Gardening Gadgets
Advances in technology have helped make some of the most arduous tasks a little bit easier. Often these innovations improve our lives inside our homes, but what about getting some help for outside our houses?
Here are a few gadgets for the garden:
Garden Plan Pro
With planting guides and recommendations, the Garden Plan Pro app will help you perfect your garden. It uses data from more than 6,500 weather stations in 20 countries to give recommended planting and harvesting dates for your area. Garden Plan Pro also has drawing tools and crop rotation warnings. It recommends natural pest treatments and offers detailed watering recommendations. Compatible with an iPhone or iPad. Free to download. Premium subscription is $1.99 a month.
Smart Sprinkler Controls
Give your garden the proper watering it needs. The Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller automatically adjusts for the weather and season through its intuitive technology. The app allows users to track their watering schedule from anywhere. Its Weather Intelligence technology will help ensure you water the garden at the most appropriate times, adjusting for weather changes. Compatible with Amazon’s Alexa. Starts at $149.
Seedling Heat Mat
By providing consistent temperatures, a seedling heat map can be invaluable when growing plants from seed. The VIVOSUN heat mat says it maintains temperatures around 68-86 degrees. With advanced far-infrared heating technology it offers optimal conditions for speeding up germination and accelerating the growth rate. A controller allows users to set a temperature or change the display between Fahrenheit and Celsius. Starts at $29.99
Smart Watering Pot
Keep your plants nourished whether you are home or away. A Catleza Smart Pot, made from recycled material, is a self-watering pot. It is weather resistant (UV stabilized and frost resistant). Simple six-step instructions are repeated every 10 days. Comes in various shapes and colors. Starts at $25.95
Robotic Lawn Mower
Like an indoor vacuum cleaner, robotic lawn mowers do the work for you. A Gardena Sileno City mower automatically mows yards up to 2,700 square feet. Users can set up auto scheduling via an app. Collision sensors ensure the mower operates safely. The Sileno mows through poor weather and offers a “quiet motor” with a decibel level of 57dbA. Starts at $799.
Garden Pollinators
Sometimes we can’t rely on natural life to pollinate our gardens. We need a little help. The VegiBee Garden Pollinator (handheld) uses sonic vibrations to shake pollen out of a flower. Its system adds a pollen spoon to capture all the released pollen so more flowers on the same vegetable plant can be pollinated. Starts at $29.99
Soil Tester
Make planting easier by keeping track of soil temperature. This 4-in-1 tester measures the soil’s moisture, pH, temperature and sunlight levels. The technology lets users know when water is needed and determines if plants have enough light. Get readings within 10 seconds of inserting into soil. Starts at $19.99.
