The AeroGarden Farm 24XL is a high-tech indoor hydroponic garden system from AeroGarden. Unlike its smaller brothers like the Elite, Bounty, and Sprout, the Farm 24XL offers a higher growing pod capacity. It also has ingenious and thoughtful extra features to make hydroponic gardening easier and even more foolproof.
But is it right the AeroGarden model for you? In our AeroGarden Farm 24XL review, we take a closer look if its features are, in fact, a must-have for a successful hydroponic garden.
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Should You Buy the AeroGarden Farm 24XL?
If money is not an issue and you want a bountiful harvest per growing season, the AeroGarden Farm 24XL is the perfect choice for your hydroponic growing needs. The Farm 24XL is double everything, meaning you get two gardens with two independent grow lights, a higher growing height, and a 24-pod capacity. Plus, a few extra perks that make hydroponic gardening as convenient and stress-free as it can be.
How Does the AeroGarden Farm 24XL Perform?
The Farm 24XL is the most expensive hydroponic garden system from AeroGarden. But is it worth the investment? We take a closer on how this AeroGarden performs and how it stacks up with other AeroGarden models.
Growing Capacity
The AeroGarden offers four product ranges - the Sprout, Harvest, Bounty, and Farm. The latter provides the largest growing capacity, ranging from 12 to 24 pods. If you want to grow 24 plants simultaneously, you have three options from the Farm family - the Farm24 Basic, the Farm24 Plus, and the Farm24XL.
The difference between these three models is the onboard features. If you prefer higher yields per harvesting season, the 24-pod growing capacity of any of the mentioned Farm models is enough for a medium to a large household.
AeroGarden always bundles their hydroponic garden systems (regardless of the model) with a free pod kit. In the case of the Farm 24XL, you will get two 12-pod kits. Your options are Salad Bar Farm Seed Pod Kit (Herbs and Lettuces), Salad Bar Farm Seed Pod Kit (Tomatoes), and the Heirloom Salad Greens Seed Pod Kit (for Farm Models).
Tip: If any of the included pods do not germinate and sprout, contact AeroGarden. They replace pods that do not grow to mature plants for free. Keep in mind that you’ll have to wait after 21 days to ask for a replacement.
Assembling
Given that you have more components to assemble (over 30 parts) with the Farm 24XL, it is not as straightforward as we’ve experienced in our AeroGarden Harvest Elite review.
As a matter of fact, the AeroGarden Farm 24XL took us over 30 minutes to assemble. Most of our time was spent attaching the screws to the top, and bottom base to the metal frames, then connecting all the cables for the LED grow lights and power cord.
Although assembling the Farm24XL doesn’t require using power tools, you’ll definitely need extra help, especially when putting together the frame and the top and bottom base. Setting up the cables can get a little bit tricky at first. So, we suggest reviewing the assembly manual AeroGarden has included in the box.
If you are confused with the instructions, there are multiple assembly guide videos from AeroGarden and other Farm 24XL gardeners.
Initial Setup
Once your Farm 24XL is put together, the next step is similar to other AeroGarden models, which involves:
- Adding water and liquid plant food to the reservoir.
- Inserting the pod into the grow deck.
- Covering each seed pod with the grow dome.
From there, you’ll just need to plug in and turn on your AeroGarden Farm 24XL.
Unlike other smaller AeroGarden models, the Farm 24XL opts for a touch-screen control panel system located on the hood of the garden system.
The panel placement may not seem that important, but it prevents you from kneeling on the floor to check the garden’s water level and plant food notification and access the settings of the Farm 24XL.
If you are starting a new garden, you’ll only need to tap the “Quick Plant” button (you will find it in the upper left corner of the control panel). Then, follow the instructions. The whole “Quick Plant” process will only set you back around 5 minutes or less.
Features You’ll Love
The AeroGarden Farm 24XL separates itself from other AeroGarden models by providing you with features that make hydroponic gardening less of a chore.
Two Garden Beds
One of the perks of opting for an AeroGarden Farm 24XL is that you’ll get to maximize your hydroponic growing potential. There’s no need to wait for the first pod kit to reach its harvesting period before you can start a new garden again.
This is because the Farm 24XL has two garden beds with 12 pods each. But that’s not even the best part!
You can independently control the gardens from the touch-screen control panel.
For instance, you can grow herbs on the right and flowers on the left. Simply tap the “Left” or “Right” button, and you can set the growing needs of your plants - regardless if they are a different variety or type.
Two Grow Lights
Speaking of lights, the Farm 24XL is also equipped with two motorized grow lights. These grow lights can be lowered and raised from the control panel - all you need to do is tap the up and down buttons.
But, the lighting control doesn’t stop there. You can select the auto sunrise/sunset dimming feature from the control panel options. This can come in handy if you’re growing plants that prefer gradual light changes.
Again, you can set the light schedule of each garden.
Stackable Design
Another feature you will love is the stackable design of the AeroGarden Farm 24XL. Rather than occupying your kitchen’s floor space, you can vertically stack a maximum of two Farm 24XL models together. This allows you to finally have a vertical garden wall you’ve been dreaming of.
