High-Tech Gardening: When Technology Improves Results

Garden tech has exploded in the last few years – from smartphone connected moisture sensors to fully automated indoor growing systems; there truly is something for everyone. And while some innovations really do ease the process of home food production and make it more efficient, others just add more steps, expenditures, and maintenance without any real advantage over conventional practices.

The question shouldn’t necessarily be whether something is “high-tech” but whether it solves a problem that otherwise simpler applications cannot. If automation means that certain gardeners no longer have to water daily because they live in a region where summer temps are consistently over 40°C, that’s a wonderful solution. A Bluetooth connected soil sensor that sends information to a phone because someone walks outside and checks the soil, which takes five seconds, maybe not.

Automatic Watering Solutions

Drip irrigation with timers is the most consistent tech solution that any home gardener can invest in for their garden. If installed correctly, it provides moisture directly to roots and uses less water than hand-watering or using sprinklers. Furthermore, it’s automatic so when life gets busy, plants don’t suffer.

Newer systems incorporate weather sensors and smart controllers that adjust watering depending on precipitation patterns and daily temperature. This finagling means plants don’t get overwatered after rain and, in heat waves, receive additional moisture without a manual switch.

The results can be seen in better growth patterns of plants as well as decreased water bills; with consistent moisture comes thriving plants with desirable yields. The system pays for itself over a few seasons in saved water as well as money not having to replace dead plants.

Controlled Environment Growing

Indoor systems with LED lights for growing, climate control systems, and automated delivery of nutrients ensures growers can cultivate year-round, regardless of any pest or disease pressure or exposure to bad weather. Everything produced is clean, without pesticides.

For herbs and greens it makes sense to use a controlled environment; these crops grow quickly, have high values when shopping, and do not take up too much vertical space. A countertop system that can produce fresh basil, lettuce and microgreens consistently throughout the year can offset grocery bills.

However, for producing crops like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, full-fledged systems with appropriate lighting become quite expensive to maintain. Thus, aeroponics and hydroponics tower growing systems become practical middle grounds.

These vertical farms provide the efficient benefits associated with controlled environments – less water consumption, faster growth patterns, cleaner output – without the extensive environmental monitoring needed for indoor operations with lights on all day. They provide adequate sun exposure outdoors or on balconies but also help maintain delivered nutrients. Click here to learn more about vertical aeroponics that provide up to 90% less water consumption compared to traditional soil gardens while still providing impressive results in a small footprint.

Smart Monitoring Equipment

Soil moisture indicators have existed forever. PH meters. Nutrient testers. The progressive aspect comes from smart connection into an app on one’s phone that alerts users when something is off or needs attention. But does having that information on a screen provide more than the traditional check-up?

For new gardeners who haven’t learned yet how to read their plant signals, sensors become excellent feedback tools. Learning how the wilted leaves from the potted geranium corresponded to a reading that registered 15% moisture teaches new growers what dry soil feels like. They have value as training devices.

However, for seasoned growers they’re largely unnecessary. A quick feel of soil moisture in one’s hand and the observation of color of greens either encourages movement or justified leaving it alone. Unless one is dealing with a very large growing operation, where it’s impractical to check everything daily unless one sleeps outside their patch.

Climate Control/Season Extenders

Simple tech like shade cloths and frost covers can minimize or tremendously extend growing seasons for a minimal investment. For example, for $50 a gardener can keep lettuce growing throughout summer with a shade structure; for $20 in frost cloths they can extend tomato season by weeks; and they can make a makeshift cold frame for some winter vegetables.

From heated propagation mats for seed starting; small greenhouse heaters to keep plants from freezing; exhaust fans when temperatures rise; climate control additions pay for themselves by allowing producers to generate what wouldn’t be possible without such allowance.

Automating Work Reduction

Self-watering containers or wicking beds reduce daily maintenance yet require no extra monitoring unless the reservoir needs refilling every now and again instead of maintaining moisture every day.

When systems require checking data regularly connected to apps that need manual reprogramming or sensor cleaning and troubleshooting when things don’t work, these automated systems create more work than they’re worth.

Systems that use physics to passively take care of themselves reduce stressors without adding additional work.

The Cost of LED Grow Lights

The technology surrounding LED grow lights has improved substantially as costs have come down; newer LEDs use far less power than older grow lights while producing better growth spectrums for seedlings.

This makes sense for expensive herbs and microgreens but somewhat dubious for tomatoes unless there is absolutely no way to grow tomatoes outside where it’s tolerable. LED lights allow people to grow when they otherwise could not but do not make it financially sound compared to outside efforts.

Data Logging

Some technologies log conditions historically – temperature ranges over time, relative humidity levels, light intensity – and this information helps clarify issues that people might not realize merely through casual observation.

This information allows for higher level analysis over time; for most gardeners simply having access to records through notes is enough.

How to Know What’s Good Technology?

Questions include: does it resolve an issue consistently faced? Could simpler solutions reduce similar benefits? What’s the learning curve? Will this be useful in five years? These questions help eliminate gadgets versus worthwile advancements.

When technology earns its place it becomes invisible – it just works – and makes the process easier without consistent attention. When it requires fiddling it’s probably not worth it enough to see improved results.