If you’ve ever looked for an easy way to grow herbs or veggies indoors, you’ve probably heard of AeroGarden. They kicked off the whole countertop hydroponics thing years ago. For a long time, their glowing towers of fresh basil and cherry tomatoes were just about everywhere—kitchen counters, teacher’s lounges, and those gift guides you see around the holidays.
But now, there’s big news: AeroGarden is officially shutting down. They’ll close their doors for good on January 1, 2025. A lot of people in the home gardening world are surprised, and honestly, a bit disappointed. Here’s a look at what happened, what it means for anyone with an AeroGarden at home, and why this is all going down.
AeroGarden Closes: The How and When
The news started circulating in late 2024. AeroGarden put a notice up on their official website and spread the word through their email list and social pages. They stated clearly that, after nearly two decades of selling plug-and-play hydroponic gardens, the brand would cease operations at the very start of 2025.
At the same time, the company kept selling their products for a few more weeks after the announcement. But they warned people that the one-year warranty, which had covered almost every AeroGarden unit in the past, would drop to just 90 days for anything purchased after November 1, 2024. You could still hop on their site and try to grab supplies, but plenty of items were already running low or marked “out of stock.”
So this wasn’t a quiet exit. AeroGarden wanted users to know what was coming. They encouraged folks to reach out with questions, and their support staff did stick around until the final boxes shipped out.
Why Did AeroGarden Decide to Shut Down?
If you look back a few years, AeroGarden seemed like it was doing well. A lot of us remember the explosion of indoor gardening during the first waves of the pandemic. People wanted to grow food at home and try new hobbies. AeroGarden kits were showing up in places like Costco and popping into people’s Instagram feeds. But things changed fast after that boom settled down.
The company cites several factors in its decision to close. First up is competition. Once AeroGarden paved the way, all sorts of other brands jumped in. Some started making smarter, cheaper, or just different versions of the hydroponic countertop planter. From Amazon to big retailers, there were suddenly dozens of similar systems you could buy, often at a fraction of the price.
Then, there were big economic problems. Manufacturing costs went up, not just the price of plastics and lights, but also labor, tariffs, and shipping. With supply chain issues, it got harder to guarantee customers could get the pods or replacement pumps they needed. It sounds strange, but even costs to mail out a box of replacement seeds could mess with the company’s bottom line.
Inflation didn’t help, either. People had less money to spend on non-essentials. If you had to pick between groceries and an indoor herb kit, the choice got really clear.
All of that added up until AeroGarden says it just couldn’t make the math work anymore.
What’s Going on With the Hydroponics Market?
The hydroponics scene has shifted fast. A decade ago, AeroGarden was basically the main name. Their biggest unit, the “Farm,” let you grow fresh salad greens year-round without dirt or bugs. That kind of thing felt science-fiction at the start.
But as more people caught onto hydroponics, newer brands and start-ups wanted a piece. They started pushing out sleeker, less expensive, or app-connected systems. Some companies focused just on seed pod refills, while others sold kits that worked with regular seeds from a local nursery.
For budget-focused buyers, there were now smaller countertop gardens under $50 on Amazon. There are also full indoor grow towers that can handle everything from microgreens to strawberries. In short, the shelves aren’t empty just because AeroGarden is leaving. If anything, there are more options than ever.
At the same time, the costs involved in making these systems haven’t dropped as much as you might think. There are lots of components: LED lights, pumps, timers, and all those proprietary pods. That’s on top of replacement filters, nutrients, and customer support for folks who get confused by a blinking light. Margins get squeezed tight when parts get more expensive and buyers are hunting for bargains.
What Does This Mean for Current AeroGarden Owners?
So if you’ve already got an AeroGarden, there’s some stuff you’ll want to know. First, the unit you have isn’t going to stop working just because the company’s gone. As long as you keep up with water and nutrients, your herbs or lettuce should keep growing. The pumps, lights, and sensors don’t depend on a company server or anything like that.
The tricky part comes later—once official support and replacement parts are off the market. That means if a pump dies or you need new sponges for your pods, you’ll need to look for third-party sellers or try a DIY workaround. After January 2025, AeroGarden won’t be developing new seed pod recipes, and their warranties for recent products only last a few months.
Already, some gardening forums and YouTube channels are sharing guides for “hacking” AeroGardens. You can often use plain rockwool, reusable baskets, or generic plant food if you’re willing to experiment. Some crafty users have been doing this for years to save money.
Still, if you just want to buy a one-click pod online, it’ll probably get harder. Eventually, store shelves and resale websites may dry up—though it’ll likely take a year or more for all official parts to vanish.
How Are Customers and the Gardening Community Reacting?
Plenty of AeroGarden fans were disappointed. If you check hydroponics chat groups or gardening subreddits, you’ll see some sad emojis and stories about homegrown cherry tomatoes. People liked the simple setup—you pop in a pod, add water, and the machine does the rest.
A lot of people also mention specific favorites, like the bigger “Farm” model that could grow a salad’s worth of greens. These units were pricier, but they were the centerpiece of some home kitchens. For teachers, seniors, or even apartment-dwellers with no window space, AeroGarden was an easy way to add some green to the winter months.
Of course, plenty of folks are already talking about what comes next. Some are swapping tips for converting AeroGarden units to run with homemade seed pods. Others are comparing notes on which new hydroponic brands to try. There’s also a good sense of humor—jokes about “collectible” AeroGarden pod labels and people guessing which model will be the last one to sell out.
What Should You Do If You’re Thinking of Buying or Already Own an AeroGarden?
If you’re eyeing leftover stock before the January shutdown, double-check the warranty. Units sold after November 1, 2024, only have a 90-day guarantee—so any later issues will likely be on you. If you have a working AeroGarden at home, treat it gently. Stock up on a few essentials now if you can—extra baskets, pump filters, or favorite seed pod recipes are a good idea.
Then again, the gardening community is pretty resourceful. If you browse gardening blogs or how-to channels, you’ll see step-by-step guides for making your own pods or mixing your own nutrients. You might even find that some of the new hydroponic brands use similar shapes and sizes, so parts could be interchangeable with a bit of experimentation.
If you need more general info or want to explore what other brands are doing in this space, sites like SeraBusiness often put together updates on business trends—including gardening tech changes and company closures.
Wrapping Up: AeroGarden’s Legacy and What’s Next for Indoor Gardening
AeroGarden’s closing is one of those moments where a brand people actually use—and actually talk about—leaves the stage. They made it normal to slap an LED light and a pump on your kitchen counter and watch something grow without any dirt. If you grew up with AeroGarden, or if it was your first shot at hydroponics, you’re probably a little surprised to see them go.
But the way people grow food indoors is changing all the time. New companies are popping up, and old gardeners are figuring out how to tweak, reuse, or resell leftover kits. Some of AeroGarden’s best ideas—like making home hydroponics simple and plug-and-play—will probably stick around, even if the brand itself disappears.
For now, people who own an AeroGarden can keep using what they have for a while. Just expect to get creative with replacement parts as time goes on. Other companies will almost certainly try to grab the attention of folks who still want fresh basil or salad without soil.
We’ll see which brand captures that easy, just-add-water magic next. For now, AeroGarden’s exit serves as a reminder that even a market leader can get squeezed out, especially when new challengers and economic pressures hit all at once. Gardening tech isn’t going anywhere, though. If anything, it’s only getting more interesting.