It’s about time: Self-driving robot chops pesky weeds down to nothing
Self-driving cars? Sure, I’d try one. And if Alexa or Siri can organize my life, I’m game.
But as a gardener, I’ve finally found a futuristicsounding invention worth getting excited about: the Tertill, “a robot that weeds your garden.”
According to the manufacturer, Franklin Robotics, the Tertill is solar-powered, uses no chemicals and “is designed to stay outside in your garden — no need to bring it in when it rains.”
A wheeled disc about 8 inches across and 5 inches tall, the Tertill resembles a Roomba, a robotic vacuum cleaner for indoors. (The same roboticist created both devices).
Using a built-in ministring trimmer to cut weeds, the Tertill can differentiate between plants you want and those you don’t.
“People have been trying to get weeds out of their garden for a long time: They have tried plastic groundcloth, homemade herbicides, boiling water, and countless other approaches,” says www.indiegogo.com, where you can preorder.
“But all of these remedies lack a certain robotic awesomeness that Tertill brings to the situation.”
I do wonder how the Tertill would navigate a weedy jungle like my own garden, so I’m waiting to hear how things go for the early adopters.
For more information, visit www.franklinrobotics.com; delivery is expected next spring.
And for a few more tidbits that can enhance your gardening life, read on. Selections — “the oldest independent testing organization of flower and edible varieties in North America” — has announced its first winners for 2018.
■ American Dream sweet corn features “excellent germination (and) very tender, super sweet kernels.”
■ Onyx Red ornamental pepper boasts “diminutive black foliage and tons of shiny red fruits.”
■ Racer Red tomato produces “small, uniform fruits with great taste.”
For details on these and previous winners, visit http://all-america selections.org. Racer Red is categorized as a “cocktail tomato” — meaning slightly larger than cherry or grape varieties.
annuals that are flowering less and looking scraggly. You can often revive them by cutting them back aggressively and fertilizing.
That’s just one of the late-summer tips from the Missouri Botanical Garden (www.missouribotanical garden.org), which also offers advice on lawns, vegetables and other topics for home gardeners.
Tropical flair
“Brazil in the Garden” is the theme of a program through mid-October at the Chicago Botanic Garden that celebrates the country’s influence “on gardens, arts and culture and conservation.”
But you needn’t visit South America or even the Windy City to find tropical inspiration.
The blog post “5 Tips To Make Your Garden a Brazilian Paradise” (http:// my.chicagobotanic.org) tells how to “find color in foliage,” “use contrasting textures and shapes” and more.
“If you want the tropical effect without tropical plants,” the blog observes, “there are plenty of ways to think creatively by using bold houseplants, annuals, and perennials.”