You can tell if the plants aren’t getting enough light because they get long and spindly. If their stems get kind of elongated, then they need more light. You can give them more light by planting them under a fluorescent light. One inexpensive tactic is to get a small fluourescent light designed to be installed under a kitchen cabinet — some of them plug into an outlet — and put it on the bottom side of a bookshelf or a cabinet; then place the plants under that. Plants LOVE fluorescent lights, weirdly enough.

The system works extremely well. I can’t say enough good things about mine. They grow super fast, produce tons, and if you have any problems their customer service has been awesome. I had one pump start making noises while I was growing herbs. They not only mailed me a free replacement pump immediately, they also sent me new herbs in case I turned off the noisy pump and my plants didn’t survive.

But there are continued costs. The seed kits need to be replaced every 5 months or so. Conveniently, many kitchen stores carry them and the seeds now. But since you are planting different “crops” there are times you don’t have anything to harvest, and times at their peak when I just can’t use it all right away and end up drying some. They also suggest you replace the lights with each new planting, but I got 4 out of it before they were noticeably dimmer…and probably could have pushed it longer.

But I do have a couple aerogardens I got in my pre-frugal days that produce outrageously. That’s obviously not a good option when it comes to being cheap…but setting them up indoors under a light would be the next best, I would think.

I’m so sorry those herbs didn’t work out. That’s insanely frustrating.