Top 10 Garden Gadgets – High Tech and Low Tech

Gardening dates back to early man and at that time it was a very work intensive activity. As people have developed and progressed through higher thought and technological advancement not much has changed in gardening. Plants still start as a seed and grow in dirt(mostly). The technological advancements that we have made as a people have to some degree left gardening behind. Thankfully there has been a recent surge in products aimed towards bringing gardening practices into the future. Here is my top 10 garden gadgets, tools, and equipment in no particular order. These Items are all so varied it is hard to numerically order them.

#1 – Xiaomi Meter Moisture Light Soil Testing Kit

Never again will you have to wonder and worry about whether your plants are getting enough water, nutrients, or light. The sPlant Soil Tester puts an end to all growing medium based questions. After this meter is inserted into the soil it begins its work immediately. This unit is really a 4 in 1 setup with nutrient detection, soil moisture monitoring, temperature monitoring, and light detection as functions. This monitor links up to your smart phone through the Flower and grass app.

Once this product is set up and linked to the app it provides instant data about your plants “feelings.” This metrics combined with their catalog of over 900 plants allow you to determine exactly what changes need to be made to your current system for optimal plant growth. The app can then be set up to inform you when your plant needs anything from added nutrients to simply water saving you time and effort. While this in not a flashy gadget I truly think that every gardener should have one of these.

#2 – Hori Hori, Garden Knife

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A garden knife is one of the most useful and simple gardening tools available. Hori Hori’s garden knife is really all you can ask for. This full tang blade can be used for any number of regular tasks including digging, weeding, measuring depth, and cutting. The blade being full tang gives it added strength so the handle will not break while using it for more strenuous tasks. While this product is not very technology or advancement based in its creation, it is by far one of the most useful items a gardener can have.

#3 – AcuRite, Pro Accuracy Indoor Temperature and Humidity Monitor with Alarms

This multipurpose monitor will measure all the other concerns that the soil tester misses. The digital display clearly shows you the current air temperature and humidity percentage as well as the daily highs and lows for each. It is completely wireless running on 2 AA batteries. This allows you to place the monitor directly into the thick of your planting area achieving the most accurate readings possible. This is just a super convenient model with very clear displays and the high/low information can be really informative to the conditions your garden faces.

#4 – Drill Till, 3 Tools in 1

This simply designed tool will revolutionize your setup and maintenance experience. The 3 Tools in 1 Drill Till is so much more than just another tool. This item drastically changed the way I garden. The initial garden setup period is probably the most work inclusive stage of a garden and with the Drill Till that work cut in half. The three different heads that are included with this item let you easily till and aerate your garden bed, dig perfect seed holes, and effortlessly weed even the most determined intruders.

The Drill Till is designed for use with a cordless hand held power drill. For larger jobs you may want to use a corded drill for continued power and reliability. The double length extenders let you stay fully upright while performing jobs that normally would have you hunched over. The relief from back and knee pain alone is enough to make this tool noteworthy but it goes so much further. Not only does it make these jobs easier on your body it remarkably reduces that amount of time these tasks take. All of these reasons plus the fact that its a sturdy static tool makes it a must have for both large and small scale gardeners.

#5 – Urban Farmer Weekly 7 Day Programmable Dual Outlet Digital Timer

Grow anywhere and grow smart with the convenience of the Urban Farmer Programmable Weekly and Daily Digital Timer for grow light systems.  Easy and straightforward the unit lets you plug and play. The LED digital display allows you to effortlessly choose and select your desired settings.

This model lets you not only choose the exact on/off times you want but also what days of the week you want. This mode allows you to schedule the timer to turn on and off only on certain days of the week. Provide your grows with a consistent lighting schedule, as well as reduce your energy cost. Choose from a variety of options such as daily, weekdays only, weekends only, every other day, or specific combinations of days. Use it in your grow tent, greenhouse, or any indoor garden growing environment. Features two side outlets, giving you simultaneous control for any two grow light equipment you plug in.

