Gift Guide: The best tech gifts for plant geeks

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Sometimes , when you're upset over something you've seen on the internet, some people will advise you to "go touch some grass." However, a few months ago as Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook's redesign into Meta and revealed his idea of the metaverse I was compelled by an overwhelming desire to venture outside to actually feel the grass. The evolution of new technologies is thrilling but when it starts to seem overwhelming it's hard to beat being in the midst of greenery.

Luckily, not every technology is aiming to have us tied to VR headsets. Some technologies are designed to allow us to transform our houses into lush gardens.

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A tool to help keep your plants healthy

The very first company I reported on in TechCrunch is Greg the app, which utilizes machine learning to let you determine when it is time to give your plant a watering. When the CEO Alex Ross saw my Zoom background -- a massive tapestry of forest that I purchased for my dorm in my freshman year seven years ago, the CEO asked me if I had plants. I explained to me that I couldn't keep them alive because all the windows in my home are located in the north.

He suggested some plants that thrive in dim light (snake plants pothos, zz, and z plant) and he assured me that when I employed Greg I could maintain them. The first time I heard this, I was skeptical. Of course, the co-founder of an app for plants would tell you that if you download the app, you will be able to keep your plants healthy. However, six months after that, my snake as well as my pothos and zz plants are doing fine. And I've become so enamored with plants that I am writing my Plant Tech Gift Guide. Thanks, Greg.

Greg isn't a miracle app. Although monsteras require plenty of sunlight in order to thrive I couldn't resist the way beautiful they look and so I bought an item from the local nursery and set it next to my desk's window. My husband slayed me. It didn't go well. Then, I got an affordable grow light. My plant is flourishing and I'm not trying to boast however, I've kept a jade succulent growing up.

Greg will not tell you, "Hey, your monstera desperately needs light because your apartment is dark and sad," however, you can alter the settings of each plant that you follow in the app to show whether it's on a growth light, because lighting levels that a plant receives determines the frequency of its watering.

Greg offers free access to five plants. You can purchase unlimited access using Super Greg which costs $6.99 monthly, or $30 annually (so about $2.50 per month when it's a year-long contract) as well as $49.99 for all-year access.

As Ross stated to TechCrunch: "Coinbase onboards people into crypto, Greg onboards people into plants." An odd quote however, in my situation I think he was right.

So, the question is, from where can you get the plants?

In the world of tech-savvy startup entrepreneurs You'll likely have heard of the Sill The Sill, an online store offering plants. The founder Eliza Blank is an investor in Greg -- a tiny world!

If you're not lucky enough to be within the vicinity of several nursery stores, purchasing online is a great alternative, but. Certain plants are expensive for plants that actually grows on trees! (Looking for cuttings that are free? Find out if there's an exchange group that's in your local area.)

If you're planning to give something thoughtful to a person you love to celebrate the holidays, you're likely not likely to purchase an exotic snake plant from the plant shop in your neighborhood. Instead put it in a box and then take it over to your local UPS store. In that scenario it's a good idea to purchase the $40 snake plant as well as a stylish, modern planter. In reality, without the costly (but gorgeous!) planters, you can get snake plants for just $23 and that's hardly higher than what you'd spend for a plant at an agro-farm. So go treat yourself. Don't buy the massive unless you've got plenty of natural light or you are willing to put money into an grow light.

Modern Sprout also offers kits for indoor gardens that are designed to help plant killers who are accustomed to cultivating everything that range from Cacti and food-grade herbs. However, even following the instructions carefully, your plants require sunlight to live. So...

Let's talk about growing lights

However, the standard bulb won't provide your plants with the lighting they need to flourish. If you're not fortunate enough to enjoy a sun-soaked salon in your house the importance of grow lights is to ensure that you have a relaxing indoor space or at the very least, one that isn't dominated by snake plants.

The most affordable option for a budget

I purchased this grow light because I was uncertain if the monstera I had was suffering out of it was angry at me or wanted more lighting. Therefore, I didn't want purchase a high-tech setup while I was in the process of, according to Greg the CEO Alex Ross would say, "onboarding into plants." This light is priced at $24, which is the most efficient bang for your dollar. It can be programmed to follow an hourly schedule and is equipped with a sturdy clamp that keeps the gooseneck lights in place. It's hard to talk about anything other than that it's working. No complaints. Perhaps you'd like something more beautiful?

This is just stunningly beautiful.

Perhaps you don't have enough room for your plants. What better way to make room for your walls? If a picture can be worth 1,000 words then plants have value ... most likely approximately 1,000. We're not here to denigrate the fine arts.

If all the artwork you own is in your cryptocurrency wallet (sigh) Your walls may be looking empty So why not put your plants on an LED frame? Based on the dimensions and shapes frames, they cost about $200 and that's not cheap, however, they're attractive. But before you buy be sure to are aware of how to place an eight-pound piece technology in your home. You don't want it to fall down especially if you've got plants in the wall!

