My Blossom Sprinkler Controller has arrived! For home owners with a water sprinkler system, you no longer have to be stuck with the expensive but dumb irrigation controllers that was originally installed at your house. There is a new generation of "smart" sprinkler systems arriving on the scene, including those created by Rachio and Blossom. The Blossom controller self-programs based on real-time weather data and gives you control of your schedule right from your phone. Once the controller understands the vegetation, layout of your yard, and the weather it should do the thinking for you when deciding how much to water should be used. The company claims that because their controller is "smarter" than conventional controllers (and hopefully smarter than me), I can expect to save up to 30% on my water bill.
For the past couple years, the old controller for my home sprinkler system hasn't function well. Whether the sprinkler was bad to begin with or took a power hit, it couldn't remember it's programming well from day one when my wife and I bought the house. Then last January, Cali Lewis and David Foster at the CES interviewed Manrique Brenes of Blossom about his company's new product. The product was so new that it wasn't available for purchase and I found myself for the first time committing to a product via KickStarter.
Within the next couple weeks, I plan to swap out my old sprinkler controller with the Blossom. Here in South Dakota, it's not too uncommon for temperatures to hit below freezing in April and May so I'd rather be patient before starting up the sprinkler system too soon in the year. I'm getting the itch though. Just a couple weeks more of warmer weather and it will be time to install the Blossom and start up the sprinkler system. Can't wait!