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Comment by ccallebs | Hacker News Reader

There are a lot of nuances to planting that the back of a seed packet will not prepare you for.

There are plants you don't want close to each other. There are plants that require more irrigation than their neighbors. The soil pH matters, pests are varied between species, and temperature levels can be paramount. Planting time absolutely matters.

If you have ever tried to grow more than a few things in a garden, you realize exactly how complicated it can be. And while the product at hand does not address all of those things, it lays a foundation for a future where it could. The framework is built and it's open source.

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I operate a CSA and grow thousands of dollars of food every year. I am quite aware of how incredibly simple and easy it is. You are listing off things that aren't really significant issues, and which this device does not address anyways.

> I operate a CSA and grow thousands of dollars of food every year.

That's great! And at the level you're at, the product probably doesn't make much sense. Everything is easy once you learn how to do it.

I'm curious which of the things I listed aren't significant issues? They're all things I've came across when trying to grow food.

I do agree that the current incarnation of this product fails to address those things, but the maker community will surely expand upon the platform. It appears to be extraordinarily modular.

>Everything is easy once you learn how to do it.

Which you still have to do. Again, this literally does nothing but plant seeds for you, which is a pretty easy job.

>I'm curious which of the things I listed aren't significant issues?

All of them. The only harmful interaction between plants anyone is going to experience in their garden is beans and peas getting slowed by onions. And that doesn't even matter much, it just takes a little longer for your beans to be ready to harvest. Acidity is largely irrelevant, some plants tolerate or even prefer acidic soil, but almost all plants grown in a vegetable garden do just fine with neutral to slightly acidic soil. And watering is a non-issue, use hugels or at least ghetto it up with "lasagna" beds.

>but the maker community will surely expand upon the platform.

To do what? Solve problems that are already solved and do not require any sort of mechanical solution?

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