# 6 – AeroGarden Be the Bee Pollinator

With an indoor garden, you need to Be the Bee! Tomatoes, Peppers, Strawberries and other flowering fruits and vegetables all need pollinating for best yields and fruit size. This specially designed pollinating tool with bristles, vibrates and distributes pollen from flower to flower. Simply touch the pollinator to each flower for an extra heavy fruit set. The company claims this pollinator will increase your yield by up to 300% and after seeing the results I think it might be even more than that. This gadget really surprised me at how necessary it is and I never knew it. Avoid my mistakes and disappointments by trusting me when I say “Be the Bee” and get a pollinator.

#7 – KORAM Plant Watering Irrigation Drip Kit

This irrigation kit is the kit that I finally bought to fix all the problems with the multiple other systems I had previously bought. Koram provides everything you need to apply emitter tubing in garden areas and spot watering to widely spaced plants. The precise drip watering stimulates green, healthy plant growth with low water usage saving money and the environment at the same time.

This easy to install system simplifies your garden care from daily to weekly or even monthly depending on how you setup your water reservoir. Installing this system alleviated all worry I ever had about leaving for extended periods of time. The installation process is extremely easy and customizable with pieces essentially clicking together. Once the system is set up you have a lasting effortless method of feeding and watering your plants.

#8 – Garden Genie Gloves With Claws

Have you ever been working in the dirt and had the thought “man, this would be easier if i had claws.” well not you can with garden genie gloves. These heavy duty gardening gloves contain durable natural rubber latex providing full puncture resistance to protect your hands from injuries while doing heavy duty work and Rose Pruning.

The durable, waterproof, puncture resistant gloves will protect your hands, but the claws were built to let you dig and plant without hand tools. The eight claws are made of abs plastic providing extra durability really do their job of providing extra strength to our own hands. Slipping on the finger “claw” unit drastically increases the digging functionality of the gloves. The claw tips of Garden Genie Gloves are designed for digging and are not sharp enough to catch anyone.

The best part is that, once you are in these gloves digging, and planting take on a fun new aspect. So get digging and have a great time while wearing these.

#9 – Topsy Turvy Upside Down Planters

These unique garden containers use gravity as a vertical growing advantage. The vertical grow bag heats the plant like a greenhouse so the root system explodes. Then gravity pulls the water and nutrients directly to the roots. Recently improved with a new watering system that helps distribute water over a longer period of time.

This new system is awesome as it make the maintenance on these unique pots even less than it once was. These pots let you grow all varieties of tomatoes, including beefsteak, yellow and cherry. you can also grow other vegetables including green bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant and more. As for why this product made it to the top 10 list… well its pretty awesome growing plants upside down.

#10 – DIY Micro Automatic Drip Irrigation Kit

This compact irrigation pump/timer is a simplistic solution to deliver water to your indoor garden. The all-in-one drip irrigation system installs extremely quickly with its easy to clamp bracket that allows you to connect it directly to your water container with no fear of overturn. The system includes its own tubing system and an easy-to-follow instructions booklet.  Personally I decided to expand the tubing system with the above mentioned drip kit.

The pump its self has three buttons. One manual on off override switch in the middle. One button that lets you toggle the pumps running duration. and a final button that toggles the length of periods between each watering. The period watering system allows this unit to have low power consumption running well on 2 AA batteries if you have limited energy supply. The unit also comes with a usb power connector which I suggest using if you can.

Not only does this kit let you simplify your garden maintenance but it also lets you use 70% less water than traditional spray & drip heads, by spot watering only exactly where needed, making your drip system great for saving water in drought conditions or just saving money.

Final Thoughts

So I know some of the items that made it to my top 10 list might not be technically gadgets but the products that I’ve highlighted really take any indoor growing setup to the next level. I would go as far as to call these items “must haves” for any level of gardener. I truly hope you enjoyed and get value form my work. now get out there and enjoy your plants thriving and growing more healthy, with absolutely no effort!

Please leave me a comment below if:

• you have any experience with any of these products
• you agree or disagree with any of my recommendations
• you know of any superior products that I should try out next
• you have any extra information you would like to share with the Apartment Growers Community

-Atlas