Indoor Hydroponic Gardens are booming in popularity, and Gardyn is at the forefront of that wave. Gardyn has produced the Gardyn Home Kit 2.0, a hydroponic system that produces a huge yield, looks modern all while saving your countertop space.
This award-winning indoor hydroponic system gives you the opportunity to grow and harvest 30 vegetables simultaneously without having to give up countertop space. As a matter of fact, it uses your home’s unused vertical or wall space, while its floor footprint is just 2sq ft.
Aside from its unique design, this vertical indoor hydroponic system uses cutting-edge technology like sensors you won’t find in other indoor hydroponic systems. But how does it perform?
In our Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 review, we’ve taken a closer look at its features, build quality, and ease of use, so you can ultimately decide whether it’s the right system for you.
Contents
Key Features
- Uses vertical space to save floor space
- Grow up to 30 plants at the same time
- Optional subscription/membership, perfect for first-time indoor gardeners
- Smart gardening sidekick called Kelby
- Unique Hybriponic™ Technology
- Dedicated app for wireless monitoring
Should You Buy the Gardyn Home Kit 2.0?
If you want an indoor hydroponic system that doubles as a statement piece in your kitchen and is loaded with high-tech features for hassle-free indoor gardening, the Gardyn Home Kit is a must-buy. However, look elsewhere if you have a limited budget and don’t want to pay a monthly membership to access its smart gardening sidekick.
Pros
- Minimal footprint, suitable for condos and apartments
- Energy-efficient, whisper-quiet water pump
- Smart features like AI monitoring are convenient
- Beautiful and efficient vertical design
- Can accommodate 30 plants at the same time
- Accurate and efficient sensors
Cons
- Not the easiest indoor garden kit to set up
- Premium price tag can be off-putting to some
- Requires membership to access Kelby
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Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 Overview
Gardyn is a Maryland-based company launched in 2018. Its founder, FX Rouxel, created the company to revolutionize product consumption and food supply more sustainably.
After gaining popularity and demand, Gardyn entered the market in 2020 with the introduction of Gardyn Home Kit. Unlike other indoor hydroponic garden systems, Gardyn’s system uses the patented Hybriponic™ Technology.
This feature reduces water consumption compared to traditional methods by cleverly recirculating the water in a closed loop. It also promotes better air and nutrient circulation throughout the 30 pods.
In the same year, Gardyn received the Sustainability Product of the Year from the Business Intelligence Group.
A year later, Gardyn introduced the second iteration, aptly called the Gardyn Home Kit 2.0. The newest version still rocks the vertical design of the original Gardyn Home Kit but with significant improvements under its hood to make indoor gardening even more accurate, efficient, and convenient even for those without a green thumb.
There are four key changes between the two models:
- Column Design
- Hybriponics™ Technology
- Ultrasonic Water Sensor
- Water Pump System
On top of these improvements, the Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 allows you to choose one of the three Welcome-Kit pre-pack options - Recommended, Farm Fresh, and Superfood Fresh.
Here is a convenient comparison table:
| Features | Gardyn Home Kit | Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Column Design | Patternless | Vine-like pattern |
| Hybriponics™ Technology | Plug&Play plants and no root entanglement | Resistant to power outages, deeper column capacity, and tougher columns |
| Ultrasonic Water Sensor | Water level measurement | Water management, water and plant water intake levels |
| Water Pump System | Quiet, remote management | More energy efficient, embedded monitoring |
| Welcome Kit (30 yCubes and included with the system) | Handpicked by Gardyn | Choose from Recommended, Farm Fresh, and Superfood Fresh |
Other features such as the 24/7 AI monitoring, live view, and integrated Full-spectrum LED grow lights from the original Gardyn Home Kit are retained in the second generation model.
How Does the Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 Perform?
As mentioned earlier, the Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 uses Hybriponic™ Technology. This is entirely different from other systems we’ve tried before. So, in our Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 review, we were excited to test if this unique selling proposition does wonders for hassle-free indoor growing - even for beginners.
