Gardyn Vs. Lettuce Grow: Ultimate Comparison and $150 Coupon

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The indoor garden space has been flooded with new products in the last couple of years. That said, a handful of reputable brands have stood above the rest. Two of our favorite vertical garden options are the Gardyn and the Lettuce Grow Farmstand in that category. In this Gardyn Vs. Lettuce Grow comparison, we’re reviewing these two options, so you can decide which is the best hydroponic system for you.

Before we dive in, I should say that both brands are great for fresh herbs, leafy greens, and really any goals you have for growing your own food at home. But there are some key differences. Read on to see which option is best for you.

What Is Hydroponic Gardening?

Before reviewing the two systems, it’s essential to start with a baseline. Both the Farmstand and the Gardyn are indoor hydroponic gardens, which means they rely on a nutrient-rich water tank instead of a traditional growing medium (soil, potting mix, etc.).

There are many benefits to using a hydroponic growing system, and the first is that plants can grow up to three times faster than in traditional soil gardens. Equally important, you can grow your plants and fresh produce in a small space, such as a living room, kitchen, or patio (in the case of the Farmstand). 

If you’re just here for the coupons, that’s fine. Here are the options we have for Gardyn.

Let’s start with an overview of the two systems before diving into our options.

Gardyn Overview

The Gardyn tower garden (don’t forget to use our discount code TWOPEAS) is a more extensive system that can grow 30 plants in two square feet. You’ll need to use Gardyn’s plant pod options, but they have over 50 varieties of seed pods to choose from, including greens, veggies, and everything in between.

Unlike the Lettuce Grow Farmstand, the Gardyn has LED grow lights built-in, meaning you can grow indoors all year long. And similar to other hydroponic systems in the space, you don’t have to worry about dirt, and you have complete in-app control of your device. Their app is also run by a handy virtual assistant called Kelby, which we highly recommend for users.

This tower garden aims to simplify the growing process by using smart hydroponics, a sleek design, and helpful technology that guides you through planting and growing your own food.

Gardyn’s sensors detect humidity and light levels in your home, allowing you to better meet the needs of your plants.

Gardyn 2.0

Very recently, Gardyn announced their newest produce – the Gardyn 2.0. This new vertical gardening kit is similar to the 1.0 with a few unique traits. Gardyn is currently phasing out the 1.0 in favor of this 2.0 option.

Here are the newest features of the 2.0:

• A new column style that brings natural beauty into your home.
• A new energy-efficient water pump and monitor for optimizing the amount of water delivered to your fresh produce
• New ultrasonic sensors improve the accuracy of your plants’ water consumption.
• Enhanced Hybriponics, which promotes plant growth while simplifying cleaning.

You can find it here, and remember to use the code TWOPEAS at checkout to get $100 off your purchase.

How Does Gardyn Operate?

The Gardyn system combines simple indoor hydroponics with a sleek design and useful artificial intelligence. The Gardyn App manages the entire system, optimizing the lights and water level and alerting you when it’s time to add plant food and harvest. 

You can find their website here. Use the code TWOPEAS at checkout to get $100 off your order.

Gardyn also has a great Facebook group, a community of people who really want to make the most of their Gardyn system. I would highly recommend checking them out.

Lettuce Grow Overview

Lettuce Grow is an outdoor hydroponic garden system created by New Girl star and Hollywood actress Zooey Deschanel. Jacob Pechenik, her co-founder, is a co-producer of Zooey’s Facebook Watch series “Your Food’s Roots.”

You can order Lettuce Grow here for an exclusive discount.

Lettuce Grow’s technique was created for people who like gardening and want to harvest their own greens but have limited indoor and outdoor space.

The company is dedicated to bringing urban farming into the mainstream. Lettuce Grow uses vertical farming methodologies and NASA-inspired innovations to make homegrown food more accessible to people who would otherwise be unable to grow their own food at home.

Lettuce Grow’s signature new product is the Farmstand, a hydroponic setup that comes in various sizes and requires only 5 minutes of maintenance per week. It’s a good option for home gardeners with limited time because its features include self-watering and self-fertilizing via a water pump.

The Lettuce Grow Farmstand was created based on hydroponic systems, which allow plants to grow in water rather than soil. Fertilizers mixed in the water reservoir are circulated through a vase-like stand to deliver plant nutrients. 

Even if you live in an area where full sun exposure is difficult to obtain, you can still have indoor gardens. Lettuce Grow sells grow lights in the form of glow rings, which are indoor light systems that work in tandem with your Farmstand.

