There is now a 'smartwatch' for your plants: The 3 best watering apps for plants

Now your house plants will always look perfectly Instagrammable

Scientists have developed a 'smartwatch' for houseplants which monitors water content in leaves and pings the owner when plants are thirsty and need to be watered.

Most of the visual signs that your plant is getting too little water like brown leaves, happen after it’s too late to fix the problem. And yellow leaves are a sign that the plant has had a ‘mega pint’ of water. (Yes we went with a Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial reference for a horticultural tech story - don’t come for us.)

*Keep your houseplants alive with the latest technological advances | Photo: Harper’s Bazaar Korea*

How does a smartwatch for plants work?

In the same way a smartwatch or fitness tracker will monitor the wearer's heart rate through electrodes that sit against the wrist, the plant sensor is attached to the leaves to monitor water levels. Then it feeds the data to a smartphone app, allowing the plant parent to keep tabs on when the plant next needs watering.

The new 'wearable sensor' for plant leaves is the latest in a string of gadgets that claim to help gardeners monitor the health their plants, which also include smartphone-connected soil sensors and 'smart' self-watering plant pots'.

The research was conducted by scientists from the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory, led by Renato Lima, who wanted to create an electrode design that was reliable for the long-term monitoring of plants' water stress.

So far the product isn’t mass market, but provided there is a demand it could come to shelves. In the mean time here are some plant apps that will help you monitor your house plants health:

3 Best Plant Watering Trackers:

Planta

Planta gives an individual schedule and sets reminders for your plants with recommendations for care, step by step guides, plant identification, light meter and more.

Vera

Vera allows you to easily set up watering reminders and fertilising follow-ups for every plant. You can view your plant collection in one place, and create profiles for each leafy friend, with their name, adoption date, and photos you take. Watch your indoor jungle thrive.

Florish

Florish is an indoor plant companion app, designed for those who are new to gardening and who need help picking new plants for their living space, or caring for the ones they already own. For those of you who want to stop killing your plants but don't know where to start.

There is now a ‘Smart Watch’ for your plants