He invented a smart greenhouse to grow tomatoes in December… in his living room!

A young inventor from Quebec has designed a smart greenhouse to be able to grow vegetables in his living room even during the dark winter months.

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“I come from Île d'Orléans, I lived there for a long time, and I have always had a garden. When I moved to a condo, I missed it, so I told myself that I had to do something,” says Nicolas Bellavance, 31, in an interview with The Journal.

A trained cabinetmaker, the young man imagined an “intelligent” greenhouse that would allow vegetables to grow inside without the need for constant care.

“I’ve been working on it for several years, and now it’s ready,” he emphasizes, with hints of pride in his voice.

“The light fixture can turn on automatically at a specific time, and ventilation can start depending on the humidity level or temperature of the greenhouse. Irrigation is done without a water tank because the greenhouse can be connected directly to the house's plumbing system,” explains Nicolas Bellavance.

“All of this is managed from the touch screen inside the greenhouse. Eventually, there will also be an application to manage all of this remotely,” he adds. “For that, I worked with an IT specialist.”

Like an Ikea piece of furniture

Now that the greenhouse is ready, Nicolas Bellavance intends to market it.

“I think it will be of interest to those who want to grow their own vegetables during the winter. It's not always easy to grow vegetables, like tomato plants, because there is less light…” he muses.

“It’s the same concept as Ikea furniture, it’s furniture that needs to be assembled. It comes in pieces in a box that fits easily in a car, and you only need a star screwdriver and an Allen key to assemble it,” he emphasizes.

“It is also possible to connect the greenhouse to the plumbing system with a wrench or pliers. Anyone can do it, even without special skills,” assures the inventor, who currently works in a hardware store to earn a living.

“I also worked in cabinetmaking, but I stopped to devote more time to my project,” he says in passing.

A luxury

For the moment, Nicolas Bellavance is in discussions with a supplier to launch production in his greenhouse. “We give ourselves 6 months,” he assures, adding that it is too early to say exactly what price his invention will sell for.

“It’s definitely more of a luxury product. But if there is a big demand, we can lower the price a little,” he concludes.