Gardyn 6 month Review

The first 6 months of my experience with the Hydroponic Gardyn, along with a few of your own questions answered!🌿
If you would like to receive a free $50 gift card from Gardyntech,
with your purchase of a Gardyn home kit
You can use this link here ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
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My opinions are my own. I am a fan of good products that help improve people's lives and I enjoy passing on what I know, to my viewers. My channel is here to share my opinion and give you an up close look at the positives and negatives on products that have improved my life and might do the same for you.
-Essi
Music License was obtained by the owner of this channel from Audioblocks.com

[@FishersShop]

Very well produced and helpful! Just bought one for my wife. Thanks!

[@EssiFlynn]

Thank you! So glad it was helpful! Be Well, Essi

[@HeyElayna]

Awesome video Essie! I purchased my Gardyn after watching your 6 week video. Thank you for your thorough reviews! I’m so happy with my Gardyn!

[@EssiFlynn]

HeyElayna Thank you so much for your sweet note! So glad that you are enjoying your Gardyn! It is certainly a wonderful piece of technology that has improved my life for sure! So glad you stopped by and said hello! Be well, Essi

[@shelliecheers]

Can you buy blank cups and put your own seeds in them?

[@dani0732]

fantastic video, super helpful! one question... how is the deep cleaning process? I've watched other videos from people who considered buying it but did not do so because they said its set up to be a nightmare and Im curious if your experience has been such.

[@EssiFlynn]

Thank you! The deep cleaning process is a bit of an inconvenience and it is every six months. However that did not prevent me from purchasing a second unit. I know that the company is constantly working on improving their product and are very open to taking customer feedback as they continue to improve. Something I have learned along the way is that preventative cleaning seems to really helpful, to make the twice a year cleaning easier. In the end, it's a lot less work than I would be doing with a typical raised bed garden like I used to have, so I write it off that way. I know that some folks are experimenting with uv (aquarium) lights in the tank to help cut down on algae growth, while others are excited about using a water pic for regular upkeep. I cannot confirm that either of these methods have been able to keep them from having to do the regular 6 month cleaning, but I do know that the company has said that they are looking into these options to see if they could recommend them to their customers. So stay tuned. Hope this helps answer your question. Thanks for your your kind words and for stopping by. Be well, Essi

[@therealdeal3338]

Hello, thanks for sharing your experience with the gardyn. I was wondering how long will new unused y cubes last if being stored? Is there a reccomend use by date? Thanks for your help 😊

[@KenshinMasataka]

I would love to know the answer as well.

[@EssiFlynn]

Thanks for your question. Gardyn tells me that the seeds in the YCubes are good up to 90 days. They’ve told me just to store them until I’m ready to use them, within that time frame in a cool, dark location. Basically depriving them of what they need to germinate. Appreciate you stopping by. Hope this answers your question. Be Well, Essi

[@therealdeal3338]

@@EssiFlynn thanks 😊

[@clairegloeckner2033]

Thank you for the video! How much time, in hours, do you think you spend weekly and monthly? I have two old aerogardens (7pod) and am thinking of upgrading to the new garden 2.

[@EssiFlynn]

You are welcome! The time I spend really depends. Right now I have 3 Gardyns. I have two 1.0 and one 2.0. I haven't timed it but once a week I have to add water and food to each Gardyn. This probably takes me about 10 - 15 min. per Gardyn. Once a month, I have to take the Gardyn top off and clean out the tub, before adding water and plant food. This probably takes me about 30 min. per Gardyn. But again I haven't timed it. And then Once every six months, I take the whole unit apart. I take out all the plants and clean the inside of the columns as well as the Ycups and water tub. Not gonna lie, this can be an all day event for me, but it's not that I'm cleaning all day, There are times when I'm letting the columns soak or running them through the dishwasher. So again, not me the whole time, but I like to start in the morning and am usually done by mid afternoon, with all the washings etc. Now to the depends part. Trimming roots or picking off bad leaves or replacing the end of a lettuce, is something that happens when I notice it throughout the week. It's a gradual thing. Some days I need to do a couple things and other days I don't need to do anything. Hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by! Be well, Essi

[@leighwarren]

Did you say the AI SAW you moving the tomato and pepper pods with it's camera??? so there's a camera watching?

