How do you feel when you step into your garden? For most people, their garden is their sanctuary and refuge. It is a quiet place where they can escape from the hustle and bustle of the world and take a few moments to themselves. A garden can also feel like a wonderful timeless place that connects you with everyone else who has gardened and grown their own food.
Maintaining a garden can be fun and all, but sometimes it can also get a bit mundane. We live in a technological age where everything has been made easier and more efficient by technology. The garden is no exception. Keep reading for a quick look at the high tech gadgets you must install in your garden. These wonderful little devices can make gardening so much easier and improve your yields all at the same time.
Plant Sensors
Plant sensors, as the name suggests, track temperature, light levels, air humidity, soil moisture, soil nutrition, and more. They are great for those who have a life outside of the garden and has to worry about their job, their family, or other things. Like most smart sensors, a good plant sensor is able to connect to an Android or iOS device and send notifications about the current garden conditions. There are more advanced sensors that have databases on all manner of garden plants and grasses. These sensors make it easy to choose the right plants for your garden based on growing conditions. They also offer plenty of helpful advice if something goes wrong.
Commercial farmers have been using plant sensors for years now, but they have now reached the point they are commercially viable for the mass market. Even hobbyist gardeners can afford these wonderful sensors. Want to take your plant sensor to the next step? Find one that connects to an irrigation system. They connect straight to your watering equipment and also sync up with your phone for advanced garden control.
Automated Sprinklers
When was the last time you updated your sprinklers? If it’s been a while, then maybe you should think about doing it. Old sprinkler systems can be difficult to program and confusing to use at the best of times. Modern sprinkler systems are more intuitive and are easier to integrate with the rest of your garden. There are smart sprinklers and irrigation controllers that can be hooked up to a smart phone and controlled via your phone, or just manually.
One of the best things about using automated sprinklers is that they make it easy to water your landscape just the right amount. It’s all too easy to over-water or under-water a garden. Having precise control over how much water your garden gets is of particular importance to those in areas that see a lot of draught or a lot of rainfall.
Robotic Lawn Mowers
These robotic lawnmowers are essentially like a Roomba that you keep in your yard. Much like a Roomba vacuums your floors, a robotic lawn mower mows the lawn as you relax in a lounge chair, watching the world go by. While these devices are an excellent way to manage one of the most arduous parts of lawn maintenance, they can be quite expensive. The price range is varied, with some models costing a few hundred dollars and some costing upwards of a few thousand. Another potential problem is their ability to cut grass. Some of them only trim grass a little so they have to be used more often than if you were to manually cut your grass yourself. It’s not too much of a problem though, given that it’s still not you cutting it.
ScareCrow
No this isn’t a scarecrow; a man made from straw and wood to keep birds out. This is a ScareCrow; a device that looks more like an automated sprinkler than a strawman. When any kind of garden pest shows up – such as a cat, a racoon, or a bird – the motion sensors pick them up and fire a jet of water to scare them away. Don’t worry as the animals are not harmed by the spray, merely surprised to the point they run away. The downside of these wonderful devices is that there’s so much demand for them it might be hard to find one.
What Does the Future Hold for Gardening Gadgets?
One way to look at gardening gadgets is to see them the same way people see books. There are some people that have no problem using ebooks and e-readers while others swear by physical books and refuse to read electronic ones. Think of gadgets in the garden as being like an e-reader. Some people will prefer the simplicity of being able to use automated systems to manage their garden while they are away or when they are tired, while others will prefer getting their hands dirty and garden the old-fashioned way. Most people will likely be a combination of the two; using gadgets to take care of mundane and arduous tasks while still stretching their green thumb. Find a balance that suits you and your garden.
