Everything I touch dies. Well, not everything, I guess. But plants and me have a murky history. And it’s not that I don’t love gardening. In fact, I love it. Especially indoors. Bringing a plant inside breathes new life into any room. But if you can believe it, I’ve even had problems with electronic indoor gardens. My thumb isn’t green but red, red with the stain of death. That is, until I used Click and Grow.
What is the Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 Pro?
Click and Grow sell themselves as self-growing indoor gardens. Because they make their own seed pods, it’s just a matter of filling a machine with water, placing the pods, and waiting for nature to take its course. You can, however, keep track of the growth through a companion app. It also allows you to set how much light your plants get, along with scheduling when the lights come on.
The Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 Pro actually came with three sets of seeds, including green lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and mint. I had no doubt that the machine would grow its own seed pods. Luckily, Click and Grow also offers empty pods that allow you to insert any seed you wish.
Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 Pro Review: Is it worth it?
While I opted to try growing some green lettuce and tomatoes, the other seven plants were totally freeform: some lacinato kale, salad mix, chives, mojito mint, parsley, and cilantro. Loading these freeform pods was easily done. I was up and running in about ten minutes, from unpacking the box to plugging it in for the first time.
The water tank couldn’t be more low profile. Filling it up is also easily done and because it’s so big, you only have to fill it every three weeks to a month (depending of course on humidity, temperature, and plants in your Smart Garden 9 Pro). What I loved about this in comparison with other indoor gardens is just how easy it is to operate. It’s all done through the app.
It’s especially intuitive with its own plants. I was able to monitor the growth cycle of my green lettuce and tomatoes. Not only did it count down the days until sprouting, but it even provided insights on the plant, from germination speed to pollination tips. I didn’t realize it until later, but I was learning about plants while I was watching them grow. Neat.
As for the off-brand seeds I planted, they too sprouted and grew fruitfully alongside the Click and Grow plants. The greens especially are really blooming big. Because tomato plants are poisonous to cats, I have my Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 Pro propped up on a high shelf where they won’t reach. The powerful grow lights offer a secondary benefit. Nearby plants are also getting some of the light’s nutrients. I can tell because leaves that used to hang static are now seemingly reaching towards the Click and Grow Smart Garden Pro’s light. Nature is fascinating sometimes.
The Final Verdict
While I like the way the indoor garden brand takes a soup to nuts approach to planting, I wish the selection of seeds was larger. Sure, the options offer quite a bit of diversity, from herbs, to veggies, and even flowers. Expect to pay a premium for them, though. On average, you’ll be paying $3.33 cents per plant pod. What is baffling to me is that Click and Grow Experimental pods, which allow you to grow any seed you want, are just as expensive. I wish playing with my plants was a little more economical.
However, there’s something to be said about perfection. Click and Grow seeds sprout quickly and grow seemingly exponentially larger as weeks go on. The name for the indoor garden system couldn’t be more apt: Click and Grow. If you’re like me, and everything you plant dies the second you bring it inside, it’s a truly flaw-free growing system.
How much does Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 Pro cost?
The Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 Pro is available on Click and Grow for $259.
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A few notes
If you want to tap into the greatness of Click and Grow Smart Garden system but aren’t quite ready to drop the bundle of cash, there are a few options that are a little more fiscally prudent.
- Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 lets you grow three pods at once, and is incredibly low profile. Fits perfectly in any kitchen or nook. It’s available for $99.95 on Amazon.
- Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 is a simpler version of the Smart Garden 9 Pro. It doesn’t have app capabilities, but it does grow nine pods at once, and grows them well. It’s also $50 less expensive than the Pro model at $199.
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