Thursday 2 July 2015

Parrot 'Flower Power'

With Flower Power, Anyone Can Have A Green Thumb
Parrot Flower Power is a sensor that can be "planted" close to a plant, indoors or outdoors, in a pot or in open ground. It precisely measures, in real time, the parameters that are crucial for the growth and good health of plants:
Soil moisture, fertilizer, ambient temperature, and light intensity.
Plants have vital needs, and Parrot Flower Power uses advanced sensor technologies to monitor the plants' welfare through a range of parameters. Using the data gathered every 15 minutes by the four sensors, users are able to understand the exact requirements of their plants. The materials chosen for manufacturing the Flower Power ensure the product is watertight and robust. The Parrot Flower Power can be used both inside and outside (from -10 °C to 55° C). Waterproof, it can withstand watering, rain, and liquid fertilizer. Put it in the ground or in a pot and monitor the changes in your plants and garden.

Bluetooth, smart and realtime monitoring of multiple plants.
The data retrieved by the Parrot Flower Power is sent to your Smartphone or Tablet using Bluetooth low energy technology, allowing it to communicate with Bluetooth Smart Ready devices. Bluetooth Low Energy is a wireless technological standard which consumes very little energy. When you are near your Flower Power, you can use Live mode to check the light intensity, ambient temperature, and soil humidity. Every 15 minutes Flower Power measures four data sources and stores the data in its memory. Every two hours Flower Power sends data to your Smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy. If you are not within Bluetooth range, it keeps the data in its memory until you are back within range (data kept for up to 80 days). Alerts are sent to your Smartphone each time one of your plants needs attention. There is no need to be near your Flower Power to get the notifications. A Parrot Flower Power can monitor several plants in the same pot, in a planter or on a small plot of land if the conditions of watering, soil drainage, and exposure to the sun and wind are uniform.


A Dedicated App
Download the free Parrot Flower Power App on your Smartphone/Tablet. The application will then connect your Flower Power to the Parrot Cloud (via 3G/4G or Wi-Fi), where the data is analyzed. After the data is analyzed, you will receive an alert in real time when one of your plants has special water, fertilizer, light, or temperature needs. Follow the changes in your garden directly or simply consult Parrot's vast but easy to use database. Using the application, users can select their plants from the database in the Parrot Cloud, which has been developed by botanists. More than 7,000 varieties are listed and custom advice is given on maintaining each plant.

(5) Cannabis Hybrids: G13, Jack Herer, Lowryder, Morning Star,White Widow
(4) Cannabis Indica: Blue Rhino, Blueberry, Bubba Kush, Nothern Lights
(1) Cannabis Sativa: Sour Diesel

Price: €44-49
Links: ParrotMyFlowerPower



More Details:

Air Temperature

  • Range: -5°C to +55°C
  • Accuracy: +/- 1.5°C
The range of temperature that is generally comfortable for most plants is between 10-32°C (50-80°F). Various stresses may affect plants outside this range, but it is highly plant specific.


Light
  • Range: 0.13 to 104 (mole x m-2 x d-1) 
  • Accuracy: +/- 15% 
The light sensor is calibrated to measure Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), defined as light in the wavelength between 400 - 700nm (the visible spectrum).

Soil Moisture

  • Range: 0 to 50 (%) 
  • Accuracy: +/-3 
The typical soil moisture range is between 8 (very dry) to 45 (saturated). The soil moisture will read 0 when in air. Generally, most plants require watering when the soil moisture is in the range of 12 to 18. If the soil moisture stays >40 for too long, this may be harmful to some plants (overwatering promotes the growth of pathogens in the soil, and plants require oxygen at their roots for good health). Specific watering and overwatering thresholds depend on the plant type. Due to variations in soil composition, texture, compaction, and other factors, variation of the soil moisture readings can be greater in practice than the accuracy of the sensor suggests. To reduce these variations, always water around the sensor when it is first inserted into the soil to remove air gaps. When container gardening, always use a container with holes at the bottom for good drainage.

Fertilizer

  • Range: 0 to 10 (mS/cm) 
  • Accuracy: +/-20% 
The typical range for fertilizer in horticultural applications is 0 to 4 mS/cm. Generally, fertilizer >1 is low, fertilizer in the range of 1 - 3 is a good range, above 3 is high, and above 4 may to too high. Fertilizer usage and sensitivity is plant specific. After application of liquid fertilizer based on the manufacturer recommendation for your plant, you should immediately notice on the sensor that fertilizer is in a good range. When using compost or slow-release fertilizers, it can take a longer time for the fertilizer to register on the sensor. Due to uneven distribution of fertilizers in soils, variation on fertilizer readings can be greater in practice than the accuracy of the sensor suggests. To reduce these variations, always water your plant thoroughly -- this gives fertilizer the best chance to evenly distribute throughout the soil.

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