Here are the main items to consider when deciding on which Foody Tower is best for you.

Foody 8 Tower

• Uses soil in each of the stackable growing pods.
• Only the base reservoir is hydroponic and holds water and liquid nutrients.
• Each growing pod has 8 planting pockets for plants.
• Seeds and/or small plants may be planted directly into the soil.
• Those plants in the growing pods need to be watered by hand.
• It’s best to replace plants and soil two to three times a year because the growing pods fill up with roots and need to be emptied.
• Inexpensive.
• Easiest to set up.
• Can be used indoors and outdoors.
• Comes with 4 growing pods providing space for 40 plants.

Foody 8 Hydroponic Tower

• Uses growing medium (purchased separately) in each of the growing pods
• The tower has more parts and therefore takes about 20 minutes longer to set up than the Foody 8 Tower.
• Each growing pod has 8 planting pockets for plants.
• Seeds need to be planted into grow plugs, then once roots have emerged from the bottom side of the grow plugs they can be moved into the planting pockets on the tower.
• Small plants may be planted directly into the planting pockets provided most of their soil is washed off first.
• Plants will grow more quickly than in soil. This is because the user determines and controls the nutrient content of the water.
• System will use less than 10% of the water normally used on soil gardens.
• Watering system is automatic. User just needs to add water and nutrients to the base reservoir every 3-7 days depending on weather, size and quantity of plants being grown.
• Is important to monitor pH and the total nutrient salt levels. Purchase of a pH meter and a digital salt meter is necessary.
• Liquid nutrients need to be added to the system usually every 5-10 days depending on plant size and growth rate.
• Can be used indoors and outdoors.
• It’s best to replace plants two to three times a year since the growing pods will eventually fill up with roots and need to be emptied.
• Some growing mediums, such as Hydroton, can usually be re-used a number of times. When re-using medium, clean and rinse it well prior to re-insertion in the growing pods.
• Cost of liquid nutrients usually runs $30 to $50 per year per tower.
• This tower handles outside temperature well and is recommended if using outdoors in hot climates.
• Depending on climatic factors, plants, and type of growing medium used, the submersible pump may not need to run constantly. A timer is provided.
• May be ordered with 4 growing pods providing space for 40 plants.
• May be ordered with optional growing pod rotational motor. This is for indoor use only and helps all plants receive exposure to natural or installed grow lights. Vertical T5 grow-light systems are available on our website which provide excellent lighting.

Foody 12 Hydroponic Tower

• Each plant has its own net pot which allows for the easy planting. Plants may also be easily removed.
• Each growing pod has 12 planting pockets.
• This tower takes about 30 minutes longer to set up than the Foody 8 Tower.
• Seeds may be planted into grow plugs and grown until their roots have emerged from the underside of the plug. They may then be placed into the net pots in the tower.
• Optionally, small plants may be planted directly into the net pots provided most of their soil is washed off first.
• This is a deep water hydroponic system, which uses only water and nutrients inside each of the growing pods. Growing medium, if desired, is ONLY used as a top dressing in the small net pots.
• Plants may grow very quickly as the user determines and controls the nutrient content of the water.
• This system has an automatic water siphoning system which ensures that plant roots will receive plenty of oxygen as well as liquid nutrients.
• This system uses less than 10% of the water that would be needed if plants were grown in soil.
• Watering system is automatic. User just needs to add water and nutrients to the base reservoir every 3-7 days depending on size and quantity of plants being grown.
• It is important to monitor pH and the total nutrient salt levels. Purchase of a pH meter or measuring system as well as a digital salt meter is necessary.
• Excellent for year-round indoor use. May also be used outdoors providing average temperatures don’t exceed 85-95 degrees regularly.
• It’s best to replace plants at least two to three times a year since the growing pods eventually fill up with roots and need to be emptied.
• Cost of liquid nutrients usually runs $30 to $50 per year per tower.
• The submersible pump on this tower constantly circulates water and nutrients 24/7 or may be set on a timer for short off-periods.
• Towers come with 3 growing pods and hold 44 total plants.
• May be ordered with optional growing pod rotational motor. This helps ensure that all plants receive exposure to natural or installed grow lights. Vertical T5 grow-light systems are available on our website which provide excellent lighting.