SproutRobot

SproutRobot seeds just got cheaper, and awesomer. SproutRobot...

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:39:00 -0700

You're so fancy, ordering seeds online.

Everybody will be jealous of your mail.

Organic. Because you're worth it.

We're ready for you.

Win-win situation.

SproutRobot seeds just got cheaper, and awesomer.

SproutRobot launched a little over a year ago with a totally unique business model. Instead of buying a bunch of seeds that get left in a closet somewhere to rot, we thought we could use the magic of technology not just to tell people when to plant, but to deliver seeds to their doorstep right before it’s time to plant.

But one of the biggest sources of confusion for people has been our pricing. Our yearly plans are hard to understand, hard to compare to other services, and hard to manage when you need more seeds.

Well, after a stupid amount of re-tooling, we’re happy to announce a totally new pricing model. Instead of subscribing to a yearly package, just check off the seeds on your planting calendar that you want to receive, and pay an easy flat price of $3.99 per organic, heirloom seed packet. Shipping and tax included!

If you’ve been waiting to sign up for a SproutRobot seed subscription, there’s never been a better time than now.

To celebrate this momentous culmination of months of our engineer slaving in front of a computer terminal, we’ve decided to run a 15% off promo for the launch! Just enter the code LAUNCH15 when signing up.

As for our existing customers, who are totally awesome for taking the plunge with us while we were just starting out, we decided it’s only fair to give all of you the full value of your previous purchase in seed credits under the new pricing, which is actually a bunch cheaper: depending on the plan, you’ll get 2-5 extra seed varieties, free of charge!

You lucky ducks.

Plus, we’ve made it stunningly easy to re-order more seeds. Just go to your garden and click “Buy Seeds” and you’re off to the races. Existing customers can use the discount code too! We’re going crazy with the discount codes up in here!

[Update: Some *existing* users may see a bug or two. We’re still getting to know our new site getting to know you. As always, we’re at: hello [at] sproutrobot [dot] com if your account is acting funny.]

If you purchase a subscription, what exactly does "money back guarantee mean"? I live in an apartment and i have ALWAYS wanted to grow fresh produce. It seems like every year i buy all the stuff (pots, soil, seeds/starter plants) and the everything always end up dying which ends up being a waste of money. Is your subscription/directions well explained? maybe even fool proof?

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:33:55 -0800

Thanks so much for writing in.

You can check out our instructions and process for free. Our calendars and guides are both included in our free service. It’s the handy just-in-time heirloom organic seed mailing + selection that you’d be paying for. Just plug in your zip code, register with your email address, and you’ll be in the free system.

As for money back guarantee, it means that if anything about our service doesn’t meet your expectations, we give you your money back.

Regardless of how you get there, keep truckin’ on your apartment garden journey!

Source: flickr.com via SproutRobot on Pinterest

Law & Order: What The Heck Kind of Bug is That?

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:37:00 -0800

It’s no secret that certain people at SproutRobot like their Law & Order and CSI. So of course we’re gonna LOVE a blog that uncovers the identity of mystery bugs. That’s right. If you can stomach it, take a picture of a mystery bug dude in your life, and buggirl is on the case.

But buggirl is more than an insect detective. She’s a full on bug scientist who just loves bugs and writing about bugs and you should follow her on tumblr or do whatever you need to do keep her blog in your life.

(And doy, she made gross/adorable bug Valentines that we loved.)

buggirl:

“I’m stumped. Any idea what kind of spider this might be? There is a whole pack of them in the backyard of my Florida condo.”-ladybutternut

Hi! I at first thought a Nephila orb Weaver, aka Golden Silk Spider but I actually think this is a Long Jawed Orb Weaver in the genusTetragnatha. I read that they are common in Florida in shrubs surrounding water. This is a photo of the underside of the spider- maybe you can send more photos to be sure? Either species is harmless. Perhaps, someone can confirm my suspicions.

Heirloom Gardener Ryan Gosling

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:35:15 -0800

Being super sensitive and thoughtful, Heirloom Gardener Ryan Gosling would get organic vegetable seeds for you from SproutRobot.

Image via Pinterest.

(BTW family: SproutRobot is on Pinterest now, too. Are you?)

where are you located?

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:49:19 -0800

We’re split between Oakland, CA and Portland, OR right now!

Hi there, what zone do you send emails for? Thanks

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:48:36 -0800

We send emails for whatever zip code you sign up with. In some cases it is based on your zone, but we have more specific data for many parts of the U.S. We break down Florida into four separate gardening zones, with custom calendars specific to Florida’s unique climate, for example!

I don't see broccoli or cauliflower anywhere on your site. Seems like it should be planted late winter, early spring. Or is it planted in the fall?

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:46:00 -0800

Everything depends on your climate, but broccoli and cauliflower are typically planted in the summer, so that they get the full fall season to mature. They like the cool weather!

Update from an anonymous Texan:

Re: the broccoli question. In Texas, you can plant broccoli any time from August until February - depending on when summer ends that year and when you want your harvest. This probably works in other Southern states too, but not so much up north during the harder winters.

Thanks Anonymous Texan!

How to make your outdoor herbs into indoor herbs

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 11:50:48 -0700

Extreme Makeover: Your herb garden edition.

You know how we’ve been bummed about summer being over, right?

Start with something small. Herbs. (Those lil’ guys!)

Bring ‘em indoors people.

mothernaturenetwork:

How to grow herbs indoors this winter
The abundant growing season may be over, but you can still exercise your green thumb and save on your grocery bill with an indoor herb garden…

Solar power, right guys? Who’s against it? Not us. People...

