This Arduino-Controlled Seed Planter Ensures Carolina Reapers Are as Hot as Possible

Gardening is a delicate art that requires a great deal of attention, and negligence can easily result in a planter full of dead vegetation. Even if you manage to keep your plants alive, the conditions under which they’re grown can dramatically affect their flavor. Luckily, there is also a science to gardening, which means technology can help. That’s why an anonymous Imgurian turned to an Arduino to help grow the hottest Carolina Reapers possible.

The Carolina Reaper is, according to Guinness World Records, the hottest chili pepper in the world. But how hot an individual Carolina Reaper pepper is depends on how it’s grown. The primary factors that will affect the flavor are soil type and quality, temperature, and moisture. The unnamed Imgurian decided to use the recommendations given by the seed provider, PuckerButt Pepper Company, in order to ensure the peppers are as hot as they can be. They just needed a way to maintain those recommended conditions.

For that, they turned to Arduino — specifically the Arduino Mega. Two sensors are connected to the Arduino: a temperature sensor and a moisture sensor. The ideal temperature for the Carolina Reaper is between 80–85°F, so a heating mat below the planter is turned on anytime the temperature is lower than 82.5° and turned off anytime it’s higher. The moisture sensor is less accurate, and simply determines if the soil is very dry, very wet, or somewhere in between. The current range is indicated by three LEDs: red, green, or blue. The results of this technological control aren’t ready for consumption yet, but we’re guessing the peppers will end up hotter than anyone in their right mind could stand.