Introducing The Download, a new monthly column by longtime tech contributor Marc Saltzman. He’s here to decode the latest gadgets, apps and gear, to make life a little easier (and more fun!) for Canadian families. First up: gardening gadgets and apps to help your backyard bloom.
While you might think tending to your garden and playing around with gadgets are mutually exclusive pastimes, the two can in fact go hand-in-hand.
Choosing the right gear can help in the backyard, whether it's a simple soil sensor, a robot that cuts your grass for you, an autonomous weed whacker or ways to automate watering your lawn.
Some apps can also help your thumbs get greener, too.
And so, the following are some summer-ready suggestions for gardening gadgets and apps, and other tools for general backyard maintenance.
A few ideas that may grow on you:
Robotic weed whacker
Now available in Canada, the Tertill Weeding Robot ($199) performs exactly as it sounds: Place this autonomous “weed whacker” in a relatively flat garden — with a 4-inch or higher border, and about a foot between plants/rows – and this weatherproof bot will get rid of those nasty weeds so you don’t have to.
But how does it know, you ask?
It’s based on height. Anything tall enough to touch the front sensors of Tertill (pronounced “turtle”) is considered a plant and so it will leave it be, but if it passes underneath the device it’ll be cut (included plant guards protect desired seedlings not tall enough to be detected by Tertill).
From the inventor of the Roomba, Tertill is solar-powered, so it never needs to be charged up, and it can maintain gardens up to 200 square feet.
Smart soil tester
The aptly-named Multifuction Soil Tester ($33) from Yamron is essentially a “smart probe” with a screen on top.
Ideal for both indoor and outdoor use, insert this doohickey into the soil about 10 centimetres and it’ll quickly and accurately measure several variables—including pH, moisture and temperature, sunlight and soil fertility—so that you know when to water, how to control the pH and temperature acidity and learn whether the plants have enough light for optimum growth.
The backlit LCD display, which is on a 45-degree rotation for added convenience (so you don’t need to bend over to read), works in light or dark environments. An alert will let you know when it’s time to replace the four AAA batteries.
Indoor lamp garden
Don’t be fooled by its classic floor-standing lamp design: LG’s next indoor gardening appliance is packed with modern features.
While it doesn’t have an official name yet, says the company, it’ll produce fresh home-grown greens and other plants, herbs, flowers and fruits. It features a height-adjustable and downward-facing LED light to promote growth, and a 1.5-gallon-capacity tank (about 5.7 litres) will automatically dispense water (and/or seeds) based on the number and variety of plants being grown. LG says it can support up to 20 plants.
This condo-friendly appliance will also be app-supported, if you want to manage cultivation schedules, adjust lighting settings or monitor plant growth from any location.
Price and launch date are TBD.
Garden watering
The Moen Smart Sprinkler Controller (from $249, for 8 zones) pairs with Moen’s Smart Wireless Soil Sensors (from $85) to water your lawn and garden—so you don’t need to do it manually.
Features include independent zone control and scheduling and automatic weather skip (if it's raining, it won't water the grass at that moment, for instance) as notified on the Moen Smart Water App. The solution was designed to help cut down on water usage, saving homeowners up to 30 percent more water (more than 56,000 litres annually, compared to clock-based controllers), says the company.
Wireless sensors monitor soil moisture and temperature at varying depths and will automatically adjust watering routines based on a zone's specific needs.
Autonomous lawn bot
As the name suggests, the Husqvarna Automower “iQ” Series of robot lawnmowers are its smartest yet.
These wire-free models no longer require a perimeter wire professionally installed under your lawn to stay on your property (and out of areas you don’t want it in, like gardens and flowerbeds). Once you start it via an app or your voice with a smart speaker, it’ll quietly and accurately cut your grass (all types) on front lawns and backyards – up to 2 acres. Like its predecessors, this weatherproof widget can navigate around obstacles, handle slopes and, when it detects its running low on its battery, navigate itself back to the base to charge up and continue the job.
Prices start at $4199 for Huqvarna’s iQ Series, but there are less expensive models for smaller properties.
Free garden apps for better growing
Free apps for your smartphone can also help you manage your garden.
A few of our favourites, for both iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android devices, include the following:
LeafSnap – This plant-identifying app works like a charm. Just snap a photo of the plant, flower or shrub you have questions about and LeafSnap will tell you all about it, including what’s wrong with it.
Pl@ntNet — Another capable identification app, Pl@ntNet can help you better understand all kinds of plants: flowering plants, trees, grasses, conifers, ferns, vines and even cacti!
From Seed to Spoon – Focusing on consumables, this app makes is simple for you to successfully grow your own veggies, fruits and herbs. An AI chatbot helps you identify what you’re growing, offering personalized tips based on what the camera sees.
Gardenize: Consider it a digital garden diary with a photographic memory. Using your camera and your words, take advantage of this free-to-start app to help overview, understand and develop your garden, and learn from other “gardenizers,” too.
What's That Flower: As the name suggests, this app identifies flowers with a photo and lets you filter by colour, habitat, petals or region.
For the past 30 years (gulp!), tech expert Marc Saltzman has been a freelance journalist for several publications in Canada and the U.S. He's also the author of 17 books, including Apple Watch For Dummies, and the host of various TV and radio shows and the “Tech It Out” podcast. Marc specializes in consumer electronics, interactive entertainment, smart home tech, automotive innovations and future trends.