Design and Build Quality
The Garden Home Kit 2.0 is unlike other personal hydroponic systems you’ve seen before. Instead of a horizontal system that eats up countertop and floor space, you’ll get a system that utilizes unused vertical space in your kitchen, living room, or porch.
Amazingly, despite being able to grow 30 plants simultaneously, the Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 manages to keep its footprint just 2 sq ft - that’s significantly compact compared to other hydroponic kits with the same growing capacity.
To top it all off, you don’t have to worry if the garden will topple down because it uses brushed aluminum and UV-stabilized, BPA-free, recyclable plastic materials.
There are three columns. Each one can hold ten compostable corn-based plastic pods called “yCubes.” Underneath the column is the system 6-gallon reservoir where you put the water and plant food.
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Growing Capacity
Compared to the AeroGarden Farm 24 and the iHarvest, Gardyn’s growing capacity is the largest. As mentioned earlier, Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 lets you grow up to 30 plants simultaneously. But is it enough to feed your family of four? Most likely not.
The upside is growing 30 plants at a time allows you to cut down your fresh produce expenses. But if you truly want to rely on the system for your veggie needs, we recommend getting a second unit.
Initial Setup
Assembling
Given that the Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 has a vertical design, cameras, and integrated LEW grow light, we expected the initial setup to be difficult. And, we were right - sort of.
The assembly process is easy. However, there are just so many components to put together that it took us more time than anticipated. If you don’t consider yourself the king (or queen) of assembling, the kit comes with a manual. There are plenty of online video tutorials as well.
In general, you will need to:
- Assemble the columns.
- Mount the top board to the bottom water reservoir.
- Connect the LED grow lights and camera.
- Assemble the irrigation hoses through the columns.
- Connect the columns to the water reservoir.
- Mount the support blades.
- Add water and plant food to the reservoir.
- Pug the system to an outlet.
- Turn on the garden.
Putting the Seed Pods
Like other hydroponic systems, each plant will start as a seed in a pod. The pods, called the yCubes, are inserted into the growing slots per column.
To install the seed pods:
- Take out the pod.
- Insert the yCubes.
- Repeat the process until you have all the slots filled.
If you don’t want to use all the slots, the kit includes six caps (called the yPod caps). These parts are specifically designed to neatly close the unused slots.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t just fill the slots aimlessly. Every column has three light intensity zones - maximum, moderate, and minimum.
The minimum intensity zones are found in the top and bottom sections of the columns and are suited for plants like rosemary and mint that thrives in indirect sunlight. On the other hand, you will find moderate zones in the middle of the column. In this zone, you will want to grow bok choi, Italian parsley, and sage plants.
The maximum zones are directly in front of the LED grow lights and are best for sun-loving plants like tomatoes, Thai eggplants, and cucumbers.
The unique design of the pods and slots also means that you can reposition or rearrange the plants without damaging the roots.
Ease of Use
As mentioned earlier, the Garden Home Kit 2.0 relies on technology to make soilless indoor gardening as seamless as possible - even for newbie hydroponic gardeners.
Live Monitoring and Kelby
One of the perks of owning a Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 is that you can virtually monitor your plants whenever and wherever you are. Out of all the hydroponic systems we’ve reviewed so far, only the Garden Home Kit 2.0 utilizes cameras - yes, you’ve read that right.
On each light post, you have one stationary camera pointed at the plants. Every 30 minutes, it will take a photo. Alternatively, you can view your garden live from the app.
But this feature is not only for live monitoring; it goes hand in hand with Kelby (Gardyn’s AI gardening assistant).
With the help of the cameras, Kelby can identify problems and even make recommendations. If you need human help, Gardyn’s support can refer to the captured photos.
If you are uncomfortable having a camera, you can turn it off. However, keep in mind that Kelby will be blind. It needs visuals to perform what it’s supposed to do - help keep your plants alive and thriving.