Unlike the Gardyn, there are different sizes of the Lettuce Grow Farmstand, which go from 12 plants to 36 small to large plants. Here are the typical plant pod figurations for each.

•   12-plant Farmstand: 3-6 vegetables, 3-6 herbs, and up to 6 leafy greens
•   18-plant Farmstand: 3-6 vegetables, 3-6 herbs, and up to 12 leafy greens
•   24-plant Farmstand: 6 vegetables, 6 herbs, and 12 leafy greens
•   30-plant Farmstand: 6 vegetables, 6 herbs, and 18 leafy greens
•   36-plant Farmstand: 6-8 vegetables, 6-8 herbs, and up to 24 leafy greens

There are over 200 types of non-GMO plants to pick from at Lettuce Grow. To make it easier to care for their plants, they offer pre-sprouted seedlings made from their own seeds.

Indoor And Outdoor Growing

Unlike the Gardyn, the Lettuce Grow Farmstands don’t have a built-in LED grow light, traditionally making them more of an outdoor garden option. If you plan on using these indoor gardening kits indoors, you will need a light ring to support growth. 

If you’re going this route, Lettuce Grow has some options, and you can also purchase your own to supplement them.

You only need to go this route if your Farmstand receives less than six hours of natural light per day. 

If you plan on using a (non-Lettuce Grow) grow light, we recommend you get a dolly to rotate the Farmstand, allowing you to make the most of the light.

If you’re growing your Farmstand outdoors – and have limited light – you may also get a dolly to maximize the sun’s rays.

Lettuce Grow Vs. Gardyn: Which Is Better?

We are including a full comparison below, but here’s a quick guide to which system is better for your specific needs:

Indoor Growing

Gardyn is a slightly better option for growing indoors – and can’t grow outdoors. Since the plants are all on one side, it’s easier to illuminate them with the necessary light. And it’s easier to set up in a small space. The Lettuce Grow Farmstands have plants growing full circle around the base, meaning you may need more lights.

Winner: Gardyn

Outdoor Growing

Gardyn is not intended to be used outdoors, so the Farmstand is the clear winner here. If you live in a temperate region, you may want to keep this hydroponic system outdoors. If you want a unit that you can move indoors and outdoors, we also recommend the Lettuce Grow Farmstands. If you have them indoors, you’ll want the ring light extensions as an option.

Winner: Lettuce Grow

Best For Beginners

While both of these options aren’t particularly complicated, you need to adjust the pH levels of the Lettuce Grow. This is a similar need of the hydroponics competitor iHarvest. Gardyn, on the other hand, doesn’t require this.

While you do have to clean the Gardyn, it’s a straightforward process, and the app does most of the monitoring work for you. Because of this, we think that the best option for beginners is likely the Gardyn tower garden.

Winner: Gardyn

Best For Germination Rates

The Gardyn seeds arrive in a pre-germination state, meaning you need to get them to germinate inside your unit. We’ve had relatively decent germination rates with Gardyn seed pods, but you can typically expect about an 80% success rate on their pods. They have warranties, so this is more of a temporary inconvenience.

Lettuce Grow, on the other hand, provides actual germinated seedlings. This is incredibly convenient, as you’re pretty much guaranteed to have successful starter plants to place in your unit. 

Winner: Lettuce Grow

Check out our complete comparison below for more details.

Gardyn Vs. Lettuce Grow Full Comparison

The Gardyn and the Lettuce Grow Farmstands are top-tier hydroponic gardening systems, so there is no need to worry if you’re on the fence. As we said above, the Farmstand is a good option for outdoor/indoor use, and Gardyn does well for beginners and for those growing exclusively inside.

Below we’ve gone into broader comparisons of the Lettuce Grow and the Gardyn.

Price

Unlike some smaller systems out there, the Gardyn and the Lettuce Grow Farmstands are larger and more expensive units.

Below are the price points of the Gardyn 2.0 and the Lettuce Grow FarmStands.

Gardyn Pricing

When purchasing a Gardyn Home Kit, you get 30 starter plants. You can choose their Recommended Option, which includes favorites like sweet peppers, kale, some herbs, and even some heirloom varieties you should definitely check out.

If you want a more focused garden, there is also a Taste of Italy option, a Farm Fresh option (that can take a chunk out of the grocery store budget), and a Sunny Bouquet option.

If you want to learn more about the membership and the value, check out our review here.

Lettuce Grow Farmstand Pricing

Note: The number following the word “Farmstand” indicates how many plants can be grown at a single time.

You need to order seedlings at the time of purchase. Start bundles are available, including options like Salad Lovers, Best of Spring, and a Choose Your Own bundle. The cost of these depends on the size of the unit you’re buying.

