gardens

After years of starting and growing seedlings and plantlets in inert media such as perlite and vermiculite, we decided it was time to return to basics. We’ve been revisiting classic seed starting and propagation methods and supplies, and we’ll be sharing our experiences with you.

We started with the Jiffy® 7 peat pellet. These compressed peat discs have been a favorite of outdoor gardeners for years for their ease of use and convenience. The pellets expand when placed in water and grow into a small plug surrounded by bio-degradable netting with a pre-drilled hole for seeds. Gardeners can start seeds indoors under lights and then place the seedling plugs right into the ground when time to transplant after the last frost. Very clean, neat, and convenient.

Sucker of African Violet ‘Lemon Drop’

Jiffy pellets are also used in the Jiffy Windowsill Garden which can be used to start outdoor plants indoors or, as in our case, to grow indoor plants.

We soaked several peat pellets in a shallow dish filled with water for about 10 min. while preparing to groom a large African violet collection. With a plant sale on the horizon we wanted to salvage offshoots from several plants before giving them away. As each sucker was removed we simply placed it in the pre-drilled hole of the plug and labeled it. (If you use a windowsill garden you can place labels in the tray or affix a label to the side.)

We have found that offshoots started in Jiffy pellets root more quickly and develop a stronger root system than suckers placed in perlite or vermiculite. As a result of this experiment, we have decided to start all our seedlings in peat pellets before transplanting to our preferred inorganic media. We believe this will give the plants a better start and firmer root foundation.

Front: ‘Lollipop’, ‘Lemon Drop’ suckers, ‘Wee Be’
Middle: three ‘Mini Minx’ plants
Back: two ‘Mini Minx’ plants on wicks in perlite-vermiculite mix

Recommended Reading on Plant Propagation

American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques

Plant Propagator’s Bible

Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion: Growing Food & Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace

You may be interested in…

• Bio Dome propagator
• Grow lights
• Heat mats
• House plants & house plant seeds and bulbs
• Other seed starting supplies
• Internet specials
• Floral and Botanical Art

Indoor gardening for me slows down in Summer as plants and seedlings have been transplanted, given away, or culled. This is also the time of year to experiment.

Seeds from Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

The average household is brimming with viable seeds that you can sow indoors. Avocado pits are easy to start and the plants will last as long as you can give them what they need. Coffee beans are easy to grow trees from, too, as are citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes). Coffee and citrus trees are not good choices for me since they like to be grown cool in full sun, a combination I can’t give them. But if you have a sun room, Florida room, cold frame or similar you may be able to do it depending upon where you live.

Some other things to try:

• plum pits
• peach pits
• apple seeds
• strawberry seeds
• banana seeds
• watermelon seeds
• red and green bell pepper seeds
• garlic
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• dried corn kernels / popcorn kernels

Of course, you should do a little research on the plants you decide to grow. Watermelons, cantelope and honeydew melons, and pumpkins are large growing vining plants that will eventually need to be planted outdoors. Banana trees grow very large and need lots of sun. Sunflowers grow very tall. Corn eventually belongs in a corn field. But all are fun to start indoors.

Seeds on the spice rack

Almost any fresh, uncooked, untreated, unprocessed herb seeds can be successfully planted. You probably have in your pantry:

• peppercorns
• anise seed
• celery seed
• coriander
• dill seed

Your pantry may vary depending upon how often you cook and what flavors you like to use. That’s just a short list to get you started. (Kids love growing experiments, too.)