For the health conscious today, there’s no substitute for fresh grown produce. While gardening has gotten easier thanks to modern hydroponics systems, one of the biggest limitations is the fact they rely on proprietary seed packs to function. The makers of the Tregen T-series are aiming to make the world’s first truly connected and affordable kitchen garden. The device is an actual smart garden which adapts the light, watering, and nutrients to the needs of the plants being grown. It also adjusts conditions based on the growing phase of the plant.
Tregen supports a variety of plants such as flowers, herbs, lettuce, strawberries, and tomatoes. The companion mobile app has over 50 plant-specific growing programs to choose from. Users can grow plants they brought starting from seeds or cuttings. Unlike other systems, users aren’t limited to specific seed pods or particular plant growing products. Although the T-series is relatively new, Tregen has been around since 2010. They’ve already launched two different product lines, and the T-series has been in development for over four years.
The core of Tregen revolves around the Smart Gardener app which is designed specifically for ease of use. Users just have to pick the program for the plant of their choice, or they can customize one by themselves. Once done they can watch the plants grow.
There’s also the Active Growing Technology™, which is similar to the method greenhouses use with hydroponics. It’s a state of the art hydroponic cultivation system where plants are grown in a soilless environment where nutrients are distributed via water. This distribution approach is designed to deliver three times faster growth than traditional growing methods.
As far as maintenance goes, it only takes minutes per month. Since the device continuously monitors the system, it tells users when to add water, change it, and add nutrients.
The Tregen comes in a variety of models. The Tregen T3 is designed to fit up to three plants (and is intended for small households), the T6 accommodates up to six plants (well suited for families), and the T12 holds up to 12 plants (well suited for public spaces). The T3 is sized 7.6” x 6.9” x 17.3”, the T6 is sized 13.6” x 6.9” x 17.3”, and the T12 is sized 25.4” x 6.9” x 17.3”.
So far the makers of the Tregen T-series have raised over $86,000 via crowdfunding with an estimated shipping date as early as September 2017. Early bird pricing for the device starts at $56 while the retail price is $100. Color wise, the device comes in white, gray, and black.