The Click and Grow computerized pot-plant system that first caught our eye last year in prototype form has had a few refinements and has now gone into full-scale production and is ready for sale. Perfect for those without the time or green thumb to successfully grow indoor plants but who still have the desire for a touch of Mother Nature indoors, the Click & Grow is an automated planter pot system designed to make growing plants a set and forget activity.
The Click and Grow system consists of a planter pot that is powered by four AA batteries and features sensors that monitor the various parameters affecting the plant's growth. There's no need for soil as the system uses aeroponics, which grows the plants in an air or mist environment. Seeds are "planted" using special cartridges that contain the seeds, nutrients and - unlike the previous prototypes which needed to be connected to a PC via USB - the software that provides the pot with all the information for growing the specific plant.
Once a cartridge has been inserted into the pot, all the user needs do is refill the water reservoir every month or so depending on the temperature of the house, and replace the batteries about every eight months. Once the current plant has reached the end of its life cycle, the plant cartridge can be replaced to grow a new plant. The pots can only grow one plant at a time and the plants can't be replanted outside the Click and Grow system.
"Every year, more than 30 billion euros in houseplants are thrown away," says Click and Grow CEO Mattias Lepp. "No one can single-handedly save all those plants, but wouldn't it be nice if the average houseplant could be around longer than its current two-month average?"
The Click and Grow pots measure 20 x 20 x 7 cm (7.87 x 7.87 x 2.75 inches), with a choice of six seed cartridges currently on offer and another 50 set to follow soon. The pots retail for EUR59 in Europe, GBP49 in the U.K. and US$79 in the U.S., which includes a cartridge of Busy Lizzy seeds to kick things off. Additional plant cartridges, including French Marigold, Basil MIX and Painted Nettle range in price from 5 to 8 euro.
Product site: Click and Grow.