While Lettuce Grow doesn’t have a subscription model like Gardyn, the individual seedlings are much more affordable. For a single seedling, you’re only paying $2.50.

Ease of Use

Both options require pretty minimal effort compared to a traditional garden. That said, here is the regular upkeep for a Gardyn and Farmstand.

Gardyn

You typically need to do a light cleaning on your Gardyn once a month and a deeper cleaning every six months. While the steps below seem thorough, they don’t take much time to accomplish.

Here are the steps for a light cleaning:

• Remove the top from the base, and refill with water.
• Clean the tank carefully with dish soap and water before reattaching it to the Gardyn.
• Add 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide, filled to the top of the Gardyn reservoir.
• Turn on the system’s watering feature for 10 minutes.
• Reattach the top of the Gardyn after emptying the Gardyn Tank.
• Fill the Gardyn Tank to roughly half capacity with tap water.
• To rinse the system, turn on the watering feature for 10 minutes.
• Gardyn Tank should be emptied and reattached to Gardyn.
• Fill the tank with tap water until it’s completely filled, then add the standard 3 tablespoons of plant food.
• Clean the yPods from the dishwasher and replace them.
• Replace the remaining healthy yCubes in the yPods and close any holes with pod covers.

Here is a video on how to do a deeper cleaning: 

Farmstand

The Farmstand maintenance may not take as long, but you do need to work on it about once a week.

Each week, you will need to do the following:

• Add water to the water tank
• Add liquid nutrients
• Test and adjust pH

This should take about 5-10 minutes.

You also need to do a quarterly reset about four times a year. Read this article from Lettuce Grow on how to do this.

Number Of Plants

Both the Lettuce Grow Farmstands and the Gardyn can grow many plants at a single time. The Gardyn can grow up to 30 at once, while the Farmstands can produce between 12 and 36, depending on the model.

Membership

Gardyn

Gardyn has a clear subscription plan, starting at $29 a month. Each month you get 10 new plants, and additional plants are only $1.99 apiece. You have the option to add plant food as one of your items, which is a nice bonus.

With the Gardyn membership, you also receive access to the Kelby Gardyn assistant, which helps notify you when you need to harvest and provides some nice tips.

Without the membership, you’re paying $4.99 per yCube, which is a lot. The subscription feels a bit like a requirement if you want to continue using your Gardyn.

Lettuce Grow

It’s actually a bit unclear if the Lettuce Grow brand has a subscription right now. It’s not clearly an option on their site, but it’s mentioned in articles that refer to Lettuce Grow products. 

That said, the seedlings cost $2.50, so about half what the cost of the Gardyn products (without their subscription).

What Can You Grow?

Both the Gardyn and the Lettuce Grow Farmstands have several options, and I will say that the Lettuce Grow brand, which has more varieties overall, often has plants that are out of season. In other words, you can’t buy them. Here’s a high-level overview of the plants you can grow:

Gardyn

The Gardyn home kit offers 50+ varieties of plants, including the following: 

• fresh produce
• fresh vegetables
• butterhead lettuce
• leafy greens
• jalapenos 
• cilantro
• arugula
• cherry tomatoes
• sweet peppers

Check out the full list of plants here.

Lettuce Grow

Lettuce Grow offers more than 200 varieties of seedlings to choose from. Remember, these are pre-sprouted plants and not pre-germinated cubes. Here are some highlights from Lettuce Grow:

• Green beans
• Romaine lettuce
• Herbs
• Sweet pea
• Broccoli
• Scarlet cherry tomatoes
• Mini cucumbers
• Sorbet pansy
• Merlot napa cabbage

See the full list of plants offered here. 

Other Competitors

Do you like the looks of Gardyn and Lettuce Grow but want to check out the competitors before making a decision? No problem. We have guides for both large and small hydroponic systems in the space, and here are some of our favorites.

Large Systems Similar to Gardyn and Lettuce Grow

• iHarvest review
• AeroGarden System – Farm
• AeroSpring review
• Rise Gardens review

Smaller Systems

• AeroGarden – Sprout, Harvest, and Bounty
• Click and Grow review
• Veritable review

Conclusion

Whether you decide to get a Gardyn or a Lettuce grow product, there really isn’t a bad option. It all depends on what makes the most sense for you and your home. With either of these systems, you have the equivalent of a small greenhouse in your home.

They look great, they can significantly lower your monthly grocery budget, and they’re fun hobbies for growers of all skill levels.

Did you get a Farmstand or a Gardyn? Tell us about them in the comments below!

Let's grow together!