Kitti Palmai is a business reporter.

Image source, Jasmin Moeller
Image caption, Jasmin Moeller says she was previously not very good at looking after houseplants

Millions of people around the world have bought more houseplants over the past two years.

With most of us stuck at home because of the Pandemic, there has been a rush to bring more nature and colour inside.

Having more plants in her apartment makes her feel more comfortable. She says that they give her a good feeling. It is similar to having a place calm at home.

In the UK, online indoor plant retailer Patch says sales soared 500% during the first year of the Pandemic. The Garden Centre Association's latest figures show that houseplant sales were up 50% in 2019.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption, How often do you forget to water your houseplants?

It is one thing to buy a new houseplant and another to look after it, for Ms Moeller, but she admits that she is not very good at taking care of them.

hi-tech sensors for indoor plants are being sold to help her and others with their lack of green fingers.

These sensors are usually solar powered and can be used to connect to a phone or laptop. They show in real time if a plant has enough water or sunlight.

Ms Moeller uses a sensor made by Greensens. There are more than 5,000 species in the app database.

It gives me the chance to monitor my plants and see if they need watering or not.

Image caption, The Greensens sensor uses solar power and connects to a smartphone app

The app uses a traffic light system with red, yellow and green faces to show the state of the plant. Red indicates that the plant is dying, yellow is okay, and green is in perfect condition.

The founder of Greensens, Stanislav Shults, used to be a serial plant killer.

The problem with plants is the same as with a pet, says Mr Shults.

In its first year, Greensens sold 15,000 sensors. Its sales have tripled since then, and last year they totalled 46,000.

Image caption, Greensens users can link several sensors to one app

Dr Rumina Taylor, a clinical psychologist at UK practice HelloSelf, says it is not surprising that houseplant sales have risen during the uncertainty of the past few years.

She says that keeping a single small plant close to you can improve stress and anxiety in as little as a few weeks.

German business Fyta is about to release its technology onto the market. Users can learn more about their plants with the additional content in the app.

Users can take a picture of the plant and it will tell them what kind of plant they have.

Image caption, Fyta's Sylvie Basler and Claudia Nassif (right) are just about to launch their plant sensor

What do gardening experts think of these gadgets?

The chief executive of Friends or Friends worries that people will never improve their gardening skills.

He says that a lot of keeping house plants is about tuning into the plant, its needs, and learning about them in your environment.

New Tech Economy explores how technological innovation will shape the new economic landscape.

If solar powered sensors will get enough light in gloomy UK or Nordic rooms during winter time, is that correct?

I admire the technology behind digitising one of the last offline hobbies.

Image caption, The Fyta sensor also connects to an app on your mobile phone

David Angelov, chief executive of US gardening website PlantParenthood, recommends people establish their own sense of what a plant needs. He wants them to be the sensor.

He says a plant with a lot of leaves uses a lot of energy to grow.

To test if there is enough water, take some soil in your hand and make a fist or ball out of it. It is too wet if it leaks like a sponge. The soil is too dry if it doesn't stick together like a snowball.

If the leaves are turning yellow, that is not enough light. It is a happy plant if it is bright green.

Ms Moeller says that the sensors are helping her improve her gardening knowledge and skills, and that her neighbour said she was very good at taking care of her plants.

  • Gardening
  • Germany
  • Plants
  • Horticulture
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Coronavirus pandemic