Activity trackers are all the rage these days. From the Jawbone UP to the Nike+ Fuelband and FitBit Flex, we can’t get enough of tracking our daily activities. But we aren’t the only ones whose mood, nutrition, and daily activities need to be tracked. Plants need in on the action too!
We’ve shown you all sorts of creative planters (for the avant gardener), swooned over creating a living workspace with Urbio, tried our hand at the Click and Grow, and even made our own centerpiece terrarium. But there’s one problem none of these attractive plant-related goodies solve. How do you know when to feed, water, and simply talk to your plant? Here are 5 0f the coolest plant monitors our there, sure to make your thumb a little bit greener.
1. Plant Link ($80): Plant Link is all about water. It consists of a main base and a link that you put in the soil next to your plant. From the soil, the link measures water level and inputs it in the Plant Link website, and suggests a custom watering schedule for your plant. The app will then alert you when your plant needs watering, but only if you’re close to it. ‘Cause let’s face it, we’ll probably forget if we’re far away from the plant (it’s probably why it’s so thirsty in the first place!). In addition, if the link is for outdoor plants, you can connect a smart valve to your hose, and it’ll water your plants for you.
2. Flower Power: Flower Power is like Plant Link on extra fertilizer. Not only does it measure the water levels of your plant, it also tracks sunlight exposure, temperature, and fertilizer levels. All you do is stick in the sensor, input what kind of plant it is on their website, and it’ll give you a health analysis of your plant. Using your plant’s health analysis, it’ll send you push notifications to let you know what it needs. It’s slated to emerge from the ground sometime this year.
3. Koubachi ($99): Nope, this isn’t a golf putt. The Koubachi is a Wi-Fi plant sensor that measures water, temperature, and light levels. It then sends all the information into the Koubachi website that you can access via phone and web. It’s also fully rainproof, so you don’t have to worry about those heavy storms. At $99, it’s definitely a good investment for the new gardener.
4. Easybloom ($50): It’s true, the EasyBloom plant sensor really does make blooming easier. What’s different about this sensor is that not only can you use it to see how your plant is faring, you can also use it to see what plants are ideal for where. Want to grow something in that empty patch in the front yard? Put the EasyBloom in the soil, get an analysis, and send it to the EasyBloom website. Using the soil information, the website will recommend what plants will thrive in that environment.
5. Botanicalls ($100): Botanicalls literally enables your plants to call you. When your plant is hungry or thirsty, the device will give you a ring and let you know exactly what it needs. So cool! If you don’t feel like getting called all the time, it can also send you a tweet. Botanicalls is definitely taking plan nurturing to a whole new level. We also like how the device has a minimalist, geeky feel with no fuss. It looks like the inside of a computer!
And we couldn’t resist, so we have one more bonus plant sensor!
Bonus! Monologue: We couldn’t help but adore the way this simple plant sensor look. It’s voice activated, so if you’re being a bad plant owner, it’s not afraid to tell you so! Sadly, it’s still in the design phase, but we’re crossing our fingers that it’ll make it into production soon.
How do you keep your plants healthy and happy? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.