When I first got seriously into houseplants in April 2020 we were in lockdown, and I wasn’t working. I had ample time to care for my new plant babies. My life has changed a lot since then—I started a new job and took on more freelance work, which means I’m a lot busier these days and have less time to dedicate to them. Also, now it’s winter, which doesn’t bode well for my houseplants. Between the cold weather and work, I’ve had a few plant casualties while I adjust to my new schedule. Thankfully I’ve found some tools to help. Here are the five products that help keep me on track when caring for my houseplants:
How It Works
It’s easy to add your plants to the app; just snap a photo of it, and the app will tell you what it is. Once you submit the photo you can see different care tips for the plant. Each morning, I receive an alert that it’s time to water, fertilize, or clean certain plants.
What I Find Most Useful About Planta App
The Planta App helps me keep track of which plants get watered more frequently and which ones like to be left alone (it can be hard to remember which plants like their soil to stay moist and which like it to dry out completely between waterings). It’s also helpful if you’re having an issue with anything in your collection.
How the Water Meter Works
You just stick the metal prongs into the soil and it will indicate if the soil is dry, moist, or wet. My water meter helps me figure out if it’s really time to get that watering can out. Again, I don’t use this as a strict measurement because each plant is different. I know what works for some of my plants, but the water meter helps when I’m not totally confident or I have a finicky plant (I’m looking at you English ivy). You can also look for telltale signs in certain plants to know if they need watering. My alocasias and peace lilies droop when they’re thirsty, whereas my scindapsus leaves start to bend.
