Growmanji Solar Powered Hydroponic System DWC, Complete Gardening Kit, Nutrients, Solar Powered Aerator, Germination Cubes and Tray Included. Grow Vegetables,Herbs, Flowers Soil Free.Grow Anything!

Finally!Now that I have done several seasons of running the Growmanji through its paces, here is my full review. The time is from when I purchased it to present.After purchasing a couple of the Growmanji solar pump units and finding they worked well, I decided to try out the entire Growmanji kit. I ordered one last spring. It came quickly and in a well packaged box.This kit pretty much contained everything needed to start a small hydroponic project. Inside the box was the solar unit identical to the bait well pumps I purchased previously, a cleverly designed collapsible bucket, its hanging hooks and jacket, net pot, clay “rocks”, nute bags and PH Down a seed starter set, dwarf tomato seeds and most importantly, some well written instructions. The kit also came with an electric pump, extra airline and T-fittings, items I did not expect but it was very thoughtful of the company to include them. Clearly this kit is meant for 24/7 operation like more conventional bubble buckets. I put mine together this way utilizing both power sources.Assembly was easy except for fitting the insulation jacket which was like putting on a tight pair of pants and took some upper body strength to complete. Compressing the bucket slightly eased it on. My bucket had some velcro patches on the bottom but I am not sure what they are for as the jacket does not extend that far. The hook and ring assembly snapped together tightly and is quite strong, the one weak point would be the carabiner hook for the rope. Too much weight and the carabiner can pull open. I did not have such trouble but did note that once filled the container can be quite heavy. Although the Growmanji can be hung up, it can also rest on a table or bench as the hook connectors serve as “feet”.When I expanded the bucket I was surprised at how small it seemed compared to a 3 or 5 gallon bucket but that is deceptive. The reservoir is very deep for its size and combined with the shallow net cup it can hold a large root mass within a compact space. The net cup itself is just tall enough to hold one of four grow blocks that are included in the kit. The rock-like clay pellets are large and irregular which is just as well as the openings in the net cup are very large and some smaller “rocks” inevitably fall through. Fortunately they float for a time. When they finally sink, they tend to “nest” in the pleats. The container can be a little awkward to clean and change and the nutrient salts leave a stubborn crust on the net pot—a problem I get with other water culture buckets.Seed StartingThe seed starter consists of a black container with a clear lid and four rockwool-like grow blocks. Each block has a hole for seeds. The blocks are dry and need to be wetted before use. In their dry state they shed a sawdust-like powder; when wet they can start to break up so they need to be handled carefully. Once the wetted and seeded blocks are placed in the container and a small amount of water or nutrient solution is added, the lid is snapped shut and the whole thing acts like a tiny greenhouse maintaining a constant humidity. Temperature is crucial; if the container gets too cool, the seeds will rot; if it is too hot, the blocks may dry out. It took some trial and error before I got successful germination. I had better luck with peat sponges.ChemistryAll the nutrients listed on the box were present and in bags with color coded labels. The instructions were quite clear on how to mix these nutrients and warned that I should wear gloves when handling PH Down powder. Even so, I wish the PH stabilizer had been in a vial not a bag. In my kit the bag had started to leak. I took a container that formerly held PH sticks and poured the contents into it, preventing a corrosive mess.ElectronicsThe heart of the system is the air pump and the novelty is that the pump is solar powered. A small 6 volt panel drives what I guess is a motor with a turbine or fan for pushing the air. I base that assumption on the torque I feel when it is running and on change in the pitch of its whine when clouds pass in front of the sun. The panel itself appears to have simple wiring with thin leads that can break if manhandled. This actually happened to one of my panels. Fortunately I was able to repair it by sliding off the cover on the connection box and converting the two screws that held down the contacts into improvised terminals. Not all panels will have screws—one of my other panels is soldered. There appears to be no regulator—It is directly powered. It would be nice to have a battery backup. Hopefully that will be a future upgrade.PerformanceThe Growmanji pot uses an air stone to aerate the solution. The pumice-like globe supplied with the kit is well sized for the reservoir. These air stones tend to disintegrate over several months but spares are easy to come by. Bubbling action was vigorous during the late afternoon when the sun was at its strongest; it stopped whenever clouds blocked the sun and resumed when the clouds lifted. I connected the supplied electric pump so that the aeration would be continuous. Although the electric pump was useful, I discovered during winter growing that once the plant was developed enough and had taken up enough of the solution to leave an air gap, the Gromanji functioned very well as a Kratky system. Thus it can run on solar exclusively during the day and be in Kratky mode at night or when the sun is not shining.ResultsIn terms of growing, I had mixed results. The system seems to be designed around the Red Robin tomato but the seeds were hit and miss with germination. Currently I have a two and a half foot tomato growing in the system with the electric air pump. (Panel is being used on another micro dwc) Cucumbers did poorly but sweet basil took off and reached three feet. During the winter, I tried baby Romane lettuce and it grew a beautiful head in the morning sun. A common drawback with this system and bucket systems in general is that they can accommodate only one good sized plant or at most two small plants so they are best suited to leafy herbs, greens and dwarf cherry tomatoes.ConclusionA five gallon bucket grows larger plants and is easier to drain and clean. One or Two Gromanji bait well units can convert a standard five gallon bubble bucket into a solar powered one—I powered a Waterfarm drip ring that way—and make it a better value than the Gromanji. Nonetheless, the system is a nice and complete compact way to get started in solar powered hydro.

