In the future, analysts says every room will have a few smart devices, and Scotts Miracle-Gro – best know as makers of fetilizer and weed killers – think that should also include the garden. Whether its a pond, patio, lawn, or flower beds in your yard, Scotts now has a way to make it part of the connected Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem.

Their Gro platform will offer data on your soil levels, water, temperature, and pest control, letting you know what to do in your garden. The firm hopes the information will save water and time spent in the garden, alongside giving gardeners more confidence when planting.

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“Scotts Miracle-Gro’s platform will know what the recent weather and rainfall has been, what types of plants are most likely to succeed in each location, what the local soil type is, and what to do at each stage of the season. Previously complex tasks will be presented instead as bite-sized, highly visual, personalized instructions,” said the firm. “We will offer the same type of advice a friendly, expert gardener would suggest, if they lived next door. We will give people the confidence to try new things.”

Scotts Connected Yard will work with existing devices

It will not just offer first-party devices, Scotts Miracle-Gro will allow companies and startups to build and connect to its platform. Launch partners include smart water controllers Blossom, Rachio, Green IQ, and Lono, and smart soil providers PlantLink and Parrot.

Scott Miracle-Gro is obviously keen to see more people gardening, but that isn’t the only reason for the investment in IoT. The platform is also able to save water, a valuable commodity in some parts of the world, and might prove useful for cities struggling with drought like California.

The lawn and garden firm did not give a date for the iOS app launch, but we should see the Gro platform and all its devices available before the end of the year.