A Step-by-Step Guide to Gardyning

Gardyning is a blast, but we get it - there's a lot to learn! Kelby will help guide members through every step, but we know some Gardyners like a little heads up with what to expect on their Gardyning journey.

Use this guide as a starting point for our most-used tips and articles. You'll find links to more in-depth articles in every step. 

Stage 1: Set up your Gardyn Home device

1. You can't Gardyn without a device, so make sure yours is fully and correctly assembled. Kelby will help check members' set-up as well and let you know if something needs adjusting.
2. Follow our step-by-step guide to pairing to connect your Gardyn to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network so you can pair your Gardyn to your phone. If you run into any trouble, check out our troubleshooting steps for the pairing process.
3. Fill your Gardyn with 5 gallons of tap water only. If your water is filtered (including by reverse osmosis, or RO), distilled, or is naturally soft, you will need to supplement it with Cal Mag (a product containing calcium and magnesium for plants) according to its usage recommendations. Naturally soft water is different from softened water treated with a softener, which we do not recommend.

4. To keep your device like new, we recommend adding HydroBoost, our plant-based water treatment solution, directly to your tank as early as day 1 to prevent unwanted growth inside your device & avoid more intensive cleanings later, all while boosting plant health.

Stage 2: Germinate your yCubes on your Gardyn

1. Follow our guide to germinating your Welcome Kit on your Gardyn to get started, plus find our tips for germination success here.
2. Wait until your yCubes develop true leaves, and make sure you know how to differentiate cotyledons (first leaves) from true leaves.
3. Next, learn how to evaluate your plants' readiness for plant food, how to dissolve and add plant food to your tank for the first time, and whether you need to continue germinating some yCubes off your Gardyn based on their growth.
4. When your plants are ready for plant food, they're also ready to be thinned! Don't miss this key step to growing the strongest, healthiest plants.

Stage 3: Care for your maturing plants

1. It's important to care for your plants' roots by checking and trimming them at least monthly.
2. Pollinate your fruiting crops to make sure you get their precious fruit to develop!
3. Prune your growing plants as needed.
4. Be sure to top off your water tank weekly and refresh it monthly to maintain a healthy nutrient balance and pH. If you have larger, mature plants and heavy fruiting crops, consider refreshing your tank up to every 14 days.

Stage 4: Harvest mature plants and prepare new yCubes

1. Find details on harvest times in the Plant Book. From your app's home screen, tap the menu button in the top left, tap Shop, tap yCubes, then search by your plant's name.
2. For more general harvest help, check out our guides on harvesting your leafy greens and harvesting your herbs.
3. To maximize your harvests and spend less time waiting for plants to mature, follow our guide to succession planting for continuous harvests.
4. Watch for bolting herbs and leafy greens to be aware of your plants' life cycles and understand when it's time to replace them. 
5. Ready to germinate new or replacement plants? Follow our yCube refill tips for instructions.

Stage 5: Maintain your Gardyn's health

Weekly tank top-offs with HydroBoost, monthly tank refreshes, and regular root checks are great starting points to maintaining Gardyn health. Here are a few more ways to ensure your device, and your plants, stay healthy and happy.

1. Use Pod Caps to cover any open yPods to prevent anything unwanted from entering or growing inside your Gardyn.
2. Be proactive with pest prevention. Regularly checking your plants, including the underside of leaves, is a great place to start. 
3. If you do suspect pests, use our guide on pest identification and treatment to find a solution that works for you.
4. Noticing some green growth? It's likely algae, which you can help prevent and control with a few tips.
5. If you notice some of your plants' leaves developing bumps, or curling, it may not be a pest at all, but edema. A relatively harmless condition, you can learn how to identify it here.
6. To keep your device in tip-top shape, we recommend doing a Light Cleaning quarterly, or any time you've dealt with pests and are ready to start fresh with all new yCubes on your Gardyn. If you're adding HydroBoost regularly, you can even get away with skipping Light Cleanings!

With these guides in hand, we're confident you'll be off to a great start tending to your Gardyn. Kelby will help members learn how to care for their plants based on their growth, and members can also get personalized guidance from our plant experts.

Questions? Reach us at [e-mail], or chat with us! We're here to help.