Greetings friends! In this article, I want to tell you how I grew plants in the Smart Garden 9 PRO from Click & Grow. Although many people call this device hydroponics and even consider it one of the best hydroponic systems, it really isn’t.
The Smart Garden 9 PRO is a self-watering indoor growing system. Because of this, it has a number of features that I will discuss here.
My Click & Grow The Smart Garden 9 PRO
My rating of the Click & Grow The Smart Garden 9 PRO
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Technology | 4 |
| Efficiency | 5 |
| Quality | 9 |
| User experience | 9 |
| Impact on comfort | 9 |
| Ease of maintenance | 8 |
| Customer support | 7 |
| Operating Costs | 5 |
| Proprietary | 2 |
| Price | 6 |
| Total | 64 |
I have been testing The Smart Garden 9 PRO for several months and comparing it with other devices. In my research, The Smart Garden 9 PRO received a score of 64 out of a possible 100.
When converted into an average score, The Smart Garden 9 PRO is rated 6.4/10. Below you will find out how I rated this device in each category.
Technology
Smart Garden 9 PRO has a fairly simple working method. The pots have a wick through which water penetrates into the grow sponges. The sponges contain a slow-release fertilizer and in this way, the plant is able to grow and develop.
This design does not produce good results. The size of the pots is too small and the root system has nowhere to develop. As a result, the plants grow very slowly. I have the feeling that my plants in pots on the window grow faster.
Also, the grow sponges are too moist, which leads to mold and algae.
The bowl is large enough to hold a lot of water. The bowl is also equipped with a float that indicates the water level.
The grow deck is also large and has 9 holes. However, it is difficult to use them all. The real number of plants that I can grow here is 6.
The LED power is 13 watts, which is definitely not enough for most plants. In addition, the light is not adjustable in height, which is a disadvantage.
Of the advantages in terms of technology here I need to mention the availability of Bluetooth, but only in the PRO version. I personally do not use this feature.
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO a 4/10 for technology.
Efficiency
I want to say right away that the Smart Garden 9 PRO has low efficiency. This is primarily due to the fact that the pots are too small and the plants are too tight. In these small pots, root-bound happens quite quickly and the plants begin to suffer from chlorosis.
On the leaves of my basil plants, I can clearly see yellowing, which is a sign of nutrient deficiencies.
The second thing that affects the efficiency of this device is the LEDs. The Smart Garden 9 PRO is equipped with very weak LEDs and can generate up to 10000 lux of light. This is very little for growing full-grown plants.
All I grow more or less normally is a single lettuce bush. This device is better suited for growing herbs and leafy greens than for vegetables.
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO a 5/10 for efficiency.
Quality
Quality is one of the strong points of the Smart Garden 9 PRO. Here I can only praise the device. The plastic is thick and durable. It is also very pleasant to the touch.
All parts are very securely fastened and the device looks solid. The build quality is excellent. Even the domes are more robust than most hydroponic systems.
When it comes to the LED it is hard to judge since I haven’t used the device for a long time. But from the looks of it, they should last a long time.
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO a 9/10 for quality.
User experience
The Smart Garden 9 PRO is very easy to assemble. All I had to do was pour water and put the pots with the grow sponges in the holes.
Then I covered the pots with grow domes. When the seedlings came out I took the growing domes off.
About 1-2 times a month I topped up the water in the bowl and that was it. There is nothing else to do. This system is actually very easy to use.
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO a 9/10 for user experience.
Impact on comfort
The Smart Garden 9 PRO has almost no effect on comfort. All disadvantages of this device are turned into benefits here.
The weak LEDs do not shine very brightly and hardly irritate the eye at all. In some hydroponic systems, this is a problem.
The Smart Garden 9 PRO is not equipped with a pump so it does not make any noise. At the same time, most hydroponic systems make quite a noticeable noise.
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO a 9/10 for impact on comfort.
Ease of maintenance
When it comes to maintenance, the Smart Garden 9 PRO is very easy. It does not require water changes like most hydroponic systems. I also didn’t have to put any plant food in.
All I did was refill the water about once a month and that was it. I had to pour water through a hole by removing one of the pots and that’s a bit inconvenient.
This system is easy to maintain, but still once every few months I need to clean the bowl from the inside. To do this I need to remove the grow deck and it’s pretty tricky. I wasn’t able to remove the grow deck the first time.
