Dutch-born Daan Wynberg emigrated in 2008 to Canada from South Africa where he grew up and graduated from the University of Natal with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. As an Engineer with 35 years experience in a wide variety of industrial settings in South Africa and Canada, Daan has broad experience in chemical, pyrometallurgical, and hydrometallurgical industries in which
complicated systems are the norm for the processes that must be controlled. Knowing what a complicated system looks like, and having installed regular garden irrigation systems at home, Daan loves the beautiful simplicity of the Plant Booster device originally invented by Al Muxlow of Abbotsford, BC because it solved the problem of how to ensure hanging baskets and potted plants stay irrigated without having to remember to water daily. One slip in remembering to water, or a malfunction of an electronic controller on a regular irrigation system, and the investment of time and money in making a beautiful garden was at risk of being wasted. Daan realised that at least with the Plant Booster self watering system, which is always on, each plant gets what it needs, when it needs it, whether one remembers or not, which brings great relief for those wanting to get away for the weekend or even a few weeks on holiday without the need to worry about how to make sure the outdoor plants stay watered. While Daan likes electronics and computers, which definitively have an important place in all our lives, he also recognises that some problems are just better solved with a simple mechanical solution. The Plant Booster self watering system is one of those simple mechanical solutions. Al and his partner, Harold Elzinga, did an amazing job over the last few years getting the Plant Booster to this point, proving and commercialising the invention and developing a loyal following of satisfied customers mostly in the lower mainland area. Daan is very exited about the prospect of carrying the torch further. Products as amazing as this must be shared with a wider audience, and so Daan’s mission is to share the Plant Booster self watering system with everyone in the North Americas, and beyond if possible, who enjoy potted and hanging plants in their gardens, but who struggle to keep up with the demands of making sure they all stay irrigated all the time. It is not often one comes across something so simple and yet easily able to do what other high-end drip irrigation systems attempt to achieve with electronics and programmable controllers as well as a bag full of fittings, emitters and nozzles, not to mention cost. Those systems definitively have their place for watering lawns, plants and garden beds, but for free standing potted plants on verandas and decks or for hanging baskets, the Plant Booster self watering system is in a class of its own. Instead of supplying water at a predetermined frequency and quantity as programmed, the Plant Booster takes care of each plant it serves independently, reacting to its individual needs day and night, and feeding it exactly as much water as it needs. The fact that each plant on the same system gets as much water as it consumes or that evaporates from it, means that there is no wastage. The fact that the Plant Booster delivers water directly to the plant means no overspray, or spillage during watering, which in the long run means conservation, and the fact that each plant on the same system gets 24/7 individual attention is what makes the Plant Booster self watering system so unique and so special