[@natashal8437]

Hello. Couple of questions. Has your average electric bill increased by a lot with having the lights on 20 hrs a day compared to what it was before you purchased Gardyn? Also, I live in a tiny 350 ft studio apartment. Do you think the lights would be very bothersome? Also, are the y-pods reusable? I want to be able to grow spinach, collard greens, strawberries, green onions and maybe baby cucumbers along with everything Gardyn has to offer. Is this possible?

[@EssiFlynn]

Hi! I haven't noticed a difference in our electric bill, but to be honest, I haven't paid a terrible amount of attention. If you had this unit in the same room you are sleeping in, it would definitely be too bright. They are bright lights and need to be on at times that you will need to sleep. If you have a door you can close that will be in between you and your Gardyn for sleep, that is what you will need. Mine is on a different floor from our bedrooms and is fine for daily living, but would be too bright for night time sleep. If it's a question of size, the Gardyn would be a great size for a Studio Apartment. It's only 2 feet wide by 1 foot deep and 5'4" tall. The YCube holders are made of a biodegradable corn substance and I'm not sure how long they would hold up re-using them, but you could potentially order rock wool from some other place and try and fit it in there, I can't say that I've experimented with it yet. But if you are looking to grow your own seeds, Gardyn has empty YCubes that can be part of the 10 you get to pick each month with your membership, or you can add extra to your monthly order. I highly recommend the membership. And I am told that Gardyn does have strawberries coming soon, so that is also exciting. But yes! If you get the membership, Kelby will be there helping you each step of the way, even when it comes to growing your own seeds. If you come join me on Instagram, you can see photos and videos of what I'm growing. My newest thing is Loveage and the sprouts are looking great! Hope this answers your questions. Thanks for stopping by! Be Well, Essi

[@natashal8437]

@@EssiFlynn thank you so much for the reply! You're so awesome for that! 😊

[@JohnSmith-vw2zd]

How much hydro consumption cost ruffly does it use? Also does the company ship to Canada? How often do you do a deep cleaning of system? Is that deep cleaning hard to do?

[@EssiFlynn]

So, when you say hydro, my first thought was water consumption, but when I looked it up, it seems that you might be referring to electricity? So if you are referring to electricity, I can tell you that the Gardyn website says up to 75W or about 54KWh per month. I haven't used a watt meter to check these stats and I haven't noticed any change in my monthly electric bill, but I will say that due to the fact that the lights are so bright, my family ends up using our other lights less. So perhaps we are saving money? Again, I haven't really noticed a difference and I have two of them now. Also I am told that 75 Watts is the equivalent of a moderately bright incandescent light bulb. So, there's that. As far as water goes, I fill up the tank with 6 gallons of water once a month and top it off with about a gallon of water, once a week, when all the plants are more full size and really growing. With Strawberries I'm doing the same thing, but every two weeks instead of once a month as they require a water that is kept a bit cleaner. I'm afraid that at this point in time Gardyn only ships to the continental US as well as Hawaii and Alaska. I know that they are in the early stages of logistics for international shipping though. So keep an eye out for news on this in the future. If you are on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, you can follow me there and I will be sure to make an announcement when this happens. A deep cleaning of the system is recommended once every six months. This is something I've only had to do once, but plan to do a video of, in the near future. Taking all the plants out is easy, taking apart the columns was a bit more tricky. I think the thing I liked least was the fact that I had to use the small screw driver they send with the unit to undo the bar that holds all the columns together at the top of the unit and then put it back on after I put my columns back up. The Columns are actually made to go in your dishwasher once you are done cleaning them out and I will say that cleaning inside the columns with a hand held water pic and a little bit of food grade peroxide in between cleanings, seems to be very helpful at keeping things nice and tidy and keeping the algae at bay. Hope this helps and gives you some of the answers you are looking for. Again, feel free to reach out and connect with me on social media. I am probably most active on Instagram. Thanks so much for stopping by and for such great questions! Be Well, Essi

[@JohnSmith-vw2zd]

@@EssiFlynn thank you this answers my questions much appreciated. I'm only on KZbin no other social media platforms.

[@jazzybuilds1297]

I am interested in this system but I am curious how much more is your energy bill?

