A small waterproof receptacle on either side holds fertilizer, water, and soil for the vine to take root. Roughly once a week the water level needs to be topped off using an included 8 ml syringe, but the creators of the Monitree insist there’s no risk of the water getting in contact with the computer the terrarium is mounted to.
Since many of us spend our days trapped under the glare of corporate fluorescent lighting away from windows and natural light, the Monitree comes with its own full spectrum LED grow light to help the plants along that draws power from a computer’s USB port. The Monitree is expected to take around 10 months to spread its vines to completion, so patience isn’t included but is highly recommended. And if you’re struggling to get your plants to grow, there’s even a mobile app that can be used to snap and upload a photo of your struggling greenery where its progress can be assessed by those with a green thumb who will make suggestions on how to improve the TLC you’re giving it.
The Monitree is being realized through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign that long ago blew past its $5,000 funding goal. The cheapest option is the $49 Single Monitree which only wraps two sides of a screen and features a single soil cup. But for the full effect, you’ll probably want to opt for the pricier $59 Double Monitree which wraps the terrarium all the way around to the other side. This is where we normally caution our readers to be very careful when backing crowdfunded products, particularly in a time when supply chain issues are still frustrating the largest corporations on Earth. But the Monitree is really just nothing more than a series of plastic tubes, and its creators have already made successful prototypes, so as crowdfunded products go, this one seems to come with minimal risk—but there’s always risk.