Helen Greiner, CEO at Tertill, joins Builder Nation's Podcast host Elisa Muñoz to share his experiences as a leader in the high-tech gardening industry and the insights she has gained from her broad experience with robots.

This interview was brought to you by BuilderNation, the community of Hardware leaders developing world-changing products, and sponsored by ControlHub, the purchasing software for hardware companies.

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The agricultural industry has undergone a significant transformation in the last few years. Technology now plays a critical role in gardening, helping farmers monitor and control their crops' growing conditions more precisely. Farmers can now optimize the use of resources such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides, reducing waste and increasing crop yields. It also enables farmers to grow crops in areas where traditional farming methods may not be feasible.

As traditional farming methods are slowly being replaced with technology-driven solutions, there has been a rise in the demand for high-tech gardening tools and techniques, which help maximize the yield, reducing the environmental impact of agriculture.

In this blog post, we'll discuss the emergence of the high-tech gardening industry and how Tertill, a high-tech gardening company is leading the way in sustainable agriculture.

High-Tech Gardening Tools and Benefits

These innovative Farming solutions offer various tools and techniques that help farmers maximize their crop yields while minimizing their environmental impact. Some of these tools include:

Smart Irrigation Systems: the advanced method relies on real-time weather data and soil moisture sensors to optimize water usage, reducing water wastage and minimizing runoff. Helping farmers grow healthier crops while reducing waste and minimizing the environmental impact of agriculture.

Automated Greenhouse Management Systems: this system implements sensors to monitor temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions, optimizing plant growth and minimizing waste. In this way it helps reduce the need for manual labor, saving time and increasing efficiency. 

Vertical Farming Techniques: involve growing crops in vertically stacked layers, using artificial light and climate control to optimize growing conditions. This method maximizes space utilization and allows farmers to grow crops in urban areas, reducing transportation costs and the environmental impact of agriculture.

Precision Agriculture Tools: use of advanced sensors, GPS, and mapping technologies to optimize crop yields while reducing waste. This technology allows farmers to monitor plant growth and detect issues such as pests and diseases early, reducing the need for pesticides and increasing crop yields. Additionally, it improves food security, increases food production, and reduces reliance on imports.

Tertill: the smart way to garden

Tertill is a groundbreaking gardening robot that simplifies and automates weeding using robotics technology. This solar-powered device is incredibly user-friendly, requiring minimal effort to operate. Tertill is programmed to patrol your garden daily, using its onboard string trimmer to cut down weeds while expertly avoiding plants and obstacles in its path.

This tool is ideal for gardeners of all levels due to its compact size and low profile. It comes with a unique height sensor feature that enables it to differentiate between weeds and desirable plants, safeguarding your garden from damage. When the crops are 4 inches or taller the robot will detect them with its onboard sensors.  With Tertill's advanced technology, you can save time and effort while maintaining a beautiful garden.

Tertill’s Features

Tertill is packed with advanced features that make it a top choice for anyone who wants to enjoy gardening without the hassle of manual weeding. Let's delve into the features:

• Solar-Powered: Tertill is equipped with a solar panel that allows it to recharge itself during the day, eliminating the need for manual charging.

• Height Sensor: the robot uses a height sensor to determine whether a plant is a weed or a desirable plant. Tertill is programmed to avoid tall plants, protecting them from damage.

• Metal Guards: Tertill comes with metal guards that can be used to protect young plants until they grow tall enough to be recognized by the height sensor.

• Weatherproof: the robot is designed to be weatherproof, allowing it to operate in all kinds of weather conditions.

• Easy to Use: Tertill is incredibly easy to use. Simply place it in your garden and let it do the work for you.

→ Click here to learn more about Tertill´s useful tips and features

FAQs

When it comes to gardening, it's natural to have a lot of questions. Here are some frequently asked questions about Tertill, the weeding robot:

• How does it distinguish between weeds and plants? Tertill uses height to determine if a plant is a weed or not. It avoids plants that are tall enough to touch its sensors, while plants that can pass under the robot are assumed to be weeds and cut down with the onboard string trimmer.

• Does it pull weeds out? Tertill controls weeds by cutting them down with its string trimmer. It also churns up the top layer of dirt, which disrupts many weed seeds from ever-growing.

• Will the weeds grow back? A whacked weed may sprout again, but Tertill will continue to cut it down until it runs out of energy and dies.

• Why does Tertill stop so much? Tertill stops regularly to recharge its solar-powered battery. It patrols for about 2-5 minutes before stopping again, and these short intervals add up to about 1-2 hours a day, which is enough to maintain a 200-square-foot garden.

• Does Tertill need to be charged? Tertill is solar-powered and doesn't require charging. However, it does have a USB port on its belly if you want to charge it, say after it has been stored all winter.

• How many Tertills do I need for my garden? Each Tertill can maintain up to 200 square feet, which is the size of a 10 ft. x 20 ft. garden. If you have a larger garden, you can section off 200 square feet or consider getting more than one robot.

• Does Tertill ever get stuck? Although Tertill has a 4-wheel drive and a low round body to help it navigate around the changing garden terrain, it can still get stuck. It's recommended to check on the robot every couple of days to ensure there isn't a corner or slope that traps it. If Tertill gets stuck, eliminate or block off whatever trapped it, place Tertill back in the garden, and press the button to hear the charge tune to make sure the robot is not in standby mode.

Future of the High-Tech Gardening Industry

The high-tech gardening industry is experiencing a surge in demand, as more and more people look for sustainable and efficient ways to grow their own food. With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the demand for food is only going to increase, making the need for high-tech gardening solutions even more pressing.

As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative high-tech gardening tools hit the market. From smart irrigation systems to automated greenhouse management systems, the possibilities for technology in agriculture are endless.

By using sensors and data analytics, technologies can help farmers and gardeners make more informed decisions about when to plant, irrigate, and harvest their crops. 

Overall, the growing need for sustainable and efficient food production, along with the advancements in high-tech gardening solutions, presents a promising future for the industry. By harnessing the power of technology, we can work towards creating a more sustainable and efficient food system for the increasing number of people worldwide.