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Lettuce Grow is a company founded by actress Zooey Deschanel and Jacob Pechenik of The Farm Project.
The company’s primary product is the Farmstand — a vertical garden that can be used anywhere inside or outside of your home. The Farmstand utilizes a hydroponic gardening system, meaning there’s no soil involved. Instead, seedlings are planted in pods made of natural fibers, and their roots are fed with a mixture of water and nutrients that’s pumped through the unit.
While there are several hydroponic gardening systems on the market, the Farmstand is known for being one the easiest to use, as it includes everything you need to get started, including the stand, nutrients, lights, seedlings, and straightforward instructions. The base unit features 2 rows that fit 6 plants each, for a total of 12 plants.
You can purchase up to 4 additional rows for your stand, allowing you to accommodate up to 36 plants. If you plan to grow indoors, you’ll also want to buy Glow Rings, which are lights that replicate natural sunlight and are made specifically to fit above each row on the Farmstand. My Farmstand holds 24 plants and has 4 Glow Rings, which I find provides just the right number of fresh veggies and herbs for our family of 4.
The Farmstand is a hydroponic gardening system that can be used indoors or outdoors.
By keeping the pH of the water between 5.5–6.5 and maintaining adequate amounts of nutrients in the water, the Farmstand provides plants with the nutrients they need to grow and flourish without soil. At the start of each growing season, you’ll need to fill up the base with 20 gallons (75.7 litres) of water. I used tap water with great success. However, if your tap water has an abnormally high or low pH level, you may want to use bottled water instead.
Based on a set schedule, water is pumped up through the center of the stand, distributed to each plant’s root system, and then filtered back down to the base. While the water is filtered and reused, you’ll want to keep an eye on the water level, adding additional water every few weeks.
The pump — and the lights, if you purchase them — are plugged directly into timers that plug into a wall outlet. Set manually, the timers control the water pump and lights based on Lettuce Grow’s recommendations for your location. However, because the timers are separate from the Farmstand equipment itself (but still included with your purchase), you can replace them with smart plugs or different timers if you’d like. In addition to occasionally topping off the water, you’ll need to add nutrients to the water each week.
Keep in mind that if you use the Farmstand inside, you’ll want to purchase Glow Rings to ensure that your plants receive enough light to grow. Lettuce Grow recommends growing seasons of 3–4 months, followed by a full reset, which involves breaking down the machine and washing all of the components thoroughly.
The Lettuce Grow website sells more than 200 varieties of plants that are well suited for hydroponic growing.
Here are the categories the company offers, along with examples of the kinds of seedlings available from each:
- Herbs: sage, cilantro, oregano, dill
- Flowers: viola, dianthus, calendula
- Fruits and vegetables: strawberry, cherry tomato, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, celery
- Leafy greens: lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, cabbage
However, there are some growing limitations. For example, large or heavy foods, like pumpkins or melons, aren’t a good fit for the size of the Farmstand.
Additionally, root vegetables and tubers — like sweet potatoes, turnips, onions, and carrots — aren’t a good option for hydroponic gardening, as they require plenty of soil for their roots to grow.
Hydroponic vegetable gardens offer several benefits, including:
- Makes home-grown food easier and more convenient. Hydroponic gardens like the Farmstand allow you to grow your own food — indoors or outdoors — no matter where you live, making it easier than ever to enjoy locally grown vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
- Uses less water than traditional gardening. Because water continuously cycles through hydroponic gardens, they use significantly less water than traditional gardens. After the initial fill, I only had to add 2–3 gallons (7.6–11.4 litres) every few weeks.
- Faster growing season. Plants in hydroponic systems grow faster than their traditionally grown counterparts, allowing for more harvests in shorter periods. Plus, if you purchase seedling plants, you can shave off 2–3 weeks compared with starting from seed (1Trusted Source).
- Can be used year-round. Even for those who enjoy traditional gardening, hydroponics can be used to extend the growing season. Indoor hydroponic gardens with grow lights can be used year-round, allowing you to grow produce indoors in the middle of winter.
The Bottom Line
The Farmstand is an easy way for beginner and advanced gardeners alike to grow their own food.
Using a hydroponic gardening system, it can be used indoors or outdoors and offers several benefits, including year-round growing seasons, shorter time to harvest, and less water use.
If you’re interested in hydroponics, growing your own food, or taking a crash course in gardening, we highly recommend the Lettuce Grow Farmstand.