Grow Duo adds some 21st-century brains to your old-fashioned garden

By Karl Utermohlen October 3, 2017

Smart gardening device Grow Duo — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Many people might not see the connection between technology and nature, but one company is intertwining the two by creating a product that will help you grow plants, vegetables, and fruits at home. Smart gardening company GROW has released the GROW Duo, touted as the first outdoor, connected, self-watering planter.

The sensor-equipped device comes with soil, seeds, and nutrients. The company says that you can be up and running with your new smart planter in 10 minutes through its app, which aids in producing herbs, berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, beans, and more. The GROW marketplace includes a variety of seeds, seedlings, soils and nutrients that can be purchased in addition to the device. First-time users get a $20 credit to begin their gardening.

Setting up the GROW Duo requires turning on the smart planter and connecting it to your hose. The battery-powered device can then link up to your Bluetooth-connected iOS or Android smartphone. The app offers recommendations that can suit your needs, all while guiding you through the growing process. You will learn what you can grow based on your environment, including your yard’s air temperature, light, soil moisture, temperature, and the historical weather data of the region.

In-app notifications will inform you of any moves you need to make to keep your garden running smoothly, including adding soil nutrients, pruning, or mulching. GROW Duo also offers automatic watering, which you can customize.

The device has a pre-sale price of $199, which includes the $20 credit, plus a variety of seeds and nutrients. You can pre-order at GROW’s website. The regular price is $249.

The startup was launched in 2015 by Idan Cohen and Andrew Wanliss-Orlebar. Cohen came up with the idea for GROW Duo after moving to an apartment and facing difficulties in his quest to build an outdoor garden. Realizing there were no high-quality products on the market other than Click & Grow, Cohen started developing growing technologies with Andrew Wanliss-Orlebar. The two have plenty of experience in consumer-packaged goods, which helped drive forward GROW’s mission of creating electronics and hardware to help create a more sustainable home environment.

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Karl Utermohlen

Karl Utermohlen is a finance and tech journalist with an MFA in creative writing from the University of Idaho. his do Zelda…

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