One of my AeroGarden seed pods didn't germinate.
Our 100% germination guarantee means that all pods in our Seed Kits are guaranteed to germinate. If one of your Seed Pods did not sprout within two or three weeks of planting date, please contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-476-9669 and one of our agents will be glad to order you a replacement pod.
Several of my Aerogarden seed pods didn't germinate.
When more than one pod fails to germinate, very often it's because of the type of water being used. The water used in aeroponic gardening needs to fall within a certain range of pH and dissolved-mineral content, and most city water supplies are within this range and are fine for use in the AeroGarden. (pH is a measure of water's acidity/alkalinity, and dissolved-mineral content is measured by the water's electrical conductivity, or "EC".) (For a very complete description of water types good for AeroGardening, click here.)
Hard water is the number one cause of growth problems in the AeroGarden. Water that has a lot of dissolved minerals in it ( well water, spring water, softened water, or “hard” water found in some mountain communities, parts of Florida and the desert southwest) is often far enough outside normal pH and EC levels that it interferes with the effectiveness of the nutrients/pH-buffer . This can prevent the proper availability and uptake of nutrients by the plants, which can retard or prevent germination and cause stunted growth and yellowing of leaves.
Because dissolved minerals generally occur as ions, they are extremely tiny, molecular-level particles that are way too small to be filtered out by any normal water filter. The only filters that remove minerals are the commercial-type “de-ionizing” filters, such as those used in the circuit-board manufacturing industry. A distiller will also separate water from minerals.
"Softened" water has the same negative effects on aeroponically-grown plants as "hard" water. If you are on a well or using softened, spring or "hard" water, it is best to buy inexpensive bottled “drinking” or “distilled” water (not "spring") at the supermarket, or use a home-distiller. If you live near a town or city you can also just refill water jugs from a tap in town.
If you have a Seed Kit with multiple pods that did not germinate please contact AeroGrow Customer Care at 1-800-476-9669 and an agent will be happy to assist you. If you prefer you may contact us by email at customerservice@aerogrow.com. If you email, please remember to include your name and shipping information.
