There’s no doubt that technological advancements have made our lives better in numerous ways. A wide range of technological advances has made humans more efficient, effective, reliable, and less wasteful. Just as you can rely on smart devices to start and stop lights in your home, or a fitness app that records your steps, it’s time for the garden to benefit from the same modern technologies.
In this article, we’ll look at how we can take advantage of technology to make our garden easier to manage. We’ll talk about what smart gardening is, and how even a small garden can benefit from it.
What Does Smart Gardening Mean?
Gardeners who use technology to make gardening duties more accessible or more efficient are referred to as “smart gardeners.” An automated irrigation system controlled by timers is a good example of a smart gardening technique. This helps run the garden, and does so with little to no input from the gardener once it’s set up.
This is just one example, there are countless others that can help make your garden maintenance more efficient. There are virtually no limits to how modern technology and smart gardening tools may improve your gardening skills and productivity.
Many people think of smart gardening as something done primarily in commercial grows, but that’s not necessarily true. As we’ll see below, there are a number of smart options that even small gardens can take advantage of.
What are The Advantages of Utilizing Smart Gardening Techniques?
Before jumping into building a smart garden it’s important to understand what benefits it can provide you. Here are a couple of key benefits that can help you decide whether a smart garden is right for you.
Saves Time
First off, setting up a smart garden can save you time in reduced care needed to cultivate it. Having automated senses, for example, means you’ll need to check your garden less frequently. Another example, having your grow lights on timers will also save you time having to manage their schedule.
Saves Money
Certain elements of smart gardening can also save you money. Having things like automated water and lighting ensures that you’re not using more than is needed. This not only saves you money, but can also help you be less wasteful from a sustainability perspective.
Larger Crops
Smart gardening also helps you care for your plants better, which in turn can lead to larger harvests. Properly cared for plants always produce better, and having a smart garden makes it easier to provide that care.
Easier Maintenance
Lastly, smart gardens are often easier to maintain since much of the care can be automated. This means there will be less guesswork in what needs to be done or in having to remember previous care. Much basic care can be automated, leaving you free to focus on more advanced tasks.
What to Do Before You Start a Smart Garden
First, evaluate your current garden systems before making any significant purchases or investments in these often-expensive gadgets. Think about the benefits above, and make sure that the end result is worth the effort. Not every garden needs to be smart, and that’s perfectly fine.
You’ll also want to decide which pieces of a smart garden are going to be most beneficial to you. If you frequently forget to turn on your grow lights then purchasing a light timer might be a good first step. Remember, you don’t have to do everything all at once. Small and steady steps are often the best and easiest.
Lastly, it’s always a good idea to come up with a budget and stick to it. It’s easy to go overboard, so starting with a hard cap in mind is a good way to help ensure you don’t spend more than you can afford to.
Tools to Start Your Smart Garden With
Below, we’ve compiled a handy shopping list for enthusiastic, smart gardeners. This isn’t an exhaustive list of options, but it’s an excellent place to start and covers some of the most popular smart gardening tools.
Smart Indoor Garden Systems
Smart indoor garden systems are popular among urban farmers because they can supply light, automatic watering, fertilization, and regulate heat levels. Seeds are sown, and then the machine takes care of the rest.
These are full systems that control every aspect of growing, and are great for those looking for a low maintenance way of gardening. The downside is that they are often limited in how much crop they can produce and can be quite pricey.
Smart Garden Sensors
Checking on plants each day can be a time consuming task, especially for those with large gardens. Using garden sensors can help save some of this time, and make the whole process easier.
There are a variety of garden sensors on the market that can check different aspects of your plants’ health. This can include things like soil moisture, humidity, and soil PH.
Smart Sprinklers and Waterers
There are a huge variety of smart watering systems on the market, from in ground sprinklers to pot based systems. These can help you keep the ideal amount of water in your soil, and also ensure that watering continues even when you’re not home. Certain varieties can also be controlled via mobile apps.
For more low-tech solutions, you can use vertical watering systems like this. This isn’t quite the same as a smart sprinkler, but stays in the same spirit by making your gardening maintenance easier.
Apps for gardening
As gardening becomes more popular a wide variety of apps have popped up that can help make planning and running your garden easier. The uses of these apps are varied, and which ones will be best for you depend on your goals.
For example, some apps can help you identify your plants along with common issues it might face. These can give you tips on how to treat a specific plant or nurse a sick plant back to health. This can be a huge help if you’re running into problems and not sure how to fix them.
Other apps provide planning help for larger gardens. If you’re building a large outdoor garden, for example, these apps help you plan it out and give advice on space needed depending on your chosen crops. This can be a huge help to make sure you’re providing the proper spacing and not overcrowding your plants.
How To Start A Smart Garden
With all the above in mind, you’re well equipped to start employing smart garden techniques to make your garden easier to manage. The best place to start is where your garden needs the most work.
If, for example, you’re a forgetful waterer, then going with a smart watering solution will probably give you the biggest bang for your buck. Consider what’s going to have the biggest impact on your garden and start with that.
There really is no right or wrong answer here though. Gardening is a very personal hobby, so don’t be afraid to try out new things and see what works.
Do you use any of the above mentioned smart gardening techniques, or something we didn’t mention? Let us know! We love to hear about how our readers manage their gardens, and what types of techniques they use to make their garden journey easier.
