Many folks second-guess their decisions when it comes to running an AeroGarden and other hydroponic systems. 

Could it be as easy as setting and forgetting it?

It is, in most cases; one of the only things you have to do is know when to raise your AeroGarden light. 

You need to raise your AeroGarden light when the plants are less than 1” inch away from the light. Not every plant will grow at the same rate, so pruning the taller plants may be needed to keep them all within the ideal 3-4” range. 

Light is one of the key elements needed to grow plants, so getting this right is critical. 

Fortunately, it’s pretty easy. 

Read ahead for more details and answers to commonly asked questions.  

How High Should My AeroGarden Light Be?

Aerogarden lights should be within 3-4” inches of the tops of whatever plants you’re growing. Larger plants can get away with 4-6” of distance, but herbs need to be closer than the rest of them. 

Leaving lights too far from the plants will limit the effectiveness of the light. 

It’s not about warmth in this case; in fact, the LED lights give off no UV and very little heat. 

These lights give off a specific amount of light within the exact spectrum plants absorb and convert into energy through photosynthesis. 

When the light is too far away, some plants (especially young plants and smaller ones like herbs) won’t get enough to grow well. 

This slows down the growth process and may even kill young sprouts if you move the lights too early. 

On the other hand, keeping the light too close to the plant isn’t good either. 

Contact with the lights will cause the leaves to turn brown and spotty and die off. 

How Do I Know When To Raise My AeroGarden Light?

You’ll know when to raise your AeroGarden light because the plants will get within 1” inch of the light itself. Always start the lights at the lowest setting and use grow domes to help germinate seeds. 

Grow domes are critical for trapping moisture and allowing the seeds to sprout. 

Then when the seeds have sprouted above the labels or are almost touching the edges of the dome, it’s time to remove the AeroGarden grow dome. 

Check out our guide on when to remove AeroGarden domes for full details. 

After the dome is removed, keep the lights as low as possible until the sprouts (now plants) reach up to within 1” inch of the light. 

AeroGarden themselves recommend pruning the faster-growing plants if the others in your unit haven’t reached the same point. 

Usually, basil grows the fastest of the herbs, but our dill is always a crazy grower. 

How To Reset AeroGarden Light

AeroGarden lights are programmed to offer the exact right amount of light to your plants, around 13 hours to be more precise. To reset the light, press and hold the light button until the button blinks and the lights switch on and off. This means the time is reprogrammed as the new “on” time. 

It doesn’t matter what time of day you leave your AeroGarden light programmed for. 

The light timing system will give you what you need. 

If you want to turn it on or off temporarily, all you need to do is press the button once, and it’ll switch on or off. 

Warning! Power loss messes with the timer, and it may not automatically go on or off. 

We learned this the hard way, but fortunately, all of our plants turned out just fine! 

My AeroGarden Light Won’t Turn Off

If your AeroGarden light doesn’t turn off automatically, reset the timer by pressing and holding the light button or push it once to turn it off manually. If the light still won’t turn off, unplug the system, count to 10, and then plug it back in. This should reset the whole system. 

At this point, if the lights still aren’t functioning correctly, there may be something more serious at work. 

Check the power cord, and if you feel brave enough, remove the bowl (the part with the seed pods and growth deck) and open up the computer parts in the AeroGarden unit itself. 

Otherwise, contact AeroGarden support for help or a replacement. 

How Long Do AeroGarden Lights Last?

As LED lights, your AeroGarden lights will last anywhere from 2-5 years. Replacement lights aren’t expensive, though they require some work to replace. 

How Do I Raise The Light On My AeroGarden?

Raising the light on your AeroGarden depends on your exact system. For most of them, though, you need to do the following steps: 

1. Hold the lights.
2. Press the button on the back of the light.
3. Raise the light unit.
4. Release the button.

If this doesn’t work for your system, be sure to check out your specific instructions. 

Which AeroGarden Should I Get?

The Harvest is what we started with in our home, and we still use it to this day.