For $800? That’s like a very pricey, cumbersome, cramped-looking Aerogarden. I have 2 Aerogardens, which are very much like this - hydroponic systems with lights included. But they have a very small footprint by comparison, like 1x1 ft, and only have 6 spots for plants. I I like them a lot. Low mess, no soil needed (a bonus in a small apartment) and I can go away for a couple of days and everything is automatic.
Aerogarden is going out of business now but you can find many similar type systems. You can probably find plenty of them on Facebook marketplace for cheap from people who got in on the fad then realized it wasn’t for them. You could start with that first, and see if it appeals enough to invest in a bigger system. But growing veg so close together can result in airflow problems, even with a fan on, and that plantaform thing looks cramped to me. For example, I can’t grow six full sized romaine lettuce on my Aerogarden. 3 is better. I also can’t grow more than 2 microdwarf tomatoes and 2 herbs at a time.
Their seed pods also look very expensive, and depending on what they use to grow their plants, you might be beholden to using their product forever more. On the other hand, I get cheap hydro nutrients, net pots that I cut down to size, and rock wool from my local garden shop for my Aerogarden, and my own seeds, so it costs almost nothing for supplies.
Be forewarned that hydro grow lights are unlikely to be attractive in your living room. we turn ours off when we have people over because it’s annoyingly bright!
If I had more space, I would personally get a cheap shelving unit with hydro or kratky style setups and grow lights vs a $$ system.
On the other hand, it looks like the plantaform is made entirely in Canada, which is nice, and it does look like it has the capacity to grow a lot. I also like the concept of vertical gardening at home
Pic of one of my gardens and a few ripe tomatoes!
plantaform.com
