This smart-gardening app will nurture your plants remotely

All set for a holiday but wor ried what happens to your plants at home? Well, this smart-gardening app could soon do the needful. Greenopia, a mobile app, can actually do the job of a gardener. The technology helps one understand which plants grow well in which climate, the kind of material required to grown them, the level at which seeds should be sown and the amount of water required.
The brainchild of four students from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, the app was the result of a 2014 design talent challenge where youngsters had to use tele-communication technology to come up with ideas that could improve quality of life. "All of us are from small towns where we are used to having gardens, and we miss our plants," said Mayukhini Pande, cofounder Greenopia.

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The app comes with a kit that includes smart pots fitted with sensors. It can detect basic plant parameters like the soil's moisture content, its composition and the plant's exposure to sunlight.

"The idea is to get more urban professionals to grow something on their own; the app will help people take the right decision.People living in cities invest time tending to their plants but often lose interest after trials and errors," added Mayukhini.

"The app will guide you at every step. You'll know when the first leaves and veggies will appear from the time you have sown the seeds," she explained.

The start-up has raised Rs 9 lakh after a year of working on the crowd-funded model. Said Mani HK, cofounder and CEO, Greenopia: "The first set of kits will be only for those who have funded us. Commercially, the kit and the app will be available from November."