Thomas Smith

When To Raise Lights on Your Aerogarden

Hello everyone, I’m Thomas Smith. Today I will dive into the fascinating topic of knowing when to raise the lights on your AeroGarden. As an AeroGarden user, I’ve experienced firsthand, the early stages of new plant growth can be a little slow.

However, once they find their footing, they sprout forth at an astonishing pace.

Observing Plant Growth in Your AeroGarden

I have personally witnessed my basil plant shooting upward with impressive speed. But this leads to one critical question, when exactly is the appropriate time to raise that light on your AeroGarden?

The short answer is either when the plant comes in contact with the light (although, that’s a bit too late) or when there is a gap of about an inch remaining between the plant and the light.

During my rigorous use of the AeroGarden, I noticed that if the plant touches the light, it may even get burned due to the heat. So, ideally, it’s best to adjust the light before this happens.

Adjusting Light Height for Optimal Plant Growth

It is worth noting that some AeroGarden users recommend three or four inches of clearance above the light. Nevertheless, according to my personal testing, I believe that this is a bit much and it’s best to keep it a bit lower.

After you decide it’s time to raise the light, be careful not to let it fall as you release the catch holding the light in place. This could cause damage to your plant. Based on my trials, the ideal way to adjust it is to hold the light firmly, raise it, and aim for about 2-3 inches of clearance above the plant.

Once you’ve secured it firmly at this level, you can anticipate your plant having ample room to thrive and grow. But it’s crucial you continue to monitor its growth. When it gets probably within an inch of that light, you should begin planning to raise it up again.

Pruning Your Plants in Your AeroGarden

There is one more thing to consider – at a certain point, you’ll reach the maximum height on your light. In my experience, this is your cue to start cutting it down a little, so that it doesn’t grow into that one to two inch danger zone, as it gets too close to the light itself.

Conclusion

To sum it up:

  • If your plant is brushing against the light, it’s past due to raise the lights!
  • When your plant gets within about 1 inch of the light, it’s time to raise the light
  • When you raise the light, allow for about 2-3 inches of clearance above your plant. 3-4 inches, I find, is too much.
  • Monitor your plants carefully and keep raising the light as they grow.

Key Takeaways

  • When a plant starts to grow, try to raise the light when it is within an inch or two of the light.
  • Leaving the light too close to the plant for too long can cause burns on the leaf.
  • Hold the light when raising it to prevent it from falling and damaging the plant.
  • Aim for an inch or two of clearance between the plant and the light.
  • At a certain point, start pruning the plant to avoid it getting too close to the light.