The LEDs of the frame can be adjusted and set to an alarm using The Modern Sprout app. They're full spectrum white LEDs and, while they'll cultivate your plants, you don't have to worry about the unattractive blue and red hues that other lighting fixtures use. This isn't magical. You're going to need to think about what plants will thrive in your home and, most likely, not next to windows, and getting the only light source that is artificial. Would you like to suggest the use of a Jade Succulent?

Are there not enough books on your shelves?

Are you surrounded by shelves of books but no books? Need more space for plants!

The Modern Sprout Smart Growbar is less expensive in comparison to it's predecessor, the Growframe at $119. Additionally, it is attached by velcro the cabinet's underside or shelf to ensure that your plants are happy.

If your shelves are full and you're not sure what to do, why not plant an herb-garden in the kitchen? If you don't enjoy fresh basil frequently ... We're sorry. However, this Growbar will help you achieve this. Similar to the Growframe the Growbar can be controlled via apps and emits the natural light of white LEDs.

For extremely serious, but fashionable plantspeople

Soltech's grow lights are made to look like luxurious light fixtures that just happen to be made to assist plants in growing. The $85 Vita Grow Light can be plugged into any light fixture you own however, it's much heavier than traditional light bulbs. This means, for example you're in an apartment that has limited natural light, and your landlord has included inexpensive floor lamps in a gesture of goodwill, perhaps you shouldn't put your Vita into these light fixtures that are flimsy. However, if the lighting you're using does not look like the kind you'd find in a dorm room at college it's probably a good idea to opt for the Vita. Similar to other premium grow lights that are available, the Vita produces a warm, natural light, and you don't notice that it's a particular type of lightbulb. There are no reds or blues here!

If you're looking for something more fancy, Soltech also sells light fixtures that hang from the ceiling or make holes in your wall.

The plants need water too.

After your plants are lit How do you ensure that keep them hydrated? Let's imagine that you're out of town for more than a month. living in a poorly lit home, and your landlord will not give another fob key until you've paid $75 and you're not willing to pay this. This means that you cannot provide a key to a friend to water the plants when you're away. How do you ensure that your plants healthy without the intervention of humans?

Bring some modernity to your plants, while making sure they are well-hydrated

Plantstraws, founded by the founder Elin Fyhr along with her father, offers handcrafted products that are designed and manufactured in a small Stockholm studio. It is a modernization of an old-fashioned DIY technique for watering plants by dampening the end of a string, then place it through a bowl of water and the roots of your plant. The product basically is the same by putting a rope in an aluminum tube that appears more sophisticated than a DIY arrangement.

Although Plantstraws is located in Sweden but they are shipped all over the world. Plant straws cost around $30. Even although they're not equipped with the stunning glassware that is featured in the images of the products but they're still pretty with a mason-jar, the old bottle of wine, or anything else you've got lying around. Even if you're out in the city, it's possible to still use straws from plants to help keep your plants well-nourished. However, it's best to put them on those plants that need a good amount of water, such as money trees or peace lily, in contrast to a plant that needs dry soil, such as the snake plant or a succulent.

You can simply transform your house into the garden of your dreams.

What about water: hydroponic gardens? Absolutely amazing. It's astonishing the things you can do when you have the right amount of sunlight and water even if you're cultivating the plants inside a dim space with no outdoor space to grow the big tomato on. Growing plants is wonderful but that's better? Growing plants that can be eaten.

If you'd like to experience living in the high-tech Stardew Valley

If you can't keep up with the indoor plants you have and are a lover of fresh vegetables, you may consider investing in a large-scale smart garden for your family. The winter season is coming. Why would you trek through the snow to buy groceries when you can get fresh vegetables, fruits, plants and perhaps (non-edible!) flowers in bloom at home?

Click and Grow Smart Garden 27 Click and Grow Smart Garden 27 includes 3 Smart Garden 9s (generally around $200-$200 each) as well as a strong, solid wooden plant standthat is extremely easy to put together. The whole set retails at $600, it's an excellent value in the event that you decide to purchase three smart gardens, which is what you're likely to do. This might seem expensive however, some rivals like Gardyn (also beautiful) Gardyn are far more expensive.

This is what it takes to do: Place the plant pods of Click and Grow in the Smart Gardens (you can grow an entire 27 pods simultaneously within Smart Garden 27). Smart Garden 27, as the name implies). Then you put water in the reservoir until it's full. While you wait for seeds to germinate, you place domes of plastic over each pod. This accelerates the processas soon as they begin peeking out from the soil, you take the domes off and allow them to expand.

Smart Garden 27 Smart Garden 27 comes with nine basil pods along with nine tomato pods as well as nine lettuce pods that can be used to begin. The pods can be purchased in separate 3 packs for just $10. This works at $3.33 for each pod. With the Click and Grow subscription service that you can purchase in bundles starting at $1.64 for each pod. There's an array of the things you can plant including blue petunias, cilantro bell peppers, kale wild strawberries, white snapdragons catnip, chives, peas Arugula, catnip, and more. Click to learn more. Grow also offers " Grow Anything" soil pods that allow you to add your own seeds and plant whatever you like.