My first bottle of official AeroGarden nutrients lasted about six weeks. I’d been refilling my Harvest regularly, following the app reminders, feeling pretty good about the basil and mint coming in. Then I did the math on how much I was spending per year and immediately went looking for alternatives.
- Third-party A&B two-part nutrients work well in AeroGarden systems, Ambgrow and ENVY are the easiest swaps for most home growers
- For herbs and leafy greens, look for a balanced N-P-K ratio (roughly equal parts or nitrogen-heavy); avoid high-phosphorus bloom formulas during the vegetative stage
- Start at 1/4 to 1/2 the label dose regardless of which product you use, AeroGarden reservoirs are small and easy to overfeed
- Official nutrients run significantly more per growing cycle than the alternatives listed here; the savings add up fast if you’re refilling every 2 weeks
The market for third-party hydroponic nutrients has gotten genuinely good in the last few years. A few years ago, the options were mostly garden centre products designed for large-scale growing, messy to dose in small volumes, not pH-balanced out of the bottle, and the instructions assumed you were running a 50-gallon reservoir, not a 1-litre pod system. That’s changed. There are now products specifically designed or at least well-suited for countertop systems, and the community consensus on a few of them is pretty solid.
Here’s what I’ve landed on after testing my way through several bottles.
1. Ambgrow A&B Hydroponics Nutrients
The Ambgrow set buy on Amazon is probably the easiest entry point if you’ve never used a two-part nutrient before. It’s designed specifically for AeroGarden-style systems, and at around $13.99 for the bundle (which includes 2 bottles plus 6 additional A&B packs), it’s genuinely hard to beat on price. The 4.5-star average across 234 reviews is consistent with my experience, this is a solid, boring-in-a-good-way product.
The formula is pH-balanced and has good water solubility, which matters more than it sounds. When nutrients don’t dissolve cleanly, you get residue on the pump and uneven distribution in small reservoirs. I haven’t had that problem with Ambgrow.
One thing worth knowing: the product lists 800ml total across the A and B parts, but the listing doesn’t confirm exactly how that splits between the two bottles. Check your specific package when it arrives before assuming equal halves.
Best for: herbs, leafy greens, general-purpose growing.
2. ENVY Hydroponic Plant Food A&B
ENVY buy on Amazon is a quart-set (two bottles, sold together), and it’s the one I’d point toward if you’ve already used a two-part system and want something with a bit more flexibility. It works across soil, coco, and hydroponic setups, which means if you have any outdoor container plants or a second growing method, the same product does double duty. That’s genuinely useful if, like me, you’re not running a huge operation and don’t want six different bottles of nutrients competing for shelf space.
ENVY gets particularly good results with leafy greens. The A&B split lets you adjust the ratio slightly depending on growth stage, which the single-bottle alternatives don’t allow. It’s not something you’ll need to fiddle with much for herbs, but if you’re pushing toward fruiting plants like cherry tomatoes or peppers in an AeroGarden Bounty or larger system, having that control is worth having.
Best for: leafy greens, fruiting plants, growers who want a bit more control.
3. FAFAGRASS Hydroponic Nutrients
FAFAGRASS buy on Amazon comes in a 33.8oz (roughly 1 litre) bottle and gets strong reviews for compact spaces. The listing presents it as a liquid fertilizer for indoor garden vegetables, and the format works well for people who don’t want to manage two separate bottles. That said, I’d encourage you to verify on the current product page whether it’s a single-part or two-part formula before ordering, since the A or B distinction affects how you dose it in a small reservoir.
For herbs and greens specifically, it’s a clean performer. If you’re new to this and the idea of measuring out two separate parts sounds fiddly, a single-bottle formula is a reasonable starting point. You give up a little flexibility but gain simplicity.
Best for: herbs, beginner growers, anyone who wants fewer moving parts.
4. Hydroponics Nutrients for AeroGarden (A&B, 800ml Total)
This one buy on Amazon is specifically marketed as a hydroponic solution for AeroGarden systems, which tells you something about who it’s designed for. The A&B format covers both parts in a single purchase, and the listing emphasises compatibility across system types, herbs, vegetables, ornamental plants. It works with any hydroponic growing system, not just AeroGarden, so again you have some flexibility if you ever branch out.
The 800ml total volume puts it in a similar bracket to Ambgrow, and it’s a reasonable choice if you want something explicitly positioned for the system you’re already running.
Best for: general use, AeroGarden owners who want something purpose-matched to their system.
Community Pick: General Hydroponics Flora Series
I’m not including this as an affiliate product because I don’t have a current link for it, but I’d be doing you a disservice if I left it out entirely. The Flora Series is what a huge chunk of the AeroGarden Reddit community uses, and it’s been the background-noise recommendation in hydroponics forums for years.
The short version: it’s a three-part system (FloraMicro, FloraGro, FloraBloom), which is more complexity than most beginners want. The payoff is that you can precisely dial in the nutrient profile for different growth stages. For fruiting plants especially, being able to shift the ratio toward bloom nutrients at the right time makes a real difference.
