Gadgets
Plant Sensor Tells You Exactly Why You Suck At Gardening
Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 5:30 AM on June 30, 2008
In yet another attempt to further plant and human inter-communication, a company called PlantSense is now offering a USB stake that monitors the soil around your greens and gives you advice on how to keep them healthy. Great for people like me, who have trouble getting even herbs to grow right.
The user places the PlantSense GardenGro sensor in a spot right next to the plant, and 24 hours later, plugs the USB hub into their computer. The sensor's data will then upload to PlantSense's website, which doles out tips like "water more," or "pile on less plant food, your peppers are getting fat."
The service is a little expensive - US$59.95 for each USB stake. But isn't that a small price to pay to be able to munch on your own home-grown Roma tomatoes, your black thumb overcome by the wonders of technology? [EverythingUSB]

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
Red T-Rex
Posted June 30, 2008 2:55 PM
Now this is what was missing from the plot of "The Happening". This is what the humans could have used to communicate with the plants to avoid a recurrence of the plants deadly strike against mankind. If we can understand how pissed off plants are at their mistreatment we will be able to learn to live together in peace and harmony.
(sorry, that went a bit far didn't it)
red
Posted 6:50 AM 30/6/08
@johnnyabnormal: every window here is like a jungle, and the section of the communal land ive stolen for myself is like a recreation of day of the triffids. i need the opposite to this. i need a gadget that tells me how to subtly nix my plants so they dont grow so big.
red
johnnyabnormal
Posted 6:36 AM 30/6/08
@Elaine Chow: Roma tomatoes need so much light, I'd try to grow 'em outdoors if you can. But then, I should talk... I have 2 redwood trees, a durian tree and a banana tree growing in my living room.
johnnyabnormal
BiZarRroBALlmeR
Posted 6:33 AM 30/6/08
My Pistil is ready for your pollen, come visit me after dark.
BiZarRroBALlmeR
johnnyabnormal
Posted 7:09 AM 30/6/08
@red: Hahaha... I haven't hit the limit of jungle canopy yet. Although I snuck back some crazy seeds from a vacation to the rain forests of Puerto Rico & I'm hoping to germinate some:
[www.johnnyrandom.com]
You can see it's pretty lush down there + tons of epiphytes. Probably the craziest plant I have is a pachypodium lealii (bottle tree). It's like a tree/cactus covered in spikes that has poison leaves. Africans use it for poison arrows & if you rubbed some on your eyes you'd go blind. Toxic alkaloids are pretty vicious...which is why I keep it way up high so pets/people can't have contact with it.
johnnyabnormal
Substance_D
Posted 8:55 AM 30/6/08
The only plants I like to grow are morning glories. Once you harvest the seeds, make a nice seed paste...spread it on toast, or mix it with lemonade...And you get crazy hallucinations. I shit you not, the trip is almost identical to LSD in my opinion.
Substance_D
frigg???
Posted 9:33 AM 30/6/08
@Substance_D: From the Bob Arctor cookbook?
frigg???
frigg
Posted 9:56 AM 30/6/08
@johnnyabnormal: Killer cats and toxic trees... one can never be too prepared for tribal warfare!
frigg
chizelord
Posted 9:48 AM 30/6/08
@johnnyabnormal:
yea, sure, keep em away from people and pets now. but u just wait till your finished building that secret biomechanical killing machine of yours that spews poisonous darts from its palms!! then we'll see who has the last laugh?!?!?!?
p.s. i suck at gardening. there is not a gadget in the world that can keep a plant alive in my house. EPIC GARDENING FAIL...
chizelord
johnnyabnormal
Posted 11:05 AM 30/6/08
@Substance_D: Sounds fun!
@frigg: I know, huh? In Tyler Durden we trust...
johnnyabnormal
Substance_D
Posted 12:48 PM 30/6/08
@frigg: Haha, sort of. My room mate is a big druggie, and he grows tons of morning glories. Initially this was really weird, so I asked him why and he "showed me" why. I've been growing my own ever since.
Substance_D
marabigo
Posted 8:07 AM 30/6/08
lol appareil...
marabigo
marabigo
Posted 6:01 AM 30/6/08
It's a bit lol to be paying 60 bucks for something that is supposed to be a "known." Who doesn't know to water plants or give them at least some type of care. Too much advance is making some scientists to loose their horizon and focus on incoherent stuff like these.
marabigo
crashmaxx
Posted 6:28 AM 1/7/08
I was hoping for something a lot more helpful. With this you have to actually remove it and check it and all. My parents need something wireless that will pop up a message on the computer saying
crashmaxx
ovil200
Posted 8:01 AM 1/7/08
I wonder what types of plants this works for...;)
ovil200