Encyclopedia of Fire Safety

Smart flower pots. Smart Pots Smart Pot

Do you dream of landscaping your windowsill or having a home garden, but just can’t find the time? Regular watering, spraying, pest control and fertilization seem like overwhelming tasks. Work takes all your strength and the cactus at the monitor is all you can do? There is a solution - the technological Click & Crow pot.

What it is?

I’ll say right away, after several months of using Click & Crow, I am completely delighted with it and my opinion is just the feeling from the result that I got.

A smart pot, smartpot, as manufacturers affectionately call it, is a digital device equipped with a processor, sensors and special software. By using software the device itself controls the required amount of water for the plant, and the light indicator on the front panel determines the status of the device.

The plant grows from a special cartridge that contains a soil mixture of minerals and organic fertilizers. There are also seeds there. Cartage can be filled with seeds different plants: chili pepper, like mine, cherry tomatoes, various herbs and flowers. What I like most is the ability to change plant cartridges. When a plant has outlived its useful life or you want something new, you can easily choose a new plant by replacing just the cartridge. However, the pot itself should not be changed.

How it works?

To start growing a plant in Potty Click& Crow doesn't need to be a scientist. First you need to purchase a starter kit, which includes the pot itself and one cartridge with a plant of your choice, stock up on four AA batteries and a liter pure water. Insert the batteries into the pot, install the cartridge there, fill the water to the maximum level, choose a well-lit place and you're done. Depending on the plant you choose, the first shoots will appear within two weeks.

The packaging of the pot is made in the form of an illustrated instruction manual, which describes in detail the steps to start the work process. The color signals of the front panel indicator are also described there. The indicator flashes every 5 minutes. Green signal indicates that everything is in order, blue reminds you that it’s time to add water. In addition to these two colors, there is also red, indicating the imminent death of the batteries, purple and yellow, which warn of errors with the batteries or cartridge. Apart from the colorful packaging, which I do not recommend throwing away, all detailed instructions instructions for use, as well as Full description and a range of plants can be viewed on the colorful Click & Crow website. There you can purchase the device itself or additional cartridges. By the way, before purchasing I had several questions regarding the operation of the device, delivery and other things. I received answers to them very quickly and efficiently. e-mail, for which special thanks.

Personal experience

It took me a while to admire this device. Like any skeptic, the simplicity of the process made me distrustful. To make sure of this, I purchased a chili pepper starter kit. The week before, I planted seeds of three different types of chili peppers at home for comparative analysis.

After ordering through the website, within two days I received my Click & Crow and began experimenting. Everything turned out to be very easy indeed. Within five minutes he was already winking at me green my new white friend. I waited for two weeks and made sure that nothing would grow and my money was crying. But, after the first shoots appeared, my skepticism moved aside and I began to observe.

Knowing that pepper grows for quite a long time, I was surprised that within a month after germination the plant reached 10 cm. And after another two weeks it bloomed. But admiration came when the first peppers began to bloom. To keep everything fair, the peppers that I planted on the eve of launching the device were not replanted, not picked, etc. Watering and lighting were constant. But even taking into account the fact that it was planted two weeks earlier, it did not look competitive against the background of “technological” pepper.

Three months have passed since the launch of my Click & Crow. Half of the already set peppers turned red. If my choice had fallen on cherry tomatoes or basil, then the second harvest would have ripened. All these are characteristics of the plant and if you want quick results, then chili pepper is not for you. Choose basil, thyme or ornamental nettle.

I already talked about the Click & Crow website, where you will find answers to all questions or contacts of those who will explain everything. Well, if you are a worker in a stuffy office and you don’t have time to look after your plants, you tend to forget everything in the world, or you’re just lazy, your best friend is definitely the device for you. And you can always brag that you grew “this” yourself.

Smartpot, which is also commonly called a smart flower pot, is considered a unique device with which anyone can grow any plant in their apartment. On the market you can purchase a unique click and grow smart pot, in which you can grow anything you want, for example, cherry tomatoes.

