Gardening can be fun, but it can also be a grueling, time-consuming process to keep your plant life, herbs, vegetables, and flowers in your garden in pristine condition and flourishing.
There are plenty of high-tech gardening tools that can help make gardening easier for both pro gardeners and novices, by simplifying or automating tasks or even keeping an eye out for critters. We’ve rounded up some of the best high tech gardening tools on the market in 2020.
Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller
Instead of running in and out to turn on the lawn sprinklers, or having to ask a family member or neighbor to water your garden for you while you’re away, the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller will intelligently do the work for you. You can control it remotely from the companion app, either initiating a water cycle when needed or setting a schedule so the plants are watered at consistent intervals.
It even has automatic weather adjustments, so it won’t water when it’s raining, and you can input details about the types of plants you have and the sun exposure for better accuracy. Plus, it works with Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to sit on your deck with a beer and instruct the Controller to start watering while you relax. It’s a great way to free yourself from the garden hose.
Husqvarna Automower 450X AWD Series Robotic Lawn Mower
While you are tending to the garden, the smart mower can take care of your lawn, mowing autonomously with LED headlights and remote object detection. It can mow a lawn up to 1.25 acres and grass that’s as tall as 2.4 inches. Charge it for about an hour to get 270 minutes of mowing time. A patented onboard GPS system creates a map of your lawn to intelligently determine where it has already mowed, so it operates efficiently. Guide wires are used to set boundaries.
It comes equipped with a large LCD and works with the Automower Connect smartphone app, so you can control it from anywhere. New functionality was recently added to the app that provides access to information about tools, such as technical specifications, parts and accessories lists, maintenance history, manuals, and more. The mower also works with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control. It does, however, require professional installation.
Click and Grow Smart Garden 9
Not everyone has a green thumb or the ability or space to set up a garden outdoors. That’s why indoor herb gardens like the Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 are now trending. It’s an indoor-friendly, self-growing garden that automatically waters the plants, provides sufficient lighting through pro-grow lights, and provides the necessary nutrients and oxygen at the root level thanks to the soil.
It works alongside the companion app, so you can monitor your plant’s progress and grow everything from herbs to fruits and flowers without pesticides or GMOs. You can use the proprietary pre-seeded plant pods, of which there are more than 50 options, or your own seeds. The garden comes with one set of capsules including three tomato plants, three basil, and three lettuce. Grab it in white, gray, or beige and set up your own garden in the kitchen.
Nest Cam Outdoor
The Nest Cam Outdoor isn’t technically just a high-tech gardening tool, but it can totally be used as one. Set one up by your garden and keep an eye on what pests might be attacking your plants.
You can create a time-lapse video of your garden so you can watch your plants, fruits, vegetable garden, herbs, or flowers growing in real time. The camera is weatherproof, though you will need to run a cable to keep it powered up. A Nest Aware subscription (starting at about $6 per month) is required for continuous recording. You can choose either continuous or event-based recording. It’s a hefty investment for the device plus the subscription. But, if you have been having issues with pests or plants not growing properly, it might be worth it to pinpoint the issue. Plus, if you position it perfectly, it can serve as added security for your backyard or front door.
Tertill Weed-Eating Robot
Imagine a robot that can take down those pesky weeds that are constantly infiltrating your garden, thus freeing you from using weed killer. That’s what the Tertill Weed-Eating Robot promises to do. The solar-powered, weatherproof weeding robot senses plants that are tall enough to touch the front of its shell and turns away from them, but for plants short enough to pass under the shell, it will turn on the weed cutter. It comes with metal guides you can place around smaller seedlings and sprouts to make sure the robot doesn’t accidentally chop them to bits.
The smart weed destroyer can maintain a garden from 10 to 20 feet in size, and it uses Bluetooth to pair with your smartphone so you can keep track of progress.
Dr. Meter Soil Moisture Sensor
One of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy garden is making sure the soil has the right moisture at all times. The Dr. Meter Soil Moisture Sensor isn’t quite as high-tech as the other items on this list, but it is a handy tool that lets you test your soil to make sure you are providing the optimal conditions for plant growth.
Push the 8-inch stem into the soil to penetrate it at the root level and measure the soil’s moisture content based on a 10-point color-coded scale, from dry to moist to wet. This gives you an idea of when and if you need to water your plants to avoid overwatering or not watering enough. It doesn’t require any batteries or power and is compact and portable, making it a good tool to add to any gardener’s arsenal. It’s also great if you’re trying to grow tomatoes in pots.
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