This organization-authored note preserves the stated evidence and limits. It is not a product endorsement or an available-capability claim.
Phone-only
Use guided phone captures, grower observations, and harvest confirmations. This is the default starting point because it avoids device provisioning and lets the grower capture both overview and close detail.
Its main cost is attention: the record depends on a person returning to useful viewpoints. A lightweight routine and named capture positions make that effort more repeatable.
Camera-assisted
Add one verified mounted view when regular overview images close a known coverage or effort gap. Keep phone capture for hidden fruit, leaf detail, damage, and periods when the mounted device is unavailable.
This configuration adds power, network, credentials, viewpoint maintenance, and device lifecycle work. GardenSeer support applies only to the exact tested regional revision and firmware context.
Sensor-enriched
Add environmental or soil measurements only when they help interpret the visual operating record or a concrete grower decision. A gateway and probes add placement, calibration, battery, radio, firmware, and missing-data concerns.
Sensor readings enrich the record; they do not replace photos, grower context, or outcome confirmation. Irrigation execution remains a later and separately verified capability.
- Begin with phone capture and a repeatable observation habit.
- Add a camera for a demonstrated repeated-view need.
- Add sensors for a specific interpretation question.
- Retain fallbacks and record evidence gaps.
- Do not treat hardware count as product progress.