Don’t really have a green thumb? Would you like to grow your own vegetables or herbs? It is possible with the help of a smart garden at home. This is a container that is divided into smaller containers, where technology ensures that your plants grow to the top. Very convenient, but it also has its downside.
smart garden at home
A smart garden, or smart garden, is a way to grow your own vegetables. The idea is that you make sure that you have some small things at home, such as tomato or mint. They grow and flourish in that container system. Examples of smart gardens are Click and Grow and AeroGarden. They have many advantages, but there are certainly also considerable disadvantages to the smart garden.
Advantage of smart garden at home: you don’t have to be a gardener to be successful
The main advantage of a smart garden is that you don’t have to have green fingers for it. You can also start a garden without plant knowledge or experience and be successful. Where it is difficult for other plants to think about when they want water, how much water they want and when they have to change pots, in a smart garden that is not a worry: the technology regulates the perfect conditions: you only have to do it a few times water in the storage when your garden indicates so and the device can continue for a while.
Disadvantage of smart garden at home: it is a bit boring that everything is done for you
As useful as the above is, it does take the hobby part out of gardening a bit. After all, you don’t have to worry about your plants so much that you spend less time with them. You also have less problems with your plants because everything is done for you, making it a very passive way of gardening. It’s a bit like putting something in the oven: you can only watch it develop further.
Advantage: you ‘always’ have something to eat at home
Initially, of course, the vegetables from your pods still have to grow, but in principle you have the option at some point to either set up several smart gardens, or by smart planning your pods you will always have some ripeness to pick. – have vegetables at home. Delicious a tomato for a salad or pasta sauce, or a tasty strawberry for bread or on the cake. With such a smart garden you always have something to grow and bloom that you can actually eat.
Disadvantage: you are dependent on pods from the manufacturer
Tomatoes and strawberries are delicious, but what if you want to grow a completely different vegetable? Your choice depends on the manufacturer’s pods. They have exactly the right weight, seed and other properties, so that the growing process with the smart garden runs smoothly. Because of these pods, you are only dependent on the manufacturer: both in terms of the range of types of plants and availability. Suppose a manufacturer decides to stop tomorrow, then you have a smart garden, but no more filling.
Advantage: There are many pods to choose from
The advantage of those pods is that you have a lot of choice. You will also receive them clearly presented, so that you do not have to dig yourself which plants can be cultivated. At Click & Grow, for example, you can choose from more than 75 pods, including herbs, vegetables and flowers. This way you immediately know what is and what is not possible and new pods are often added to try out again.
Disadvantage: the pods make eating vegetables very expensive
The disadvantage is that the pods are relatively expensive. Three plants is easily 10 euros, which means that buying a box of tomatoes yourself in the store is always cheaper. Now of course you have not seen the pleasure of the self grow and they are less fresh, but it is good to realize that this futuristic pod life does have a price tag. A bag of seeds in the garden center is many times cheaper.
Advantage: it looks very futuristic in design
With their often white appearance, which is further enhanced by the LED lamps, such a smart garden looks very modern. Especially with those little plants that come straight out of that container, it seems like you’re in a science fiction movie in which you are the only hope for the survival of the flora of the earth. It is nice that the design is so beautiful, because partly because of that light it is an eye-catcher.
Disadvantage: it does take up a lot of space
That eye-catcher does need space, however. The plants must still have room to grow, which means that the pods are not installed crammed next to each other. Nice for your green friends, but it means that you have to have some space in your house if you want to put one or more smart gardens in your house.
Advantage: you can go on holiday with peace of mind
While you really have to ask the neighbors to water your plants during a two-week holiday, that is not necessary with a smart garden. You fill the reservoir with water and the smart garden does the rest. You can even control the lamp from a distance (on some specimens), allowing you to take care of your plants even from your holiday destination.
Disadvantage: the app is not very smart
Dealing with the plants via the app is just not that extensive. A smart garden can mainly be manipulated in terms of when the light comes on. Other than that, there isn’t much to discover. That’s a shame, because more statistics about your plants would be interesting.
Advantage of smart garden at home: vegetables all year round
Where in the Netherlands you can certainly not grow certain vegetables all year round, that is a thing of the past with a smart garden. You can plant chilies and peas every day without waiting for the best conditions. After all, partly because of its light, it is a kind of mini-greenhouse, but open.
Disadvantage of smart garden at home: the yield of your ‘harvest’ is quite small
Finally, there is one more drawback to the smart garden, which is that the yield from a pod is quite small. So you still need a message regularly, because the harvest is a bit disappointing, especially if you also have to share with roommates. So don’t expect full trees and shrubs full of delicious treats: you get fairly modest portions.