Water and Light Control
Unlike the AeroGarden Farm 24 and other higher-capacity systems, the Gardyn Home Kit 2.0 doesn’t have a control panel. So, how can you control this hydroponic system? You will use your smartphone.
Once you have connected the garden to your WiFi-ready smartphone, you can control the full spectrum grow lights, as well as the water. You can even schedule them ahead of time, so you will never miss another day of “watering” and providing “sunlight” ever again.
Things You Should Consider Before Buying the Gardyn Home 2.0 Kit
The Gardyn Home 2.0 Kit uses vertical space, which is perfect for homeowners with no outdoor yard and no countertop space to spare. And since it is loaded with smart features engineered to make indoor gardening convenient and effortless, it is also an excellent choice for busy individuals.
However, there are some things you should consider before buying the Gardyn Home 2.0 Kit, including:
Cost
Just a couple of hundreds shy of a brand-new high-end smartphone, the Gardyn Home 2.0 Kit is definitely not for the budget-conscious. However, on our part, we believe that its premium tag is justified, given that the kit uses highly efficient technology so you can grow and harvest 30 vegetables per month without trading in your kitchen’s floor space.
However, you should consider an additional cost: the monthly membership.
The cost of the membership is as follows:
- $39 per month, commitment-free
- $34 per month for one year
- $29 per month for two years
You are not technically required to get a Gardyn membership with your purchase, but you’ll be giving up quite a few perks, including the gardening assistant.
Membership
Aside from its revolutionary aeroponic and hydroponic tech and smart features, another key difference between Gardyn and other systems is that the former offers membership.
If you are a member, you’ll get
- 10 plant yCubes monthly
- Free shipping
- You can substitute the yCubes with plant food
- Discounted additional yCubes (from $4.99 to $1.99)
- Access to Gardyn’s Kelby
On top of these membership perks, you will also enjoy member-exclusive plants, Gardyn growing expert support, and vacation mode.
Not sure if being a Gardyn member is beneficial? You can try the trial first.
When you have successfully connected the garden system to your WiFi, there’s an option for you to join the 30-Day Free Trial. If you opt-in, you can immediately get the 10 plant yCubes and have access to Kelby.
After the trial, you will be charged $39 per month. You will need to contact Gardyn’s customer support to cancel the trial.
To help you decide whether or not being a Gardyn member is worth the extra investment, here is a comparison table:
| Non-Member | Member | |
| Manage the system’s light and water schedule | Yes | Yes |
| Order yCubes from app | Yes | Yes |
| Water monitoring from app | Yes | Yes |
| Kelby access | No | Yes |
| 10 yCubes per month | No | Yes |
| Discounted additional yCubes | No | Yes |
| Free shipping | No | Yes |
| Vacation mode | No | Yes |
| Gardyn growing expert support | No | Yes |
Keep in mind that you can just purchase Gardyn’s seedless yCubes and use your own seeds. But then again, you won’t have access to the system’s gardening sidekick, the vacation mode, and the Gardyn growing expert support.
A Smart Garden Right Inside Your Home
The Gardyn Home Kit steers away from the standard indoor hydroponic design, swapping the monotonous rectangular shape with a stunning vertical design capable of growing up to 30 vegetables simultaneously.
It is also loaded with tech features like 24/7 AI monitoring and ultrasonic sensor that you won’t find in other personal indoor hydroponic systems. It is, without a doubt, not only a statement piece but also a hydroponic system designed for someone who prefers the most convenient and effortless way to grow vegetables right from the kitchen.
The kit is expensive, and if you factor in the monthly membership, you will definitely need to dig dip into your wallet. You are not technically required to get the membership, but if you’re a beginner and would like someone to teach you how to grow and take care of your indoor hydroponic garden, then a membership is a must.
Overall, the Gardyn Home Kit is worth the investment. If you’d like to know more about this innovative hydroponic garden kit, you can check here.