I came across the Hydropod this winter, and picked it up for the boys to use. While they are active with our farm, I prefer to keep them out of the greenhouse in growing season. Just too many precariously placed 1020 trays that can get knocked over. So my feeling was they could enjoy the Hydropod inside the house – and not make a mess.
The review: It works. And it does that while looking gorgeous. And that is the key – it is fashionable and will fit into any room. The base is frosted glass, the top is white plastic. 2 parts and that is it. All one does is open the coconut husk peat pod, put it into the white holder, add water to the base, a pinch of included plant food, and drop 2 of the included basil seeds in. Place in a sunny area and walk away.
It sits near the boys computer in the very sunny dining room, on the window sill. I turn it every day usually, so it evenly gets sun exposure.
Once it started really growing, I changed the water and added more food as the directions called for. The cool part is being able to show the boys the roots coming through the bottom, into the water. The boys love seeing this. Once the plant is a bit bigger, we will transfer it into a pot, with potting mix and take it to the greenhouse to finish growing – and start some more seeds!
The Hydropod is reusable, however the company (W&P) that makes it doesn’t exactly tell you what to buy, nor do they offer refills. I would think most pods would do just fine, as long as they stay firm. And they are not hard to source either online, or at hardware/garden stores. The setup isn’t cheap, but it isn’t pricey either and it is attractive as decor. What I liked is it doesn’t require electricity (since no grow lights) and you could have a couple of them in a sunny window doing their thing. The other (huge) thing is the device doesn’t have an odor – where as pots grown inside often have a musty, earthy smell, there is no smell from it.
~Sarah