Let's consider below what smart flower pots and how they can be used to grow certain crops. All of us, in one way or another, relate to IT technologies, that is, our work is considered sedentary, and even in the same place. Most want to diversify their own workplace through various kinds accessories and gadgets, and some through plants. And every person dreams of having a piece of a living garden in their office or apartment.

Let's look at the smartpot device and what it is. This is a smart pot that is designed for growing flowers and any plants. It was created in order to take on all the worries of caring for the plant.

The easiest way to have a beautiful front lawn

You've certainly seen the perfect lawn in a movie, on an alley, or perhaps on your neighbor's lawn. Those who have ever tried to grow a green area on their site will no doubt say that it is a huge amount of work. The lawn requires careful planting, care, fertilization, and watering. However, only inexperienced gardeners think this way; professionals have long known about the innovative product - liquid lawn AquaGrazz.

Smartpot works like this:

  1. Once unpacked, you will need to install four AA batteries in the slot and fill in about a liter of water, then you will have to install the cartridge.
  2. After installing it, any parameters necessary for operation for the selected plants are read.


If everything is installed correctly, the device will inform you about this by turning on the green indicator.

Choosing plants

You can grow many plants in such a smart flower pot, let’s look at the most interesting varieties plants:

  • balsam,
  • cherry tomatoes,
  • red pepper,
  • celosia,
  • Melissa and so on.

This is a small list of plants that can be grown in such smart pots. Electronic smartpots are attractive because you can grow lemon balm in them, which you can then add to tea throughout the year. And besides, it looks very beautiful. No less interesting is the cultivation of a crop such as cherry tomatoes. You can eat them all year round. At the same time, cherry tomatoes do not require special care.

Smartpot parts

Smartpot is considered a smart pot for flowers and any other plants, which was created in order to take on all the worries about self-care behind the plant. The mechanism is fully automated, it does not require electricity (four batteries are enough for about 6 months of operation), and the frequency of watering the plant under care will be no more than that of a cactus - adding water will be required about once a month.

The Smart Pot is based on the following three parts:

  • housings;
  • logic board;
  • cartridge.

Frame

Housing either base station- This is a container for liquid with a slot for 4 AA batteries. They are not included in the package. The cartridge is considered the most important part of the pot, with a memory chip containing watering data, and a compacted mixture of soil with seedlings already planted in certain areas. We insert it into the station and start working. There is no power button, just when all the conditions are met, things will go according to the given program.


Logic board

All calculations necessary for the life of the plant, such as analyzing information from humidity and temperature sensors, controlling the operation of the cartridge and reading basic data from it, are carried out in the logical unit of the equipment.

Cartridge

Immediately after installing the cartridge into the device, all data on caring for planted plants, required humidity, frequency of watering and other characteristics are read from it. Thus, as soon as you change the cartridge, the database itself knows how to care for the planted plants.

In addition to the smart filling, the cartridge contains a special soil that contains all the necessary substances and fertilizers for effective plant growth, as well as seedlings planted in a special order.

After all the settings and first manipulations, the system will work immediately. The plant receives nutrition from several sources: sunlight and receives nutrients from the container passively. sun rays sometimes it is not enough, in this case you can use a special lamp. Nutrients are also supplied passively - from the cartridge. Liquid is supplied from the reservoir using a mini-pump, automatically and according to a preset schedule for growing cherry tomatoes.

Advantages and disadvantages

  • the plant does not require care - the system takes care of them offline and can live without supervision for almost one month;


  • caring for it is not difficult, no special knowledge or skills are required;
  • beautiful box;
  • there is no need to constantly water the plants;
  • you can grow even the most heat-loving and drought-intolerant plant varieties in such a system;
  • you can simply organize a home greenhouse of fresh vegetable crops: Grow tomatoes, basil, peppers directly on own windowsill in the apartment.
  • A great gift for March 8 or any women's holiday.