One specific thing I’ve learned: at full label strength, the Flora Series runs hot for small reservoirs. I had yellowing leaves with basil at full dose. Dropping to 1/4 strength fixed it. Start low and adjust up based on what you see, this applies to every nutrient on this list, but the Flora Series is particularly easy to over-apply.
Since I can’t point you to a current affiliate link, I’m flagging it as a community recommendation you should research independently rather than something I’m endorsing at this moment.
AeroGarden Nutrient Alternatives Dosing Table
This is the section most guides skip. Label instructions on third-party nutrients are almost always written for large reservoirs, 5 gallons, 10 gallons. AeroGarden systems range from about 1 litre (3-pod Harvest) to roughly 9 litres (Farm 24XL). Applying label doses directly will overfeed your plants.
The figures below are starting-point estimates based on typical AeroGarden reservoir sizes. They are not sourced from the product manufacturers directly. Always check your specific product label and adjust up or down based on how your plants respond. Yellowing leaves usually mean overfeed or pH drift; slow growth with dark leaves usually means underfeed.
| AeroGarden Model | Reservoir (approx.) | Official AG Nutrients | A&B Two-Part (each part) | Single-Bottle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest (3-pod) | ~1L | 4ml | 1–2ml each | 2–3ml |
| Sprout (6-pod) | ~1.5L | 6ml | 2–3ml each | 3–4ml |
| Bounty (9-pod) | ~2.5L | 10ml | 3–5ml each | 6–8ml |
| Farm 12XL | ~6L | 24ml | 8–12ml each | 15–18ml |
Start at the lower end of each range for the first two weeks, then adjust. And when you switch from official nutrients to a third-party formula mid-grow, do a water change first, mixing nutrient chemistries in a small reservoir is a recipe for pH chaos.
What to Avoid: High-Phosphorus Bloom Nutrients in the Vegetative Stage
This trips up a lot of people. Walk into any garden centre and you’ll see nutrient products with N-P-K ratios that look like 5-50-17 or similar, these are bloom formulas, designed to push flowering in fruiting plants. They’re not what you want for herbs and greens, and they’re not what you want in the early stages of any crop.
High phosphorus during the vegetative stage can lock out other nutrients (particularly calcium and magnesium), cause leaf curling, and generally stress plants that are trying to establish root systems and grow leaves rather than flowers. If you’re growing basil, lettuce, spinach, or mint, stick to a balanced or nitrogen-forward formula. A&B two-part systems let you lean toward the “grow” (nitrogen-heavy) part early on and shift later if you’re dealing with a fruiting crop.
The temptation when you’re not seeing fast growth is to add more nutrients or switch to something aggressive. Usually, that makes things worse. Give plants two weeks at a stable, lower dose before changing anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any hydroponic nutrients in an AeroGarden? Yes, with caveats. AeroGarden systems are standard DWC (deep water culture) setups, so most hydroponic nutrients are technically compatible. The main issues are dosing (label instructions assume large reservoirs) and pH balance. Products specifically formulated for small systems are easier to manage. Avoid anything designed purely for soil, the nutrient ratios and release mechanisms are different.
How much nutrient should I add to an AeroGarden Harvest? The Harvest reservoir holds roughly 1 litre. For most third-party A&B nutrients, 1–2ml of each part per litre is a safe starting point. The official AeroGarden dosing is 4ml per fill, but that’s for their specific formula, don’t apply that same volume to a more concentrated third-party product without checking.
How often should I change AeroGarden water when using third-party nutrients? Every 2–4 weeks is standard, same as with official nutrients. More important than the schedule is keeping an eye on the water level and topping up with plain pH-adjusted water between changes. Nutrients concentrate as water evaporates, which is another reason to start on the low end of dosing.
Do third-party nutrients affect the AeroGarden app reminders? The app nutrient reminders run on a fixed schedule regardless of what you’re actually using. They’re tied to the official product. You can use them as a rough reminder cadence, but don’t let them override your own judgment, if the reservoir looks cloudy or the plants are showing stress, address it rather than waiting for the next app alert.
Is it worth switching to third-party nutrients or is the hassle not worth it? Depends on how many grows you’re running. If you’re filling a single 3-pod Harvest twice a year, the savings are marginal. If you’ve got a Bounty or Farm system running year-round, the cost difference across several bottles of official nutrients adds up to real money. The A&B two-part systems listed here aren’t significantly more effort than the official dropper once you’ve done it once.
Here’s where I land: for most beginners, the Ambgrow A&B buy on Amazon is the simplest, cheapest swap you can make. It’s purpose-built for AeroGarden-style systems, the reviews back up the performance, and the price is low enough that even if your first grow doesn’t go perfectly, you’re not out much. If you want a bit more flexibility as you get comfortable, ENVY buy on Amazon gives you the A&B control without a steep learning curve. Start at half the dose you think you need. Adjust from there.