The challenge
After months of lockdown, the twenty-odd plants around the Digital Jersey Hub were looking very sorry for themselves. Nobody knew which plant needed what, or when.
What we did
We started with the problem, not the gadget. Bluetooth plant sensors in each pot measure soil moisture, fertility, light and temperature. A small Home Assistant hub on a Raspberry Pi collects the readings and looks up the ideal conditions for each species. When a plant needs attention, it sends a polite email in its own name, asking for water or fertiliser.
As a bonus, the hub found the office’s shared printer on the network, so low toner now raises an alert too.
The result
Healthier plants, a cheerful talking point, and a reminder that a useful IoT solution doesn’t have to be expensive. It was the first step towards the DJ SmartHub. Read the original story.