Upgrading to a new Gardyn: what's new and moving your plants
Gardyn Home 4 and Gardyn Studio 2 keep the same plant count and Gardyn app as the models before them, and the biggest upgrades are in the columns: Home 4 adds seals between column modules that prevent nearly all internal growth, and Studio 2 adds easy-clean columns with airtight seals, a higher-resolution camera with a wider view and a Sunrise/Sunset lighting mode. Your Gardyn app account carries over, and if you replace a Home with a Home or a Studio with a Studio, your Gardyn’s data and any active membership move to the new device. Healthy plants can come with you, too, as long as the new tank is ready for them.
Key takeaways
- Gardyn Home 4 columns fit on Gardyn Home 3, so a Home 3 owner can get the new column seals without replacing the whole tower.
- Pairing a replacement of the same model moves your original Gardyn’s data and any active membership to the new one. Moving from Studio to Home is set up as an additional Gardyn, because replacements must be the same model, and you choose a membership option for it during pairing.
- Your app account, Kelby, Gardyn Plant Food, HydroBoost and accessories such as the Gardyn Trellis work with either model. Columns are model-specific: Studio and Home columns don’t interchange.
- The easiest plant move is a relay: start your new starter set in Germination Mode, keep your current Gardyn producing, then retire or move plants once the new seedlings are established.
What’s new in Gardyn Home 4 and Gardyn Studio 2?
The headline change in both new models is cleaner, better-sealed columns, and Studio 2 also gets a sharper camera and a new lighting mode. Plant capacity stays the same, so everything you have learned about growing still applies.
This table shows what changed from each earlier model, based on Gardyn’s model and column guides.
| If you have | Moving to | What changes | What stays the same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardyn Studio 1 | Gardyn Studio 2 | Easy-clean columns with airtight seals, a higher-resolution camera with a wider view, and a Sunrise/Sunset lighting mode | 16 plants on 2 columns and 1 light bar |
| Gardyn Home 3 | Gardyn Home 4 | Seals between column modules that block light and help prevent salt deposits and internal algae | 30 plants on 3 columns, 2 light bars and the same 8-step setup |
| Gardyn Home 1 or 2 | Gardyn Home 4 | Sealed Home 4 columns, hoses that connect at the lid instead of elbow connectors, and an 8-step setup in place of 10 steps | 30 plants, 3 columns and 2 light bars |
Why do the seals matter? Mineral crust from plant food can open small seams in earlier Gardyn Home columns that let water escape, and Home 4 seals prevent this. The Gardyn Studio 2 launch announcement covers the Studio redesign in more detail. Not sure which model you own today? Gardyn’s guide to identifying your Gardyn model walks you through it.
Every new Gardyn Home 4 and Gardyn Studio 2 also arrives with a free plant starter set (30 plants for Home, 16 for Studio) and Gardyn Plant Food, and comes with a 90-day risk-free trial and a 3-year Gardyn limited warranty.
Do you need a new Gardyn, or just new columns?
If you own a Gardyn Home 3, you can upgrade the columns alone: Home 4 columns fit on Home 3. Gardyn sells a Home 3 and 4 full single column and a three-column set, each with a new top module and pre-threaded irrigation hose.
For other models:
- Gardyn Home 1, 2 and 3 columns are interchangeable with each other, and the Home 3 version is the most sealed and opaque of the three.
- Gardyn Studio and Gardyn Home columns are not compatible, because their back connection structures differ.
Before ordering parts, check which Gardyn columns work with your device.
Should you upgrade from Gardyn Studio to Gardyn Home?
Upgrade to Gardyn Home if your Studio can’t keep up with how much you eat or how many varieties you want to grow. Home roughly doubles capacity, from 16 plants to 30, in about 0.6 sq ft more floor space.
This table compares the two current models side by side.
| Feature | Gardyn Studio 2 | Gardyn Home 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Plants | 16 on 2 columns | 30 on 3 columns |
| Floor space | About 1.4 sq ft | About 2 sq ft |
| Harvest | Up to 5 lbs a month, about a daily salad for one or two | Up to 10 lbs a month, about a daily salad for four |
| Monthly yCube credits with a membership | 5, banking up to 16 | 10, banking up to 30 |
| Best fit | One or two people, apartments and condos | Households of three or four, frequent cooks, maximum variety |
Moving somewhere smaller? Gardyn Studio was designed for small spaces such as studio apartments, and the Gardyn Studio overview shows how it fits. The Gardyn Home overview covers the larger tower.
What carries over to your new Gardyn?
Your Gardyn app account and most accessories carry over to any new Gardyn. Whether your Gardyn’s data and membership move depends on whether the new device replaces one of the same model.
This table shows what happens in each case.
| What | Same model (Home to Home, Studio to Studio) | Different model (Studio to Home, Home to Studio) |
|---|---|---|
| How you pair it | As a replacement for your existing Gardyn | As an additional Gardyn on your account |
| Gardyn data | All of your original Gardyn’s data transfers to the new Gardyn | The new Gardyn gets its own device profile; your original Gardyn keeps its profile |
| Membership | Any active membership transfers to the new Gardyn | Choose an option for the new Gardyn: redeem a membership purchased with it, sign up, redeem a free trial or skip for now. Each membership applies to one device |
| Number of Gardyns on your account | Stays the same | Goes up by one; switch between them from the top bar of the Home screen |
Gardyn’s help center has the steps for pairing a new Gardyn to replace an existing one and pairing an additional Gardyn. If you skip the membership step for an additional Gardyn, you can sign up anytime from My Profile in the app. For questions about moving or changing an existing membership when you switch models, contact Gardyn support at support@mygardyn.com. The Gardyn membership page explains what a membership adds, from monthly yCube credits to Kelby’s monitoring and alerts.
