The Gardyn Hydroponic System
30 Day Review. Is it Worth the Money?
Photos By Rowen Quinn
The recent pandemic, and somewhat limited ability to get supplies, has brought about a new way of thinking in my home. I have always been a gardener. I spent many hours tending to one with my grandmother as a child.
Three years ago this spring, we bought our first home, and I could finally have my own garden. The first thing that I did, even before decorating the inside, was to rip out all the perfect landscaping in my backyard to make room for a garden.
Every year since, we have had an amazing and fruitful garden. Which I would share with my family, friends and neighbors. And what was left, went to my local food bank.
But this year, in the middle of the crazy pandemic, I decided that my family needed to be more self sufficient and less reliant on the grocery store. Which meant figuring out a way to grow more, and how to preserve what I grow.
Because it makes no sense to give away produce all summer only to have to buy it all winter. The state I live in isn’t that great for growing. It has mild to coolish temps most of the year. It doesn’t get “hot” until mid-July, and it is usually cool again by September. So I have a somewhat limited growing season.
In the winter, produce is ridiculously expensive. And when you are talking about salad fixings for a family of five, every day, that gets expensive really quickly. Lettuce, onions, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers etc. for five adds up rather quickly. Especially because we don’t eat iceberg lettuce, it has very little nutritional value. I like to bury some nutrition under that mountain of ranch dressing and bacon bits :)
So we set up an indoor garden. And by we, I mean my husband, surprised me with two different indoor units. I have one Gardyn(TM) unit. Which has a plethora of lettuce varieties, chives, herbs, kale, peas, strawberries, jalapeños, swiss chard and probably a few things I forgot to mention. After all, there are 30 grow spots.
I also have an Aerogarden 24XL. That’s where I have four tomato plants and two pepper plants. I find this unit better for tomatoes and peppers because the lights move up and down, allowing more room for taller plants.
And at 30 days in, I can say that I am happy with my purchase.
They are both easy to set up.
Easy to use.
And with appropriate research, easy to maintain.
My first “deep cleaning” was not even necessary, because it was, mostly, clean inside. I joined the Gardyn group on Facebook, and they have an abundance of tips to prevent the yuck build up, and they work.
Yes, the units were very expensive, but I believe that in time, they will more than pay for themselves.
We already have a variety of lettuce that is ready to eat in small amounts. And in a couple more weeks, my family will have a constant supply of a variety of fresh lettuces, herbs, and salad toppings. The tomato and strawberry plants will be a constant source of fruit once they produce. And I hope that by the time my outdoor tomatoes are done producing, that my indoor ones will have started. Fingers crossed.
I am only a month into owning my units and I already wish I had a 100 more!! I love growing food for my family, and the Gardyn unit is actually a beautiful and classy looking addition to my living space.
Gardyn referral code: rfstephanie72795 will get you a discount of $125.00.
Disclosure: I “technically” I get a free subscription with every referral code redeemed. However, I don’t use their subscription, free or otherwise. I used the round of seeds that came with the unit, but otherwise use my own seeds and pods which are available on Amazon. I GET NOTHING TO ENDORSE THIS PRODUCT. I JUST LOVE MY GARDYN 😊
Rowen is a mother, Wife, Domestic Violence Victims Advocate, community volunteer, and nature lover. Most of her time is spent with her family or volunteering in her community. Rowen has a degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Family Counseling and Minoring in criminal justice. Writing has been her passion since high school, and she enjoys using it to help others.