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:32:40 -0700

Solar power, right guys? Who’s against it? Not us. People who like gardening tend be a fan of solar power. And yet, outer-space moon ricochet set-ups, not unlike underground garden-parks, seem a little 28 Days Later.

Can we just try out all the above-ground, earth-based ideas first, exhaust them, before getting all freaky?

yewknee:

utnereader:

Engineers at Japanese construction firm Shimizu have dreamed up a plan for harnessing solar energy from the moon. It’s a large-scaled, seemingly inconceivable plan that involves remote-controlled robots building thousands of photovoltaic panels out of moon dirt, assembling the panels into a gigantic lunar girdle belt, and laser-beaming 220 terawatts of annually collected voltage toward Earth.

You seem skeptical … Keep reading …

whaaaaaaaaa?!?

Lego garden greenhouse

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:54:42 -0700

We’re sure the greenhouse in your garden is super cool, too.

London industrial designer Sebastian Bergne has built what’s being billed as the world’s first greenhouse made entirely out of Legos—an 11.5-foot-tall translucent shed that nourishes edible plants, like tomatoes, peppers, and sunflowers.

/via fastcompany

How to protect furry pets from poisonous plants

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:25:49 -0700

When cats aren’t busy involving themselves in your garden birdhouses, they’re adorable and worthy of our love. Those of you who don’t have a cat watching you type might even say dogs are cute and worthy of love.

Nobody wants their plants hurting their pets. The MNN link below covers some common problem plants, as well as a checklist plan that assumes a when, not a if, a pet emergency scenario. Real talk people.

mothernaturenetwork:

Familiarize yourself with dangerous plants and keep your vet’s number handy.

Attention gardeners. There have been reports of door-to-door...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:17:05 -0700

Attention gardeners. There have been reports of door-to-door salescats offering extremely attractive prices on garden birdhouses that they insist on installing themselves.

Buyer beware.

Photosynthesis, right guys? Who’s against it? Not us. Even...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:16:16 -0700

Photosynthesis, right guys? Who’s against it? Not us. Even if you’re not into gardening, you’re probably a fan of photosynthesis. And yet… underground photosynthesis? In an old subway tunnel? It sounds gorgeous. And also… yikes. OK. It’s a little 28 Days Later.

Get off our lawn, etc.

No wait. Get back on our lawn! (And out of those subway tunnels. Let’s enjoy old school sunlight while we can, people!)

“I’m still here.” -The sun.

poptech:

The Low Line: A plan for a new park banks on subterranean photosynthesis, a neat project from PopTech staffer Dan Barasch.

Outdoor garden, indoor garden. Inside-your-furniture...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:08:47 -0700

Outdoor garden, indoor garden. Inside-your-furniture garden…

cheatsheet:

utnereader:

(via Designboom)

On show at Designersblock during London Design Week 2011 is “Plantable,” a table which aims to reintroduce nature back into the experience of gathering, preparing, cooking and eating a meal. Designed by London-based studio Jailmake
(Liam Healy and Jamie Elliott), the table offers places for plants to grow within the base of each of the four legs, which are designed to allow vegitation to intertwine between its structure.

I have a question to ask...why doesn't your website work?!

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:22:00 -0700

This is a very good question.

SproutRobot family: We know many of our users are getting an error message.

It’s not personal. We ARE just that into you. We’re working on this like crazy, we will be posting progress updates.

We massively apologize for the inconvenience. Our sorry is as big your giant summer zucchini.

#itsaprocess

[update: Guess what website works again *for everybody?* Guess who doesn’t play favorites? http://sproutrobot.com ]

Maybe fall won’t be so bad. Gardening will taste less...

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:21:00 -0700

Maybe fall won’t be so bad. Gardening will taste less burning.

/via woodendreams

Garden strawberries in a big bucket. Are you trying to make...

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:27:10 -0700

Garden strawberries in a big bucket.

Are you trying to make somebody cry?

Let’s just say one of the SproutRobots is really not happy summer is ending, and among other things has been getting lots of awesome cheap fresh berries from a nearby farm and even though it’s still 70 degrees out and technically still summer, the mere sound of yelling children in a nearby school is making her emo: It’s over, twitches. Fall is here and it’s the worst.*

*Technically nobody has any problem with Fall. Just let people get up in their feelings. It’s like a breakup. Everything reminds you of him/her because you are temporarily insane.

This too shall pass.

/via cfwillett

As forward thinking gardeners, we know it’s not cool to...

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:20:12 -0700

As forward thinking gardeners, we know it’s not cool to covet grass. Especially such controlled grass. And yet, are we not flesh and bone? Do we not have needs? The heart wants what it wants to look at on Tumblr.

Besides, we have an arrangement with our garden. “You can look, you just can’t plant.”

/via theabsolution

#ThingsYouSayToCaterpillarsCrawlingOnYourShoe hrrrthrrr: whoa...

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:15:57 -0700

#ThingsYouSayToCaterpillarsCrawlingOnYourShoe

hrrrthrrr:

whoa whoa whoa…this is not a taxi service.

Our thoughts are with our Austin + Texas family. One of the...

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:55:00 -0700

Our thoughts are with our Austin + Texas family. One of the SproRo’s is based in Austin. Keep your heads up.

austinstatesman:

Photos by Rodolfo Gonzalez, Jay Janner, Ricardo B. Brazziell AMERICAN-STATESMAN and Terry Hagerty BASTROP ADVERTISER

Fire crews continue to battle several fires across Central Texas Tuesday. Winds are expected to be lighter today, but low humidity could help flames spread quickly, forecasters say. There is no chance of rain.

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