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Tenology in the garden

Gardening hacks for time-poor plant parents

During the lockdowns last year, many of us adopted a new hobby, be it painting, puzzling or scrolling TikTok. During that time, a number of Aussies also experienced the mental and physical benefits of growing their own plants and getting their hands dirty in the garden. According to a UNSW report*, being in a green space can help ease symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, positively contributing to overall health and wellbeing.

Now that we’re out and about again, many of us may be in need of some extra help to keep our plant pals happy. The team at Amazon have compiled some top tech tips to help you master the art of horticulture.

SMART PLANT MONITORS

There are many plant monitors available that introduce technology to the beginner gardener. Many of these are simply inserted into soil and can take measurements of moisture levels, track light and humidity, and even analyse soil. Examples include the Soil Moisture Meter Smart Plant Detector and Plant Watering Sensor.

Alternatively, indoor smart gardens take the guesswork out of growing your own food or herbs. Most are self-contained systems that provide light, automatic watering, fertiliser and customised heat levels.

Opposite bottom CHILIPULVER Plant watering sensor, green. ikea.com/au/en Left Image courtesy of Getty Images Below Echo Dot (4th Gen). amazon.com.au Bottom right Echo Show 10. amazon.com.au Bottom left Florish app. fl orish.co

“ALEXA, REMIND ME TO WATER MY PLANTS”

Implementing a routine can be diffi cult for the best of us. If “keep it alive” is your number-one priority to begin with, you’ll want to set a daily reminder to keep your plants watered. To make sure they stay hydrated all summer long, you can set up a watering routine in the Alexa app that enables the AI to share a verbal reminder with you at the same time every day. You will never make the same mistake again and your plants will thank you for it.

DOWNLOAD A GARDENING APP

Make plant care simple and smart by downloading a gardening app. Florish, the indoor plant companion app, is designed for those new to indoor gardening who may need help picking new plants for a space. You can use your phone’s camera to scan the light in your room and understand what can thrive. Picture This Plant Identifi er is there for you when you come across a mysterious sprout as it is able to identify more than 1,000,000 plants.

SERENADE YOUR GARDEN BED

Research shows that plants actually thrive when they listen to music that sits between 115Hz and 250Hz, as the vibrations emulate similar sounds in nature. Jazz and classical music are their genres of choice, so be sure to create a customised playlist that your plants will love. Simply ask Alexa to play your “plant playlist” and hook it up to your surround sound using a smart speaker. amazon.com.au

*https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/sciencetech/greening-our-way-through-pandemic