Showerthought: I dropped $60 on a 'smart' plant sensor and it just told me my fern was sad

It was this little gadget you stick in the soil that connects to an app. For a month it just gave me vague alerts like 'moisture low' or 'light not ideal'. My fern still started getting brown tips. I ended up just going back to sticking my finger in the dirt like my grandma taught me. Has anyone found a tool that actually gives useful advice, or are they all just expensive guilt trips?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucas9723d ago

My buddy bought one for his snake plant. It kept saying the soil was too wet, so he stopped watering. Thing almost dried out completely before he realized the sensor was stuck in one damp corner of the pot. He said the only thing it really told him was that he spent too much money.

danielm153d ago

My neighbor had the same thing happen with a $50 sensor for her fiddle leaf fig. The app kept saying the light was fine but the plant was clearly starving for sun. I read a whole article about how these sensors are great at collecting raw data but terrible at turning it into actual plant advice. They don't know if your fern is a Boston or a Maidenhair, they just know the dirt is dry. Your finger and some basic googling about your specific plant will always beat a gadget.