If you don’t have the time or desire to care for plants, but you want to have them in your home, then automated potty or smart potty- this is one solution to the problem.

Device Click & Grow appeared with the launch of the project on Kickstarter. This technology uses “smart soil” which, while maintaining the correct pH level, also distributes water as needed. The device is automated and designed to function as independently as possible, so that a person has to worry as little as possible about the condition of the plants. To make it work, you just need to insert four AA batteries or a battery and add about 1 liter of water.

A nutrient medium made on the basis of nano-technology, in combination with removable LED lighting, which turns on as needed, ensures plant productivity even in not very favorable conditions. After two to four months, tomatoes, basil, parsley, and strawberries grow, depending on the chosen option.

The latest Click & Grow model can grow up to three different types plants. (Each basic kit comes with basil, thyme and lemon balm). The cartridges contain a program for growing each type of plant.

Click & Grow facts


Image: Wikipedia/Priitpedastsaar/CC BY-SA 3.0
  1. The growing medium is unique to Click & Grow and contains oxygen pockets that ensure the plant's roots are aerated even when the medium is completely saturated with water. Click & Grow engineers have developed a physical and chemical delivery system nutrients into the ground. Nutrients are released through the decomposition of organic components. The same thing happens in nature - leaves fall and become nutrients for future generations of plants.
  2. The growing medium is made only from natural, renewable resources and does not contain pesticides, fungicides, hormones or other harmful substances. Overall, despite a large number of technologies used, plants are grown naturally.
  3. Traditional LED lighting makes plants look unnatural and the light spectrum can be harmful to children's eyes. An effective and safe lighting system is used here, in which the plants look natural. LEDs require only 6 W to operate.

Is Click & Grow organic gardening?

According to the manufacturers of Click & Grow, they do not use anything suspicious in their products. Growing occurs without the use of pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, plant hormones or any other substances that do not comply with the principles of organic gardening. There is no need for them - the plants are in optimal conditions, they constantly have the necessary amount of water and nutrients, so they can protect themselves without additional chemicals. Click & Grow adds some minerals for feeding plants, but the mineral salts used are also contained in all organic fertilizers Therefore, in most countries, such plant cultivation can be considered organic.

How often should water be added?

Water should be added every 3-6 weeks. The indicator will notify you when it is necessary to add water. However, some users claim that they add water more often.

Who is this device for?

  • For people who don't have a garden but want to grow some produce (tomatoes, strawberries, etc.).
  • For people who travel a lot and don't have time to care for plants.
  • For people who are withering houseplants because they don't water them.
  • For people who are simply obsessed with all sorts of gadgets.
  • For people who want to make an original gift.

Flaws

  • The cost of this smart pot is quite high; on the Russian website clickandgrow.ru smartpot balsam costs 3,300 rubles. Cartridges cost about 1200 rubles. Also, the latest pot model that allows you to grow different plants has not yet appeared on the Russian website.
  • If you grow plants to produce strawberries or tomatoes, then this is not justified. Too few fruits compared to the cost of the pot.
  • Is not open technology To grow new plants, you need to purchase new Click & Grow cartridges.

(4,511 views | 1 views today)

Do-it-yourself home hydroponics from PVC pipes
Self-healing solar cells
Comparison of different types of batteries

Probably every lover of indoor flowers has encountered a situation when it is urgent to leave the house for several days, and there is no one to look after the plants. And then you have to ask friends or relatives to look after and provide watering and care. With this selection of smart pots, you will have no problem caring for your flowers anytime, anywhere.

1. Smart garden system

The Olfactory Alarmclock smart garden system is a system that makes growing plants indoors very simple and easy. All you need to do is plant the seeds of your favorite plant, choose the necessary conditions care using an application on your phone and watch your plants grow. The system includes all elements necessary for ideal height plants: automatic watering, temperature and humidity control, lighting and much more. Using a Wi-Fi signal, you can receive real-time information on your smartphone display and monitor plant growth.