The compatible bracket, however, is sold separately.
Grow Taller Plants
Have you always wanted to grow tomatoes and other taller plant varieties but can’t find a beginner-friendly hydroponic system with enough vertical growing space? The Farm 24XL is your answer!
This model has a growing vertical height of up to 36″ - three times taller than Harvest Elite 360. The tall growing height is not the only thing you’ll love with the Farm 24XL. It also has a trellis for support.
Wi-Fi Ready
Want to check on your plants even when you’re at work? There’s no need to drive back home during lunch hours to check if the water level is still normal, or you’ll need to refeed your plants.
The Farm 24XL is Wi-Fi ready, meaning you can monitor your plants from your smartphone or tablet. Once you have successfully connected the garden system to your Wi-Fi, you just need to download the AeroGarden app. From the app, you can monitor the garden and even select the settings.
Another modern perk of the Farm 24XL? It is Alexa compatible.
Reminders
Hydroponic gardening is much more convenient than traditional soil gardening, but it does require maintenance. Two of the most critical maintenance requirements are ensuring enough water and feeding your plants every two weeks.
The great thing with the Farm 24XL is that you can skip out on having a water and feeding tracker. This is because the control panel displays your garden’s needs.
The water icon at the center of the control panel shows you if the water level is full or low. If you tap it, you can also check if the pump is working. There is also a “Plant Food” icon that reminds you how many days you have left to refeed your plants.
Both statistics are also accessible from the connected smartphone device.
Things to Consider Before Buying the AeroGarden Farm 24XL
The Farm 24XL is AeroGarden’s most featured packed model, but that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect choice for everyone. Before buying the AeroGarden Farm 24XL garden system for your household, here are three factors to consider.
Maintenance Costs
The AeroGarden Farm 24XL is not only expensive to purchase; it can also be costly to run.
This is expected since the Farm24XL, unlike its smaller counterparts, offers a higher number growing capacity. And that capacity means you’ll need to provide more liquid plant food to keep your indoor hydroponic herbs, vegetables, and flowers happy, healthy, and growing.
In addition, the included free 24-pood seed kit has a growing lifespan. For instance, if you select the Herb and Lettuces Salad Bar Farm Seed Pod Kit, expect the lettuce and greens to last anywhere from two to four months.
Once they’ve reached the end of their harvesting period, there’s no other option but to re-purchase another seed pod kit so you can keep enjoying your Farm 24XL.
Keep in mind that all AeroGarden models will eventually need a new pod kit replacement.
Another add-on expense you should consider is the electricity cost. According to AeroGarden, the average wattage consumption of the Farm garden systems is around 126W. If you let the system run 24/7 for a month, its electricity usage is 92.1 kWh. This consumption will add $13.81 to your monthly electricity bill.
Ultimately, the expensive upfront cost of the Farm 24XL doesn’t mean you won’t need anything else. You will eventually need to get new pod seeds and liquid plant food. Of course, you will need to increase your monthly electricity budget to keep the entire system running.
AeroGarden App Needs Work
In our Aergarden Farm 24XL review, we appreciated the high-tech features that came with the system right out of the box. However, we found controlling the garden via smartphone can bring out a lot of frustration.
The AeroGarden app, which is free for download on iOS and Android devices, can crash. In some cases, the app can even lock you out. And once you are in the app, you’ll be stuck in landscape mode.
Our take? Don’t always rely on the app. As much as possible, set your garden from the touch-control panel.
Required Space
As you might have probably guessed, the AeroGarden Farm 24XL is not something you put on your countertop or kitchen island - unless you don’t have other appliances (which we bet you do)
In order to accommodate its growing capacity, two gardens, and two grow lights, the Farm 24XL is big, vertically and horizontally, especially when you compare it to the AeroGarden Sprout or the Harvest Elite 360.
So, unless you have extra, unused floor space to place the Farm 24XL, you’ll need to clear your kitchen for the garden system. The good news is that you can have multiple Farm 24XL stacked up one after another and maximize your vertical space.
An Indoor Farm You Can Call Your Own
The joy of growing and harvesting fresh produce right from your kitchen is a dream for many. And, AeroGarden’s Farm 24XL turns that dream into a reality.
Based on our AeroGarden Farm 24XL review, the system is capable enough to provide you and your family with a bountiful yield per harvest season. And, with its settings, you can truly enjoy hydroponic gardening without worrying whether or not your plants have all the nutrients and light they need to grow.
Yes, it is more expensive than other AeroGarden models, but you will get a system that offers more control and has double the growing capacity. Plus, it can accommodate taller plants like peppers and tomatoes thanks to its trellis support and 36″ maximum growing height.
But if the price is beyond your budget and you would prefer a 12-pod growing capacity, Farm 12XL is a great alternative. It has the same growing height and smart features as the 24XL but with a cheaper price tag. Of course, at the expense of the number of grow light panels and pod growing capacity.