[@EssiFlynn]

I haven't noticed a difference with my energy bill and I have two Gardyns now. Gardyn says this on their website. "With the suggested schedules the Gardyn is estimated to use 54kWh per month. Gardyners have reported only paying a few dollars more per month on their usual bill. Some have said they saved on their bill, because they use the Gardyn’s lights to light their home instead!" On another note, I have to say that I find myself relying on the Gardyn lights more than the other lights in the room, because they are so great at making the room feel cheery and easing my winter blues, when it get's dark earlier through the winter months. We joke that it doesn't matter if the sun comes out and it's a dreary day outside, because it's always sunny inside. I will never go back to living without full spectrum lights after this experience. :) Hope this helps to answer your question. Thanks so much for stopping by. Be well, Essi

[@haleym8078]

If I didn’t want any new y-cubes one month, could I delay the shipping schedule?

[@EssiFlynn]

Haley M Unfortunately, no. But, it’s worth ordering them to have them in stock for when you are ready to get them germinating. It seemed like a lot of Ycubes to me at first as well, but when you consider the fact that your plants will not stop growing and most of your greens will bolt eventually, you want to have those new Ycubes to get going and you won’t be wanting to wait on them to arrive in the mail. Hope this helps. Be Well, Essi

[@haleym8078]

Thanks so much for answering my question!

[@relevantinformation6655]

The light is a bit like having a nuclear reactor in your living room, so finding correct placement may take a bit. ☀️

[@EssiFlynn]

LOL! It certainly can be! Apparently, I chose just the right spot against a back wall, in my home that gave us no angles for the light leaking out in the beginning. A couple months in, I decided to toy with it and move it around only to find that, it really needs to not be anywhere that the light could be viewed from the back or half way into the sides if that makes any sense. I will say that the lights have great wrap around guards or panels that help to keep the light from directly shinning out the sides and affecting our eyes. This is what has kept me from trying any hydroponics that have lights that are aimed at the floor and shine straight down. Honestly afraid of too much leaking out into our living space. But maybe I will decide to give one of them a try someday. Hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by. Be well, Essi

[@relevantinformation6655]

@@EssiFlynn Hi Essi, thanks for your info!! 🌟 We live on top of the tallest residential high rise in Phoenix. All our walls are 12 foot glass facing outside, so I imagine we look a bit like a lighthouse :)

[@marksederqvist1259]

This seems like just an advertisement. I own and enjoy a Gardyn, but the video addresses none of the issues that I have had with it.

[@EssiFlynn]

So glad that you find the production value so high. I went to film school so it's nice to hear that someone thinks it's so great. Sorry to hear you had issues. I have encountered some new issues since this video, but Gardyn has been great at addressing those issues. And I haven't made a video update since. As someone who has done quite a bit of gardening, the Gardyn has been a lot less work than actual gardening and that makes it worth it to me. Hope you are able to get your issues fixed. Be well, Essi

[@TinMan445]

To me it seems like you could just pick up some rock wool and cut your own plugs and buy your own seeds? Could drastically reduce the cost, I really like these systems but don’t want to be stuck on the “coffee pod” program they have

[@EssiFlynn]

This is the same thought I had. And I have tried purchasing my own rock wool and using net pot cups that I purchased on Amazon. For the most part it works. But I was not happy with not getting a good fit like the cups that are designed to fit with this particular unit. The best way to get around this in my estimation would be if you have a 3-D printer. You could potentially (although I haven’t tried it yet) print off cups that are the exact same cut and size of the Ycubes and go that route instead. When I used the net pot cups from Amazon they didn’t lock into place and this was an issue especially when the watering system would turn on. It leaves room for water to leak out more easily and push the net cup upwards leaving you with water dripping down onto the Face of the unit and accumulating overtime on the lid of your system and warping the wood. If you decide to go to the 3-D printer route I would love to hear about your experience. Hope this helps. Be well, Essi.

[@abigaillarion9365]

Have you experienced any leaking from the system? Is it safe for renters? Thank you!

[@EssiFlynn]

Great question and how lucky your landlord is, to have such a conscientious renter. Any system like this has the potential for leaking. But there are a couple things that I would do to minimize risk, if it were me. Make sure you never fill past the fill line for the tank. Always keep the area around where you fit your YCubes into the unit clean ( I have had small drips when I get lazy and allow green algae to build up or bits of old lettuce leaves to accumulate in or around the crack between the YCube and the unit, but only twice a day when the water is on for 5 minutes). And one last step that I have not done, but would be an added protection is to order a rubber tray of some sort to place under your tank, just in case of a leak. I have had mine on wood floors for almost 11 months now and my floors have been safe thus far. Hope this answers your question. Be well, Essi