2. Mini garden

A mini garden is an autonomous device that takes care of watering, lighting and the supply of nutrients to the garden. This provides ideal conditions for the growth of any plants all year round. The kit includes specially designed blocks to adapt to needs and development various types plants contain organic seeds, soil substrate and essential nutrients. The lighting system is automatically maintained for 16 hours a day, imitating natural daylight and ensuring optimal growth rates for plants. You can set up two separate lights to provide required quantity light for each plant. The application installed on your phone allows you to manage the growth of your plants and provides various useful tips.

3.Biopod

Biopod is smart system, which will allow you to contain the most finicky plants without any problems, creating an internal microclimate that allows you to grow herbs, vegetables or a flower garden. Using an application on your smartphone, you can automatically adjust temperature, light, humidity, ventilation and provide ideal conditions for your plants.

4.Noocity Growbed

Noocity Growbed is a smart pot with its own watering and fertilizing system, which makes it as easy as possible to grow any greens, vegetables and fruits on the balcony, during patios or on the roof. Simply fill the water reservoir through the tubes and your plants will receive water when needed. Thanks to the ventilation system throughout the entire area, plant roots receive maximum amount oxygen for a stronger, healthier and more resilient plant. The system is self-sufficient for up to 3 weeks.

5.Planty

Plantym is a smart pot that, by connecting to the Internet, can control and water plants using an application on a smartphone. All you have to do is plant your plants in this pot, plug it in, fill the container with water and connect it to your home network. It connects to the internet via Wi-Fi and monitors your plants' performance, soil moisture, temperature, light and water levels. The app on your smartphone will notify you of any changes.

6.Fresh Herbs

Fresh Herbs is a pot for growing herbs. The pot has a flower indicator that lets you know when to water. It has its own irrigation system, which allows it to deliver the right amount of water to the plant and maintain the proper level of humidity.

7.Ecoqube

Ecoqube is an aquarium and a vegetable garden in one. A built-in filter integrated into the tank creates an all-in-one system that uses plants like basil or mint to keep your aquarium clean.

8.AeroGarden

AeroGarden uses aeroponics to grow plants without the use of soil, using air instead. This automated indoor vegetable garden contains plant roots in a 100% moist, oxygenated and nutrient-rich environment. You can easily grow herbs and vegetables within 28 days.

9.Niva

Niva is a smartphone-controlled growing system that allows you to get freshly grown fruits, vegetables, flowers or herbs. The system creates ideal conditions for plant growth. It controls temperature, humidity and light, has automated system watering and nutrients for better growth. Simply plant your seeds, tell the app what you want to grow, and it loads pre-programmed settings for your garden.

10.New Garden Tower

New Garden Tower is an innovative vertical system for growing plants, which will allow you to grow a compact garden of up to 50 plants in a minimum area. The tower garden has 45 openings on the outside and can accommodate up to 5 tall plants on top, resulting in a bountiful harvest. Side landing pockets have enough big size to accommodate compact root vegetables such as turnips, carrots and radishes.

Smart flower pots are a real find not only for those who love indoor plants, but also for those who always want to have fresh herbs and vegetables or fruits on their table, but always have enough time to care for them. Thanks to design solutions flower pots will decorate your home, office or garden, and innovative development will provide necessary care your favorite plants.

Recently, while flipping through one of the glossy women's magazines, I came across a note about the miracle system Click and Grow, which allegedly independently, without human help, grows entire flower beds and vegetable gardens on the windowsill. Realizing that I was behind the times, I immediately turned to a search engine. It returned 96 thousand responses to the “smartpot” query and as many as 65 million to the “Click and Grow” query. Looks like I'm really the last one who hasn't heard anything about this...

Most of the answers, at least the first pages of the search, turned out to be services offering to buy a miracle device + several clearly custom-made articles telling about all its advantages.

Among my friends there was only one girl who knew what it was.

Phew, that means I’m not alone in the “dark forest.”


So what is this smartpot?

