Gardyn offers empty yCubes so you can grow your own seeds on the Gardyn Home system. There are thousands of exciting varieties to experiment with, but some will work better on the Gardyn than others. Here are the most important things to look out for:
Time to Maturity
While it would be incredible to grow apples, oranges, kiwi, blueberries, and grapes, these trees and vines take years to mature and produce fruits. Check to see how long it will take for the plant to reach maturity. While growing a plant for years on the Gardyn is technically possible, it would be extremely difficult and require meticulous care.
Root Zone Compatibility
Root vegetables like garlic, onions, and potatoes won’t do well on the Gardyn, because their roots/tubers will crack the yCube casing. It’s best to stick with crops that grow above the surface. Also, some crops produce large, strong roots that can overgrow the yPod and column. Make sure to choose crops that have roots that don’t do damage to surrounding structures.
Long-day, Short-day, or Day Neutral?
Some plant species have unique photoperiod needs (number of hours of darkness/light per day).
- Short day plants will flower when day light hours drop below a specific amount, typically 12-14 hours per day.
- Long day plants will flower when day light hours exceed a specific amount, typically 14-16 hours.
- Day neutral plants don’t care how many hours of light they get- they’ll flower no matter what.
Make sure to choose long day plants or day neutral varieties, unless you’re growing in a tent or room with no other sources of light. Interrupting the night cycle for short-day plants with other ambient lighting can disrupt their flowering cycle.
Determinate vs. Indeterminate
Crops like Tomatoes are available in both determinate and indeterminate varieties. Determinate varieties will stop growing when they reach a certain size. Their size is controlled genetically. Indeterminate varieties will keep growing, and growing, and growing. Their size is controlled only by the environment. Both determinate and indeterminate varieties’ sizes can be controlled with regular root trimming, but determinate varieties are a little easier to work with since they eventually stop growing larger.
Germination Time/Ease
Some plants take forever to germinate, or require special preparation for germination. For example some seeds require stratification to successfully sprout, where they have to be refrigerated for 1 month first. Keep this in mind as you select your varieties, or you could be waiting for seeds that won’t sprout!
Temperature & Humidity Needs
Be mindful that the variety you want to grow can survive well in your home environment. For example, some tropical varieties need high temperature and humidity levels, and can struggle in more temperature air. Look for varieties that do best in temperatures from 65F-80F, and 45-75% relative humidity.
Plant Food Requirements
Be mindful of the specific plant’s nutritional demand. The Gardyn plant food recommendations are designed to deliver the nutrition needs of most varieties, but some plants can be sensitive to the normal plant food levels, or maybe even need extra. Also look out for the plant’s pH needs. Plants that do best on the Gardyn typically like pH levels of 6.0-7.5.
Toxicity and Safety
There are plants both common and exotic that can be toxic or contain toxic parts. It’s important to understand if your variety is toxic or not to keep children and pets safe.
We encourage our Gardyners to explore with different species and try new things. However if this is too much, Gardyn’s in-house yCubes contain seeds that are already tested and proven to work well on our system. We take the guesswork out of choosing the right varieties. We’re adding to our portfolio every month, so check in regularly [here] to see the latest seeds!
Questions? Reach us at support@mygardyn.com, or chat with us! We're here to help.