After a full year of contemplating whether a Gardyn growing system was worth the investment, I finally took the plunge. I snagged mine during the Thanksgiving sale and had it set up the very next day, starting my seeds right away. Now that I’ve officially hit the 30-day mark, I’m sharing an honest update on how my Gardyn is doing so far—and I’ll be back with another update after my first harvest.
So, what exactly is a Gardyn? It’s an indoor hydroponic growing system designed to grow everything from salad greens and herbs to flowers and even some fruits and vegetables. I love to cook, and I enjoy working in my outdoor garden, so this is a product that I’ve been thinking about for quite some time. That said, a Gardyn is definitely an investment. Before committing, I went deep down the Reddit rabbit hole and read countless blog posts to figure out whether it was truly worth it. After seeing enough real-life success stories, I decided to give it a try.
I went with the Gardyn Home, which is the full-sized model and can grow up to 30 plants at a time. There is also a Studio version that’s about half the size. First-day impressions? Setup was incredibly easy, and the app is intuitive and simple to navigate. I did opt for the membership—thanks to the Thanksgiving discount, it was essentially included in the price—but from what I’ve read on Reddit, many users say you can cancel it once you get the hang of the system without any issues. I also love how compact the unit is. At just two square feet, it fits perfectly in a small corner of my family room right next to the kitchen door.
The Gardyn comes with 30 plants included in the original bundle. I chose the Salad Lovers collection, so most of what I planted are leafy greens, along with a few herbs and small vegetables. I also wanted to experiment with planting my own seeds, so I removed a few plants I knew I wouldn’t use and swapped them out for some pepper and cherry tomato seeds to see how they’d do.
The first sprout appeared in just four days and was quickly followed by many more. So far, the Gardyn has been impressively low maintenance. I’ve only had to refill the water twice and added plant food about a week ago, once the sprouts were large enough. I know there will be a few more tasks as the plants continue to grow, but the app makes it incredibly easy by telling you exactly what to do and when. Recently, it guided me through thinning the sprouts and even specified how many to leave in each spot based on the plant. Since thinning, the remaining seedlings have really taken off—and I’m pretty sure I’ll be harvesting fresh cilantro very soon. Below are some images of the Gardyn today, pulled straight from the app via the cameras on the Gardyn itself.
There were about four plants that didn’t sprout at all, but with the membership, Gardyn provides credits to replace any pods that fail to grow. Interestingly, all of the seeds I planted myself sprouted without any issues, and I’m excited to see how they continue to develop. I covered the empty pods with covers I found on Amazon that were significantly cheaper than the ones sold directly by Gardyn, which has worked out well so far.
Overall, after my first 30 days, I’m finding the Gardyn incredibly easy to use. Things are definitely growing, and I can’t wait to harvest my first salad. Have you been thinking about a Gardyn or another hydroponic system? Have you had success with one of your own? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your experience.
#amazonaffiliate
Leave a Reply