Having visited the official website of the miracle system, where I must say, a lot beautiful words, but there is very little clear information, I made the primary conclusion that Click and Grow is a very popular miracle pot today that allows you to grow plants with virtually no human intervention.

I’ll say right away that the price of the device was impressive - from 4.5 thousand rubles and above (spring 2015)! Not a little! What are they offering us for that kind of money?

How is it built?

The device consists of two main parts: a smart body and smart replaceable cartridges.
It is in these cartridges that both plant seeds, soil, and a program for growing them are placed. It includes an ideal set for the plant: temperatures, humidity, watering scheme.
The device runs on batteries. It is worth noting that they are not included in the price and must be purchased separately.

Search for the dissatisfied.

Such a wonderful picture emerged, everything was “smart”, “nano”, “super” and “duper”, that I couldn’t resist and started looking for dissatisfied people on the Internet.

I must say, whoever seeks will always find. And in contrast to the very sleek custom-made articles, they were much more like ordinary consumers, sparing their hard-earned money no matter what.

Of course, for such a price everything should be without a hitch. To me, for example, as a summer resident, the purchase of such things seems more than surprising. After all, having carefully looked at the scheme for growing plants in this device, I personally found only one undeniable plus - you need to water the plant less often than in a regular pot or container (i.e., it’s not scary to go away, for example, for three weeks and leave your green crumbs unattended ). For the rest, I sincerely don’t understand what kind of nanoparameters are included there, that its growth should be better than that of an ordinary plant in a pot on the window.

And you know, I turned out to be right. Among dissatisfied experimenters, approximately the same conclusions were reached.

I also found the following disadvantages described by various “testers” of the miracle device:

— in the pictures everything looks much more fun than in life.

In fact, the plant grows much slower than indicated on the official website. And it doesn't always look as beautiful as in the picture. In addition, in our climate it often lacks light. However, for a tidy sum, they will also sell you a special lamp for it (it’s in the photo below).

- plants do not always germinate at all.

Interestingly, there are users who complain that in their case, the seeds did not germinate at all. I admit that this may be due to the long-term storage of the system in the warehouses of online stores (I don’t think that the device is sold out with a bang), and besides, it’s not always proper storage(We don’t usually keep track of this).

- mold, midges, diseases.

There have been a lot of such complaints. Oddly enough, the super-nano system does not eliminate such problems.

But then what about the program (for which they pay first of all), where everything is calculated to the smallest detail, including temperature and humidity? Unclear…

Let's draw conclusions.

I make my own like a gardener. I sincerely don’t understand why people give so much money! Growing vegetables and flowers on the window is great! But this is very easy to do in the absolute absence of any gadgets. I hope that my note will somehow balance out the large number of custom articles on this topic.

Well, if you are tempted by the only advantage of rare watering, which I wrote about above, read on.

An unexpected find.

While I was researching the topic of these devices, I somehow typed into the search instead of the word “smartpot” or the name of the device, the phrase “smart pot”.

And this is what came up in my request:

This is a smart pot Russian production, produced by one of our factories. The domestic development promises to be useful specifically for those who often leave and do not have the opportunity to always be on the pulse and water their charges on time. In principle, what distinguishes a smart pot from a regular pot is its automatic watering. And it costs, my God, 600 rubles (price indicated at the time: spring 2015)!

By the way, all the most interesting gadgets directly for the dacha can be seen in our video:

But let's get back to the smart pot.

How does a smart pot work?

1 - container for plant and soil
2 - water container
3 - filler hole
4 - conduits through which water flows to the plant
5 - aerator hole, needed to supply oxygen to the root system, as well as to discharge excess water in case of waterlogging of the soil substrate.

Also, thanks to smartpot, during my research I found other very interesting potty gadgets, which I will talk about in the next review.

In the meantime, I sincerely ask everyone who has had experience using these devices, everyone who agrees with me or is ready to argue about the qualities of “Click and Grow” and “Smart Pot”, write your opinion in the comments column at the bottom of the article.

Related publications