Is your Aerogarden mint not growing? It’s a good idea to grow mint in your garden. But everyone doesn’t have a garden! In situations like this, someone might decide to use an aero garden to grow mint. Let’s figure out why the mint might not be growing in the aerogarden.
Aerogarden mint might not grow because it doesn’t get enough light, doesn’t get enough water, doesn’t get enough oxygen and nutrients, has a disease, is in the wrong temperature, or is damaged by the aerogarden equipment itself.
Why Is Your Aerogarden Mint Not Growing
1) Not enough light
In an aerogarden, it’s important to have the right lighting if you want to grow mint or any other herb. If there is too much or too little sunlight, growth won’t be at its best. It will slow down growth, if there is any growth at all.
If you put the grow light too far from your mint, it won’t get enough light. Putting it too close can be too much for your mint, though. When growing mint from seeds for the first time, the grow light should be on as close as possible to the seeds.
But once they start to sprout and grow a little, the light should be slowly moved away. If you don’t move the light as the mint grows, it might not grow in your aerogarden.
2) Water
When growing mint in an aerogarden, water is probably one of the most important things to keep in mind. Especially for germinating seeds that need water to break through their covering.
Most of the time, water is used to dilute the concentrated nutrient solution. When you mix them together, they make a weaker solution of nutrients that the sprouting seeds can take in more easily.
The quality of the water you are using could be an unnoticed reason why your aerogarden mint isn’t growing. Minerals or metals could be added to hard water, well water, or spring water without much trouble.
The best choice is distilled water, which is free of minerals and won’t stop your aerogarden mint from growing.
3) Oxygen levels
Oxygen is just as important as water for mint to grow in an aerogarden. That’s true because plants and herbs that are just starting to grow don’t get oxygen from their leaves at first.
When mint starts to grow, it will get most of its oxygen from its roots. Aerogardens have something called a “bubbler system” or “oxygenator” that keeps the water bubbling so that the roots can take it in.
Make it your top priority to make sure this equipment works properly and is on all the time.
If you don’t give your mint a steady flow of oxygen, it will die soon, especially if it hasn’t sprouted yet.
4) Nutrient Quantity
It is important to add the nutrient solution in the right amount and at the right time. If you don’t do this, your aerogarden mint won’t grow or even sprout enough to be called a plant.
Your herb will have trouble growing and staying healthy if it doesn’t get enough or too much of the nutrients. Make sure to look up the right nutrient mix and the right amount, and clean out your seed pot because it may have leftovers.
Most of the time, you should change the growing solution every two weeks. Nutrient needs may be different, though, depending on the type of mint and the aerogarden machine. In either case, keep an eye on the solution because the growth of your mint depends on it.
5) Diseases
Disease is also a problem for people who grow plants in an aerogarden. Even though aerogarden is inside and gives your mint a totally different environment to grow in, it can’t control everything.
Because of this, you will find that your mint is susceptible to diseases that spread through the air, soil, and water. The air is not completely clean, so bacteria can cause infections. The same thing will happen if you don’t use clean soil and water.
Small infections shouldn’t be too dangerous if you use sterile water and have an air purifier in your home. But plant tissue analysis hasn’t yet shown what happens at the level of the plant’s cells!
6) Temperature
The seeds won’t start to grow until they sprout. But growth and germination do not take place at the same temperature. For your mint to germinate and then grow, it needs to be a lot warmer.
The best temperature for mint to grow is between 68 and 75 °F (20 and 24 °C). After this, it will be able to handle temperatures that are much cooler.
Aerogarden doesn’t really have a problem with mint not growing because the temperature isn’t right. The aerogarden is more likely to be in the wrong place.
If the machine and water are near a window, the sun may heat them up. This is bad because hot water holds less oxygen, which means the mint won’t get enough oxygen. So, you have to put your aerogarden in a place where it will stay warm but not so hot that it will use up all the oxygen.
7) Pests and bugs
Most herbs grow well indoors. But your house might be appealing to a different group of living things. Can you guess who we mean?
Pests and microorganisms that harbor fungus infections could live in your aerogarden mint because it has plenty of food and water and is warm and moist enough.
The presence of fuzzy, white or black dots of different colors is a sure sign of an infestation. Also, check your mint carefully and thoroughly for pests that might be eating it or using it as a place to lay eggs.
8) Wrong Nutrient Solution
You may find that you are using the right amount of nutrient solution, but your aerogarden mint still isn’t growing. This is a puzzle that can only be solved in one way.
If the mint seeds don’t sprout or grow at all, there must be something wrong with the nutrient solution. Either the solution is too strong or not strong enough. So, it’s not good enough for mint to grow and sprout.
You should change the nutrient solution with one that works better for the aerogarden mint. Maybe a lower or higher concentration will work to get your mint to grow. This happens more often when the aerogarden doesn’t come with any solutions.
9) The Aerogarden by Itself!
The aerogarden itself is another reason why aerogarden mint might not grow that you might not have thought of. This means that there is something wrong with any of the hardware or equipment.
Aerogarden mint growth can be slowed down by equipment that bubbles slowly or lights that are broken or flicker. If you want to fix growth, you will have to fix the problem or replace the broken part. If this takes too long, it could cost you a lot of money.
If your aerogarden is broken, it will need to be fixed or replaced, which will hurt your mint crop. You will just have to try growing mint again when your equipment is set up and you are ready to grow again.
Conclusion
When you find out that your aerogarden mint isn’t growing at all, you’ll feel sad. But more than that, you will want to know what went wrong and why. There are a few reasons why the mint hasn’t grown in the aerogarden, and you may have to check each one at a time.
Most of the time, the instructions on the seed pod say that the mint will sprout in 6 to 10 days. This, however, varies a lot, and some growers have seen their mint sprout after only 25 days. So, the time it takes to grow can be different. The time frame may depend on how the mint grows and what kind it is.
How can you grow other herbs in an aerogarden?
A wide range of herbs, besides mint, can be grown in an aerogarden. Dill, basil, thyme, coriander, and lettuce are all examples. Most of the time, they have the same needs, but they may grow at different rates. You can grow them both at the same time.
Read more about What Can You Grow in AeroGarden that we’ve written.
How to cut back mint in an aerogarden?
When you harvest mint, you actually prune it. Aerogarden mint can be cut with shears at the point where two branches meet. This is often just below where the mint leaves grow on the stem. You should cut the lower stems instead. But leave a few on to help the plants grow.
Is mint cold-resistant?
Mint grows best when the temperature is between 55°F (13°C) and 70°F (21°C). But this mint can live until the first frost, and if it is grown indoors, it will last longer through the winter. Growing them in an aerogarden does give you the chance to grow them all year, or at least for most of the year.
