With everything becoming ‘technological’, it is no surprise that you can grow a plant with the click of a button – slightly exaggerated but you get the point, right? We have seen various products that allow users to grow herbs, fresh fruits, vegetables etc. in their own homes without any hassle but this new device ‘Grobo’ has taken the lead!
Bjorn Dawson, CEO and founder of Grobo, describes his invention has a ‘Keurig for plants’. All you need to do is fill the container with water and nutrients, place the respective seeds at the bottom and then tap on a button on a connected app which initiates the growing period. Within a few weeks, you’ll be all set to harvest!
So, how is this possible? Well, it is pretty simple. Grobo has sensors that examine and monitor the condition of the plant and adjust the watering schedule accordingly. Now, you might be wondering if this ‘planter’ is compatible with all plants – well, a wide range of crops including strawberries, peppers, herbs, kale and tomatoes can be grown. However, Dawson said that he created this device so that Canadians could grow medical cannabis at home easily. He explained, “One of these people came to us early on to help with testing. He spent eight to 10 hours a week to grow the medication he needs – time he could have been spending with his family and children.” He further stated how he initially started with a smaller product but ended up making it bigger just to accommodate users who were struggling with growing medical cannabis at home.
He added, “We’re really just trying to make it as easy as possible for people to access fresh produce and medication. There’s very little you have to do but there’s a lot you can do. So, if you want to learn how to grow better, in the app there are prompts at different phases of plant growth, saying things like: ‘You should trim this part of the plant and if you do you’ll get better results.’” Moreover, the user can program his/her own growing instructions into the app!
The only limitation so far is the size. Dawson explained how one cannot grow something as big as a watermelon since the plant becomes a bit too large.
As for the price, Grobo will be available at a retail price of $1,399. In addition to this, extra expenditure of $20/month is predicted that shall cover the cost of the nutrients and growing medium. Now, people might find it pricey but Dawson guarantees that the company has tested Grobo for more than two years and have grown thousands of crops. He shared his opinions by saying, “People are looking at these solutions to bring growing into cities. We think this could really extend into a great solution when everyone is growing the majority of the food they consume right at home.”
Images: © Grobo