I've been growing both through traditional methods and hydroponics for years. I've made countless DIY setups, and have also purchased and installed (for myself or others) prefab hydroponic setups. From the big brands like Aerogarden and General Hydro to the DIT home-depot bucket hacks, I've done it all.And I gotta say, this is one helluva package. First, let's get the negatives out of the way:-The seed packet that came with the kit was for 2016, and most of the seeds were floaters. It's unlikely anything will grow from it. [That said, nobody buys a hydro kit for the seeds; that's like buying a brand-new BMW for the floor mats. I had my own seedlings already prepared when this arrived]- The solar panel is cheaply made (it works, but the guts are precariously glued and fraying; I expect it won't last long)- The net cup has holes that are, in some places, slightly larger than the growing medium pebbles, allowing the pebbles to fall through. [This should be easily fixable with a design revision if the Growmanji team decides to go for a Growmanji v2]- The pump is loud and does not have adjustable setting knob...So why did this still get 5 stars?Even with those issues above, it's simply THE BEST HYDRO DEAL YOU CAN BUY. The container reservoir size is perfect for 1 medium / medium-large plant, and the versatility between the solar power system (which DOES WORK in full sun) and the plug-in pump is something you won't find elsewhere - it even allows for hooking up exclusively to either, or using an (included) connector to use both kits without having to hot-swap out (a great touch).The nutrient package included is package in cheap bags, but the nutrients themselves are extremely high quality, with generous portions that will last (to my calculations) BEYOND a single growing season. Another great touch: the nutrients are separated into component parts, so you can customize and tweak according to your plant's needs. Beyond that, they've included a dedicated spoon for this (it's the little things like that which really make this stand out - I always forget to bring my own special spoon for this, and the Mrs. gets mad at me for using her silverware to measure out hydro nutrients :D).In addition to simple nutrients, they've also included PH modifiers (an absolute MUST if you are a beginner, as you'll likely screw up with your first attempts to mix a solution, use water that's too basic, and end up with a PH that's higher than what your plant would need), and a very generous amount of PH paper, which [again] is an entirely unnecessary but hugely appreciated touch, as it helps me get a second-opinion from my digital PH monitor (which can sometimes be thrown out-of-whack and which requires expensive calibration fluid to maintain baselines).Beyond that, I was surprised to see ADDITIONAL airstones! I knew I would get 1, but in total I received 3 with my package: I assume the second is for being able to run the plug-in setup without having to unplug the solar setup, but having a replacement airstone is fabulous.Additional little things - from hanging clips for the Growmanji, to a stand for the solar panel, to growing medium and germination case (really just a plastic-lidded "takeout"-style container, but still quite functional for its purpose) for seeds, create a sort of "all in one" kit.Factor in the other things like the extra tubing, the quick shipping, the clear nutrient instructions (for any beginners looking to get their mix on), and you've got something that is truly special. I'd love to see a larger version.Bottom line: it's a helluva deal. I've never seen anything so utterly all-inclusive in all my years of hydroponic growing. It brings new meaning to the phrase "just add water."

Update: I returned the package with the leak and corroded metal part of the hanging wire and ordered a replacement. The replacement package didn't have any sort of hanging mechanism. I don't care enough to return this product a second time, but just beware...you might not get all the parts. Check the box carefully.That said, I did try out both the solar panel pump and the electric pump, and both worked pretty well. I thought they were both equally powerful bubblers. They are a bit loud, but there are ways to cut down the noise. I put the solar pump outside and snaked the hose inside to the indoor tomato plant I'm growing...don't hear a thing. If you don't want to do that, I'm sure you could cover the pump with something to reduce the noise, or put it in a room where the noise won't bother you. I'm excited to see if this thing works, and I do appreciate getting both kinds of pump.First review:The Ph adjuster leaked all over everything and even corroded the metal on the hanging wire. The photos here show the metal wire AFTER I cleaned off all the green crud. Plus, the Ph adjuster did not come double bagged, as shown here; I had to put the leaking Ph in another bag to prevent it from getting all over the place. The directions say to use gloves when handling this stuff, so you'd think the chemical would come better packaged! After all, I didn't wear gloves when I cleaned everything, and I didn't realize I shouldn't be getting the stuff on my hands until afterwards.I can't comment on anything else because I haven't used this yet. I was so excited about this product, but I did really want to hang it. Now I'm worried the metal on the hanging wire is too corroded to hold up. I also wonder if the solar panel and pump will work now, so I think I'll be returning this.