Hydroponics are not for the faint of heart, or those who are afraid to tear down and replace PVC, tubing, and deal with slime.
Other than that, there are some upsides. I was gifted a My Gardyn 2.0 a couple years back and had great success with... well, year one. I am encroaching on year 4 and can successfully give a review on the struggles that have outweighed the benefits.
Year One (2022) -
Successes:
The system is absolutely beautiful when it has full grown plants coming out of it.. aesthetically pleasing.
Setup was quite straight forward and easy, there was one hose that was tough getting into the base from the stack of pvc, but pliers worked.
I ordered the pods that come with the branded system. Everything went fine, I even got bare root strawberries and added them to the top couple of rows of the hydroponic system and had a good turnout.
The fertilizer that came with the system worked great on all plants including my strawberries.
No dirt got into the system, because no dirt was introduced (I scrubbed the dirt off my strawberries)
Fails:
Don't run your pump dry
Aphids / Bugs
More expensive to care for than anticipated (never got the Gardyn membership)
Keeping water tank full
Moving plants in time to keep them from being scorched
Moving plants to keep them in the light
Temperature changes in my basement
Roots outgrowing the plastic bases, breaking them
Green Mold (slime)
Cleaning:
You will need: Q-tips, rubber gloves, sponge, super scrubby, rags, paper towel, soapy water or vinegar water, a hose or a bathtub (super fun, I can tell you this from experience).
I'd clean once a year and reset the plants you have growing.
Aphids, if they infest you have to start over with everything
Getting behind on slime and green mold, it will get in your tubes and clog, keep an eye out for this
Black mold in your tubing lines, I replaced mine after I saw this
I clean with soapy water, I think most people clean with vinegar and water. I recenlt cleaned with vinegar and water here January of 2025 just to freshen up from cleaning last year.
General Tips:
You cannot plant anything with large root systems, for example the obvious are carrots, beets, radishes.
You CAN grow a lot of things they wouldn't recommend like beans for example as people have made trellises to handle these, same goes for the strawberries, mine did great!
Local hardware stores have the correct piping to replace in the gardyn, I would suggest getting a whole roll as I have had to start replacing on year two.
Replaced due to mold inside lines
Replaced due to cracks in actual tube
I went with clear and BLACK tubing, Clear is good to see if future mold is accumulating. Black is what they had at my local store.
Year 2- (2023)
Year 3 -*Took a break - making a baby :)* She is the highlight of our grow room we made this year. The lights helped keep other plants thriving while she was shut down.
Year 4 - (2025):
Honestly, I am going to do all herbs this year in the grow room with some specialty lettuces. Stay tuned for images!
In conclusion, would I recommend it to a busy household, no. Would I recommend to someone who is a gardening enthusiast and likes the aesthetic beauty, yes!
If you have any questions, I have 4 years with this abomination, I mean My Gardyn 2.0 system... and have done it all!
~DIY With Chelsea
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