As someone who has been responsible for the death of every single pot plant that has been placed in my charge, I was interested to discover a new computerized system that is designed to take the guesswork out of growing houseplants. It's manufacturers say the Click & Grow system takes care of all a plant’s needs such as watering and fertilizing by way of sensors, a processor and special software contained in the pot.
The Click & Grow system doesn’t use soil as a growing medium. Instead it relies on aeroponics - a growing system that grows the plants in an air or mist environment. All failed green thumbs need do is place a plant cartridge containing some seeds into the pot, fill the water tank and upload the proper growth program to the pot and the Click & Grow system will take care of the rest.
Although basic models include notification lights to let growers when the water tank needs refilling, more expensive models will even free growers of this task by collecting water from the air.
Aside from the seeds, the plant cartridge also contains some basic fertilizer and information about the seed type. After the cartridge has been placed into the pot, users then need to connect the pot to a PC via a USB cable to download the appropriate growth program to suit the plant’s needs. The pot then constantly measures all of the parameters affecting plant growth to ensure the plant receives the best of tailored care.
Its makers say the Click & Grow system enables users to grow any houseplant – a cactus, rose, or some other exotic plant that people often find difficult to grow because it takes too much effort. In my case that would include every plant known to man.
The Click & Grow pots will start at around 17 euro, with seed cartridges selling for between 2.5 and 4 euro at nurseries or on the Internet.
The company plans to launch the product in select markets in a few months, but will begin product testing the product in a few weeks. Anyone interested in giving it a go can sign up on the Click & Grow website.
