Grow a garden anywhere with the self-watering Pico Max planter

Pico Max is an almost fully automated indoor planter for growing flowers, herbs, succulents, and more.

You might remember last year’s Pico, a self-watering planter that gathered over $1.5 million in crowdfunding for its incredibly compact design. Small enough to fit on a fridge like a magnet and equipped with its own self-watering system, the palm-sized planter made the prospect of growing indoor plants and herbs less daunting.

Now, the designers behind Pico have returned once again with the Pico Max helping them take gardening more seriously. As the name suggests, the Pico Max is the brand’s second edition, improving on the original Pico model with a device that’s three times larger. To sustain the extra growth it also comes with an improved self-watering system that makes sure the plants have as much water as they need – no more, no less. 

Plants use capillary action to bring water up the roots and stem to the rest of the plant. Pico Max leverages this natural phenomenon by using capillary irrigation which perfectly regulates water between the water container and the soil. Your plants bring up water as it needs, feeding itself as you witness it thrive. All you need to do is top-up every 10 days.

Grow a garden in your bedroom

One thing that hasn’t changed is Pico Max’s unfussy design – it looks a little like a compost bin mixed with a retro speaker from the nineties. The device is made from fiber plastic and is available in three color options – white coral, stone blue, and sea green. 

The revised design has a new built-in spout to top up the much bigger reservoir and a transparent window that lets you know when it’s time to top up, typically once a week. To nourish the plant and ensure optimum growth, the Pico Max also features four air vents that sit above the water table bringing oxygen directly to the roots. 

Eager to discover more about this incredible self-watering planter’s first edition? Take a look at PICO: A garden in your palm!

Allowing users to grow plants anywhere they like, all year round, the Pico Max bathes its plants in all the necessary wavelengths of light thanks to high-performance multi-spectrum LEDs. Mounted on an easily adjustable telescopic arm, these powerful LEDs can support a wide range of plants and each color wavelength stimulates a specific biological function in plants. An Industry-first Proximity Sensor-based automatic dimming function, to protect the plants from leaf burn or overexposure. 

Unlike most indoor planters, you don’t need to plug the Pico Max in. An optional 10,000-mAh rechargeable battery generates power for up to four days. Alternatively, two USB-C ports – one at each end – make it possible to string a series of planters together and still only plug one into a power source. 

If space is limited, Pico Max comes with a bunch of possible options for where you can place it: a multipurpose metal bracket can be mounted on most walls, glass, and mirrored surfaces; you can magnetically attach it to your refrigerator door or you can simply stand it on a counter.

The minds behind Pico Max

Founded by product engineer Arun Raj, the US and Mumbai-based startup Enverde Altifarm is the company behind Pico Max. Since 2017, it has been developing products that enable people to grow a wide variety of herbs, vegetables, fruits, and plants.

Currently garnering support on Kickstarter, with pledges for a single planter starting at $69, the Pico Max’s multiple mounting options and the optional battery give users the freedom to build an indoor garden the way they want. The planter comes with an optional all-in-one microgreen kit that contains the seeds, nutrients, and growth medium. Just place the seeds in the growth medium and add water to the reservoir and your plant should begin sprouting in a week. 

Addicted to nature-inspired products? Don’t miss Airtomo by Kevin Chiam, providing you with your own air purifying cloud.