Hydroponics? Hydroponic lettuce grow, what you say?! I’ve known for a little while what Hydroponics are and I have a vague notion of how it works. I have this friend Eve who lives in Austin and she keeps posting these pictures of this adorable 5 foot tall maybe even 6 ft tall white tower that has all these little holes in it and in each hole there is a little seedling and over the last few months I have virtually watch her seedlings grow into full-size plants.
They are literally taking over this white tower and it is the coolest looking thing I’ve ever seen. She posts pictures of her harvest of cucumbers and zucchini and beans and herbs and, as a somewhat self nominated greenthumb, I was very intrigued. AND it doesn’t hurt that the super quirky actress Zoey Deschanel is a founder of this amazing little growing tower.
So naturally I did what every other normal adult on the face of the planet does and I stalked her Facebook page. lol. I checked out all the different photos she’s been posting of the plants as they’re growing, the stuff that she’s harvesting and reading everybody’s comments on how cool it looks and how you take care of it and things like that.
So then I simply sent her a Facebook message and said “tell me about this. What is this? what’s going on over there” and she sends me to a link for this site called Lettuce Grow. So I go and check it out; WOW! I’m so amazed, I’m so impressed, I’m so excited, it’s a totally cool concept, great, natural looking products as well as a really cool design.
so easy, so simple & visual aids for your grow
The tower is made up of multiple units that stack on top of each other. Each unit makes up its own hourglass-like shape, so when the water is pumped through the center of the tower it starts to dissipate from the lid.
The water trickles down through each of these hourglass shapes watering the pods holding the seedlings that are strategically placed inside these units.
See my pictures here and below. It makes a whole lot more sense if you see what I’m talking about. There are multiple sizes you can order and they ask you to take a questionnaire first to see which tower would be best for your homelife.
They have live text chatting on the site and answered ALL my annoying and not so annoying questions. SUPER EASY!
Needless to say of course the biggest question is how much does this baby cost? I’m here to tell you that if you own a pair of Louboutin shoes, the tower is probably the equivalent of your favorite pair.
However if you check out how much it costs to buy the equivalent of all the above-ground planters, soil and all the other tools and stuff you need, that cost makes sense. I also did a price comparison of the cost of the seedlings.
cost comparison, lettuce grow and Louboutin
Lettuce Grow is $2 per seedling and at Home Depot and other places they start at $3.57 per seedling and they don’t offer refunds when something dies. The website does a good job of calling it an “investment” . They also offer monthly payment plans so that it doesn’t hurt so much when your credit card bill comes in.
I spent the last seven or eight months thinking about it, hemming and hawing about it and having no business whatsoever spending the equivalent of the price of a pair of “Fancy shoes” on a garden tower.
So of course, naturally, I said screw that and ordered one. (in case you are wondering, I also own a pair of Louboutin shoes and even though they are beautiful, they HURT LIKE HELL to wear- so buying the Lettuce Grow tower is a better use of your money).
Buying this hydroponic beauty was the best thing I have done in quite some time! I cannot tell you the amount of happiness that I have every time I step out onto my back porch and see my beautiful hydroponics tower of plants growing in front of me.
I literally smile, grin, take deep breaths and just soak in the beauty that is the garden that I’m growing on my porch. Added bonus!
Your tower comes with a timer and is set depending on the different region of the country or to the temperatures in your area to run at different intervals of time. So for right now, my tower is set to run every 15 minutes and be off every 15 minutes and at night it’s off for a hundred and twenty minutes.
lettuce grow, small things equal big joy
Every morning when my dog decides he needs to go out for the potty (at 6:45am) we make our way outside. And almost every time we go out the water pump is running. It’s like having a fountain in your backyard without all of the birds diving in it and chemicals you have to put in and the things that might be growing in it when you’re not using it. It is one of the most peaceful sounds that I have found in my life right now.
