How this smart garden stopped growing

AeroGarden, which produces smart indoor planters with built-in grow lamps that work with a connected app, recently announced that it will shutter its business starting on January 1st next year, Ars Technica reported.

The company, which was acquired by Scott’s Miracle-Gro in 2020, says it will update users later on the “longer-term status” of its app, which lets users monitor water levels and set lighting schedules. For now, AeroGarden only says the app will work for “an extended period of time.” Owners can still control its smart garden gadgets without the app “as described in the user manual” for their specific product. (For instance, the Bounty Wi-Fi offers a touchscreen control panel.)

Even so, Wi-Fi-enabled software features are a big part of why people buy things like smart home grow kits, and losing those features could sting. Consumer protection groups like iFixit and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have lobbied the FTC to create guidelines pertaining to hardware that’s tied closely to software features.

Any AeroGarden kits bought starting November 1st will only get a 90-day warranty, but the company says it will keep honoring the 1-year term of those bought before that date. Though AeroGarden has shut down its online store, the company says its products, parts, and accessories will be available on Amazon through the end of the year. AeroGarden says there are several third-party seed pods that “might serve as a replacement” for the ones it made so you can continue to grow your not-so-smart garden.

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