The Herb Garden by GardenByte was developed by a team of MIT engineers that have been in the works for more than 3 years.
The stylish 30-inch long panter box is small enough that it doesn’t take up too much counter space, yet large enough to grow a wide variety of herbs. The planter box has a clear glass lighting system that is 31 inches high and the box is 7.75 inches wide.
A successful Kickstarter project, which is still ongoing until April 22nd, has already raised enough money for the team to start production.
The advanced hydroponic growing system eliminates the need for soil, the user just needs to put nutrient-rich water into the pods and the specially designed system will automatically regulate optimal growing conditions. The modular design is capable of growing up to 39 small plants at once, or it’s possible to space out larger plants and grow full-size herbs.
To do so, the system uses powerful LED lights to simulate the sun during the day and candlelight LEDs in the evening. Integrated into the light fixture are special polymer lenses and shrouds, which ensure the lighting shines directly onto the plants. This technology allows the herbs to grow up to 6x faster than outdoor gardens and 3x faster than other indoor planters.
Speaking of technology, The Herb Garden “is the most intelligent home gardening system in the world.” The MIT team integrated a built-in computer that includes WiFi connectivity with more than a dozen sensors to control the environment and automatically adjust the settings for optimal plant growth.
The Herb Garden app connects the homeowner directly to the integrated computer, which can send out alerts if the garden needs more water or nutrients, along with temperature control if the air is too hot or cold.
That’s not all, the app will come with many easy recipes and suggestions for different herb pairings to try out when cooking. New herb seed pods and the nutrients can be ordered directly from the app. The team also thought about users being away for a while and have a vacation mode that will slow the growth of the plants.
The planter box is made from your choice of three different locally sourced Massachusetts hardwoods, Maple, Cherry, or Walnut.
This is ideal for anyone who loves cooking or just likes the idea of always having fresh herbs available and ready to go without leaving the kitchen.
To donate to the Kickstarter fund or pre-order The Herb Garden, you can visit here. The company expects the first Herb Gardens to be ready for home deliveries in September 2020.