It sounds so ridiculous but especially now, during covid, the little things in life seem to make the most significant impact. We’ve all been staying in our homes for 4, 5. 6 months straight struggling with our mental health, struggling with finding ways to stay connected, to stay grounded.
And I wish I had ordered this thing months ago. I wish it had been created years ago. It is just bringing me pure joy. Every day I check on it, I look to see what plants are growing, I look to see who’s going to be ready for me to harvest and I think about how and what I’m going to make with my veggies that I’m harvesting.
I’ve got so many lettuce and arugula, I’m super excited for the cauliflower broccoli zucchini and cucumbers that will be growing soon! Trust me I’m going to be posting all over Facebook so just watch out world because here comes my hydroponic tower (that I have lovingly named Hercules) I have no idea why but that’s what I’ve named him and that’s what we’re going with.
I find myself looking for opportunities and people to tell about Lettuce Grow. I want my favorite little tea shop, McHugh’s Tea Room, to get two medium size towers for their patio seating. The ability to walk outside and gather herbs and other things for her little cafe as well as the ambiance and beautiful waterfall sounds would make such an addition to her space!
My friend Kate from work needs one too! Her very energetic dog would stay out of it and she has such a green thumb I know she would enjoy it as much as I do. It is also such a great opportunity to teach her 4 year old about gardening, hydroponics, and other “sciencey” things. I can’t wait for him to see mine. My friend Teresa just bought a 3 story condo near downtown. He has several patios but she also has a rooftop area that this guy would look AMAZING sitting on top of.
So if you want a little joy in your life check these guys out. The company is called “Lettuce grow” if you want a discount code let me know. Apparently I can share a code with you and you get a discount and I get a discount on my next order so it’s a win-win for both of us!
They are based out of Austin, shipping for the tower and your first order of seedlings is free. The instructions are IDIOT proof and if you are still confused the tutorial videos are great. Before you buy though make sure you have a spot in your yard that gets several hours of good sun! I had to move mine around a bit to find the perfect spot without having to rip out some crepe myrtles.
And now let’s talk about the lettuce grow app, it’s everything!
Did I mention the APP?! They have an APP! Every week it sends you a reminder to check your water levels (they provide the pH test kit and the necessary fertilizer etc to add weekly).
The app also has a “barcode” LEAF scanner in case you cannot tell your zucchini from your watermelon. You simply point your camera at the leaf and it tells you what you have.
The app has all your plants in your account so you always know what’s growing. They even send you a message when it’s time to harvest certain plants and time to leave other plants alone.
They have the greatest YouTube videos that show you exactly how to harvest them. Some plants you’re going to harvest the entire pod and then plant something new and other plants you’re just taking cuttings and leaving to continue to grow.
The app tells you everything! I love the fact that I get to pretend that I’m a super awesome greenthumb and impress all my friends with what I know about my plants but in reality it’s Lettuce Grow that knows everything and they’re just making me look good. Thanks guys wink.
You can even order plants from the app! CRAZY right? BTW they have text support! YES! TEXT support! I texted them before the hurricane and asked about bringing Hercules inside. THEY ANSWERED ME! And continued to do so until all questions were answered. I sent them a pic of my one seedling that didn’t make it and they added a credit to my account. It was that simple. Try to get Home Depot to do that to one of their plants you buy. Good luck!
If you want to come over and check mine out and see what it’s all about you know how to find me, you know where I live and you know that most of the time I don’t leave my house.
Come through the back gate, check it out, sit and have a cup of coffee on the patio with me and enjoy the peaceful sounds of my “water fountain”. Come over for a puppy playdate, whatever floats your boat. Don’t forget as always I have arts and crafts supplies strewn all over my living room so feel free to partake in some of that as well
As always, have a great day. I’dI love to hear your feedback. Let me know if you have a Lettuce Grow hydroponic tower or if you’re interested in getting one or if you want a discount code or if you just want to talk about the awesome food that I’m going to be making.