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO an 8/10 for ease of maintenance.
Customer support
Click & Grow has a pretty good customer support team at support.clickandgrow.com. It describes all the typical problems that a user may encounter.
In addition, they have a chat room on their site. However, the connection with the person is only on the schedule, and most of the time the bot answers.
A clear advantage is that Click & Grow has a group on Facebook, where there are many users. There you can quickly get an answer to your question.
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO a 7/10 for customer support.
Operating costs
мIn one month in the Smart Garden 9 PRO, I was able to grow one medium-sized lettuce bush and one small basil bush. Some of the plants that I planted did not come out or come out, but they grow very slowly.
All in all, I can tell you that the Smart Garden 9 PRO can grow 4 lettuces at the same time. Let’s calculate how much it will cost per month.
| Electricity | 6.73 kWh/mo | $1.14/mo |
| Grow sponges | 4 Pcs | $8.52 |
| Total cost | $9.66 |
As you can see, the Smart Garden 9 PRO consumes 6.73 kWh of electricity per month, which is relatively low. However, pre-seeded growing sponges cost $2.13 each. This is very overpriced and, as a result, the cost per plant is unreasonably high.
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO a 5/10 for operating costs.
Proprietary
In this category, I evaluate the device for the availability of alternatives to original consumables. The more alternative manufacturers there are and the lower the price, the better.
I have not been able to find substitutes for the Smart Garden 9 PRO grow sponges. The same goes for the pots, the design is unique and there is no alternative on the market.
I tried to grow plants in the Smart Garden 9 PRO with my own potting soil. The results were not good so I can not claim that you can successfully use your own soil.
I have come to the conclusion that to grow plants in the Smart Garden 9 PRO I must use only original sponges. They start at around 2 dollars and are very overpriced.
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO a 2/10 for proprietary.
Price
The price of The Smart Garden 9 is not the lowest on the market. In fact, this device is a bit overpriced. For this money, you get a system with weak light and relatively low efficiency.
But at the same time, it is quite a beautiful and quality product. I have good news for you, using the code WOGP you will get 20% off.
You can buy The Smart Garden 9 from the manufacturer’s website at the links below:
I give The Smart Garden 9 PRO a 6/10 for price.
Recommended For
The Smart Garden 9 PRO is best for those who appreciate aesthetics and beautiful appearance. This device can be a very harmonious addition to the interior of your kitchen.
Also, The Smart Garden 9 PRO is suitable for people who are not limited by their budget and give preference to quality products. The quality of materials of this device promises a long lifespan.
If you want to have herbs and leafy greens in your kitchen all year round and want it to be beautiful, then The Smart Garden 9 PRO is definitely for you.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Beautiful appearance | Weak LEDs |
| Quality materials | Small pots |
| Bluetooth | Expensive consumables |
| Pre-seeded sponges | No alternatives to consumables |
| Ease of use | Price |
| Ease of maintenance | Not adjustable light height |
| Low electricity consumption | |
| Water level indicator |
Alternatives
| Product Feature | Smart Garden 9 PRO | Aerogarden Harvest | iDOO 12-pods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size (HxWxD) | 15.7″x24″x7.2″ (40x61x18.5cm) | 17.3″x10.4″x5.6″ (44×26.5×14.3cm) | 15.3″x13.7″x10.2″ (39x35x26cm) |
| Number of pods | 9 | 6 | 12 |
| LED power | 13 W | 20 W | 22 W |
| Bluetooth/App | Yes | No | No |
| Fan | No | No | Yes |
| Tank capacity | 4 L | 2.5 L | 4 L |
| Max grow height | 10.5″ (27 cm) | 11″ (28 cm) | 10.5″ (27 cm) |
| Min grow height | 10.5″ (27 cm) | 4.7″ (12 cm) | 5.5″ (14 cm) |
| Touchscreen | No | No | No |
| Low Water Reminder | No | Yes | No |
| Nutrient Reminder | No | Yes | No |
| Seed pods | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Plant food | – | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $231.96 | $89.95 | $91.99 |
Conclusion
Smart Garden 9 PRO is a very beautiful and high-quality indoor herb and leafy green garden. Its advantages will be appreciated first of all by those who care about aesthetics.
It perfectly fits into the design of your kitchen and can bring a lot of benefits. At the same time, it is important to understand that it is not a cheap device, and growing in it requires some costs.