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A Scotts Miracle-Gro company

Smart gardening firm’s shutdown a reminder of Internet of Things’ fickle nature

Company closing “due to a number of challenges with this business.”

Scharon Harding – | 63
A marketing image for the AeroGarden Bounty.
A marketing image for the AeroGarden Bounty Credit: AeroGarden
A marketing image for the AeroGarden Bounty Credit: AeroGarden
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AeroGarden, which sells Wi-Fi-connected indoor gardening systems, is going out of business on January 1. While Scotts Miracle-Gro has continued selling AeroGarden products after announcing the impending shutdown, the future of the devices’ companion app is uncertain.

AeroGarden systems use hydroponics and LED lights to grow indoor gardens without requiring sunlight or soil. The smart gardening system arrived in 2006, and Scotts Miracle-Gro took over complete ownership in 2020. Some AeroGardens work with the iOS and Android apps that connect to the gardens via Wi-Fi and tell users when their plants need water or nutrients. AeroGarden also marketed the app as a way for users to easily monitor multiple AeroGardens and control the amount of light, water, and nutrients they should receive. The app offers gardening tips and can access AeroGarden customer service representatives and AeroGarden communities on Facebook and other social media outlets.

Regarding the reasoning for the company’s closure, AeroGarden’s FAQ page only states:

This was a difficult decision, but one that became necessary due to a number of challenges with this business.

It’s possible that AeroGarden struggled to compete with rivals, which include cheaper options for gardens and seed pods that are sold on Amazon and other retailers or made through DIY efforts.

AeroGarden’s closure is somewhat more surprising considering that it updated its app in June. But now it’s unknown how long the app will be available. In an announcement last week, AeroGarden said that its app “will be available for an extended period of time” and that it’ll inform customers about the app’s “longer-term status as we work through the transition period.”

A screenshot from the AeroGarden app.
A screenshot from the AeroGarden app.
Credit: AeroGarden
A screenshot from the AeroGarden app. Credit: AeroGarden

However, that doesn’t provide much clarity to people who may have invested in AeroGarden’s Wi-Fi-enabled Bounty and Farm models. The company refreshed both lines in 2020, with the Farm line starting at $595 at the time. The gardens also marketed compatibility with Amazon Alexa. The gardens will still work without the app, but remote control features most likely won’t whenever the app ultimately shuts down.

Some users have requested that AeroGarden’s app protocol be open-sourced so that customers could continue to get full functionality of their AeroGardens, but much like other discontinued hardware, no such plans have been announced. While open-sourcing could help some AeroGardens maintain its value and better avoid becoming e-waste, there’s also risk of the devices being hacked for alternative purposes that Scotts Miracle-Gro may not want to be associated with.

AeroGarden’s FAQ page states that moving forward, “firmware updates may be performed on your devices to maintain security, but no action is required from you.”

AeroGarden customers can keep accessing their AeroGarden.com account and account history through March 1, and AeroGarden products will still be sold on Amazon through the end of 2024, the company’s website states.

Fickle nature of IoT

The demise of AeroGarden is a reminder of the fickle nature of the Internet of Things, which can impress people with new, inventive products that may meet their demise sooner than their flashy, web-powered features originally imply. The Internet has enabled new features for consumer devices, but smart gadgets are also subject to the possibility of companies pulling features, bricking devices, or otherwise ruining the user experience with updates that are poorly executed or introduce unwanted features.

Sudden changes to consumer tech products’ functionality are a concern for customers who sometimes spend a lot of money for smart capabilities, as well as the environment. The uncertainty of connected gadgets’ longevity has led to calls for the US government to step in and require smart device packaging to clearly show how long the products will receive updates.

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Scharon Harding Senior Technology Reporter
Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Tom’s Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK.
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