Supplies and accessories that work on either model include Gardyn Plant Food, HydroBoost, the Gardyn Sprout Nursery, the Gardyn Trellis and yCovers.
How do you move your plants to a new Gardyn?
Move established plants onto a new Gardyn once its tank holds fresh water and the right plant food dose, then run a watering cycle so the roots rehydrate. The catch is timing: plant food inhibits germination, so your new starter set needs water only while established plants need plant food.
There are three ways to handle that, compared in this table.
| Approach | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Relay | Germinate the starter set on the new Gardyn with water only while your current Gardyn keeps producing; move favorite plants over once the new tank has plant food | Anyone keeping their current Gardyn running for a few weeks |
| Move now, sprout on the side | Fill the new tank with water and plant food, move established plants right away, and sprout new yCubes in the Sprout Nursery, which holds up to 10 | Same-day swaps, or when your current Gardyn is leaving the house |
| Fresh start | Harvest everything, retire older plants and start the new Gardyn with a full generation of new yCubes | Gardens with bolting plants, pests or root problems |
If your new Gardyn will be paired as a replacement for your current one, read the replacement pairing guide before you start a relay, or ask Gardyn support at support@mygardyn.com how to time it.
Whichever approach you choose, the move itself follows the same order:
- Harvest what is ready and retire plants near the end of their life.
- Check roots and trim any that are too thick or show rot, which looks brown to black and slimy.
- Prepare the new tank with fresh water and the right plant food dose: 1/2 teaspoon per gallon for leafy greens and herbs, or 1 teaspoon per gallon once fruiting plants are blooming.
- Carry each plant over in a ySleeve to limit drips, placing fruiting plants in the center high-light zone.
- Run a watering cycle from the app, cover open slots with Gardyn Caps and add HydroBoost.
Which plants are worth moving?
Move plants that are healthy and still producing, such as leafy greens with plenty of new growth or a cherry tomato that is still flowering. Leave behind herbs and greens that have bolted, meaning they have grown tall, formed flower buds and turned bitter, along with fruiting plants that have gone many weeks without new flowers. A fresh yCube such as basil will outproduce them. If you are moving from Home to Studio, choose your best 16.
What should you do with your current Gardyn?
Many upgraders keep their current Gardyn running as a second garden, often for herbs or a dedicated salad tower. One app account can control several devices, you switch between them by tapping your Gardyn’s name at the top of the Home screen, and each Gardyn needs its own membership for Kelby’s monitoring and monthly yCube credits.
If you plan to take a break from growing on it first, Gardyn recommends a full cleanse beforehand, which also clears any mineral crust or algae so it is ready for a fresh start later.
What if your Gardyn stopped working?
Contact Gardyn support before you retire it. Pumps, sensors, lids, hoses and column modules can all be replaced as individual parts, so one failed component often means a part swap rather than a new tower; Gardyn’s guide to getting a replacement part explains your options. Wi-Fi trouble is often a network setting: Gardyn needs a 2.4 GHz network, and it keeps running on its last saved schedules while offline. If a device truly can’t be repaired, recycle the electronic parts, such as the light bars and power supply, through a local electronics program. The EPA notes that recycling consumer electronics conserves natural resources and avoids air and water pollution.
Ready to choose your next Gardyn?
Start with how many people you are feeding. For a household of three or four, look at Gardyn Home 4; for one or two people or a smaller space, look at Gardyn Studio 2. If you are still deciding, the Gardyn quiz asks a few questions about your household and recommends a model.
Frequently asked questions
Will my Gardyn Home 3 columns work on a Gardyn Home 4?
Gardyn lists compatibility in one direction: Home 4 columns fit on Home 3, and Home 1, 2 and 3 columns are interchangeable with each other. That makes new Home 4 columns an easy upgrade for a Home 3 owner. For any other combination, check Gardyn’s column compatibility guide in the help center or ask support before you swap parts.
Can I use Studio columns on a Gardyn Home?
No. Gardyn Studio and Gardyn Home columns are not compatible because the way each column connects at the back is different. Your yCovers, Gardyn Trellis, Sprout Nursery, plant food and HydroBoost do work with both models, so most of your supplies still have a place in a new Gardyn of either size.
Does my membership move to my new Gardyn?
If the new device replaces one of the same model, Home for Home or Studio for Studio, all of your original Gardyn’s data and any active membership transfer when you pair it as a replacement. A different model is paired as an additional Gardyn, where you choose a membership option for it, and each membership applies to one device. Gardyn support can help with the details.
Can I keep my old Gardyn running next to my new one?
Yes. One Gardyn app account can control multiple devices, and you switch between them from the top bar of the Home screen. Each Gardyn needs its own membership for Kelby’s monitoring and the monthly yCube credits. Without one, you can still set light and water schedules and check the water level in the app.
Can I plant my new starter set and move old plants on the same day?
You can, with a little planning. Plant food inhibits germination, so new yCubes should not go on a tower that has plant food in the tank. Sprout up to 10 of them in the Gardyn Sprout Nursery while established plants grow on the new Gardyn, or start the starter set first and move plants once the seedlings are ready for plant food.
Can my plants stay in the columns if I move house?
Yes, when you are moving by car or truck with room for the upper portion of your Gardyn. Empty the tank and reattach it with the lid locks. If the Gardyn has to lie at an angle, keep the light bars above the columns and put a towel under the base. On arrival, add fresh water and plant food soon so a watering cycle rehydrates the plants.