What is the plant food made of? Is it organic?

Gardyn plant food is a 7-3-11 NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) mineral-based formula specially designed to help your Gardyn thrive, from sprouts to mature plants. These minerals are the same key nutrients found in natural soil.

While you might think of plant food as "fertilizer'" they're technically not the same thing. Fertilizers are used to address specific nutrient deficiencies, while "plant food" is designed to offer a balanced, full-spectrum array of nutrients. Because hydroponic gardening, such as growing with Gardyn, means growing with water instead of soil, there are no significant, naturally occurring nutrients in the water. This is why we add plant food: to provide all of the nutrients your plants need to thrive.

Your Gardyn Plant Food will have one of these two labels:

We do not recommend using organic plant food in your Gardyn (or any hydroponic system!). Organic plant food contains the same minerals as mineral plant food, but it is sourced and refined from the soil food web process. As such, organic plant food also contains other, natural byproducts of the soil food web system, such as carbohydrates, which cause unwanted build-up in a hydroponic system.

Mineral plant food provides the same nutrients as organic plant food, but without generating excess waste that will clog your pump. Since there is no soil present in a hydroponic setup, mineral plant food is always preferred because it is cleaner and will prevent biofilm from developing in your tank and columns. Your plants will still be organic, so no worries!

Not at all. Mineral fertilizers skip the long, complex soil food web process that creates minerals in soil by providing the exact same minerals through chemistry. For example, ammonium nitrogen, the mineral ion produced from earthworm compost, can be made using the Haber Process, in which Nitrogen is pulled from the air and combined with Hydrogen, similar to nitrogen-fixing plants. Organic plant food is no better or worse for your plants than mineral plant food, and vice versa, but organic plant food ends up being worse for a hydroponic system than mineral plant food. 

Absolutely. Plants grown with mineral plant food receive the same nutrition as those fed from organic plant food, and Gardyn-grown produce is still pesticide- and herbicide-free.

Questions? Reach us at support@mygardyn.com, or chat with us. We're here to help!