Which is the Best Plant Watering App For Your iOS/Android? – 2023!

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Last Updated on September 10, 2022 by Griselda M.

When it comes to getting the most out of your garden, sometimes you need a little help from technology. That’s why we scoured the internet to find the best plant watering app. I have personally used two apps linked to my watering system over the years, hence in this article I compare my favorite of these to two other apps available.

Watering any piece of land that receives less than the rainfall needed to sustain the plants you are growing is essential. I have an automated irrigation system in my garden that allows me to tailor irrigation for different zones. The water is pumped from a reservoir I built that stores water runoff from a road and suburb above me. Let me give an overview of this system and the App that operates it, and then compare that to other apps that are available that can help you maintain your garden/potted plants.

My Hydrawise Irrigation System – Is it The Best Plant Watering App?

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My one Hunter HC Wifi controller is in my greenhouse. This system, as you can see, has been operating since 2019 and is a bit sun damaged. But it works beautifully!

I have two Hunter HC 12 WIFI connected controller systems that I have been using since 2018. (This is the closest I could find to my units on Amazon)

81D+P65M4GL. AC SL1500

Check Price on Amazon

One is for my Greenhouse, and one runs the general garden. These systems are quite capable in that you can control 12 zones with a single unit. What I normally do is to make one zone a master valve that controls all water into the system, and then have all the other zones link after this. My garden controller links to a solenoid that turns on the two pumps that pull water from the reservoir, and then this water can run through several different zones to water different regions of the garden.

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This screen shows how I can have two controllers run from one app. This allows me to control both my greenhouse and my garden via wifi.

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In the picture on the left, you can see the first valve is the master valve, and the second is the valve to the greenhouse zone. I have additional taps that can turn the water on and off to different sprinklers on this circuit depending on how wet and humid things need to be.

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I have multiple zones set up – you can click on each zone and adjust the frequency of watering, set that it may water a bit more if there is a hot day ahead, and you can also control how many times a day, week, or month your system waters. In my case, the controller turns on a pump in my reservoir pictured here to pump water to the controller zones in the garden.

The App has a nice control screen that allows you to regulate the length and schedule of watering for different zones, and you can also link this to the weather forecast, hence it can reduce watering if there is rain happening, or predicted. The system can also connect to an actual electric rain gauge (I do not have this yet) which will allow you to supplement irrigation as needed.

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This shows an individual zone slider – if you want to manually start a zone you can do so and even increase the number of minutes on the manual slider dial. For instance, if I need to top up Dr. Nyiko’s rice paddy, I can increase the water flow to the paddy by adding additional minutes.

The app allows you to suspend all zones, and it also allows you to have multiple controllers listed on one app screen.

Irritating things about the Hydrawise App

I like the system, but there are always gripes that an open-minded person should have. There is nothing in the world that is perfect. The Hydrawise App has this silly tendency to sometimes require you to log back into your system.

In this regard, try and get some sort of password keeper to remember your password. I was traveling once, and was so jet lagged I could not remember my password, and consequently lost a crop of carrots to a sudden hot spell and lack of water while I was away.

Other than this, I can find little fault with the Hydrawise App and based on experience, rate this my Number 1 watering App.

Other Watering Apps

Planta

Planta” is an app that you can download on your Android phone or iOS that will alert you when you need to water different plants. It also provides you with tips on how to conserve water and will alert you if you need to add more water. After downloading the app, users will have the ability to select which of their plants they want to be notified about daily, and the app will let them know how much water they have left for each plant.

It has a few features that can allow you to identify certain plants. I briefly had the app on my phone and found it can relatively accurately identify some plants, and can really badly misidentify others. For common house plants, it seems to work well. There are options to get information on the light needed by a plant, and you can also get professional tips on additional advice to help a sick plant.

For me, I had a time when I had very few house plants – and when this happens you forget to care for them. The app helps remind you to water your plants and keep them alive. As you get more and more houseplants, the ritual and reminder become more intense. So when you have three house plants you will neglect them. When you have 50, you remember them because they are all over and in your face.

I found the app useful, but have deleted it now. There were some charges involved and for me, the cost-benefit did not add up as I know what I am doing. If you are unsure of how to look after your plants, then the small monthly subscription is well worth it, as the cost of losing a plant is greater than the subscription cost.

Blossom

This App basically offers quite similar services to Planta with a few tweaks here and there. It will also work on both Android and iOS phones. There is a similar identification capacity – again, works well on standard plants, but gets a bit off on more unusual plants.

I struggled with my Cala Lillies which are from more unique genetics but identified the standard ones. With a few other plants I had complete misidentification, but on average, for common plants, it is pretty accurate. I am a scientist, so I push things to breaking point and I guess it was unfair to ask the app to identify a plant that is from a very diverse ecosystem that few know about.

Much like Planta, there are costs involved if you want it to be properly useful, the subscription is well worth it if you are starting. There is an option to get specialized advice – I am not actually sure how specialized the advice actually is – but when you are confused, some advice is better than none at all.

What is the best free app for plant care

Which Is The Best Plant Care App?

Watering apps for a garden: Winner – Hydrawise

I am in the business of growing my own food – for this, I need something that works, is reliable, and predictable. I have used the Hydrawise App paired with Hunter systems for 5 or so years and have found it very efficient, robust, and reliable. Dr. Nyiko, who also writes articles here has likewise used a similar system to run her Ph.D. research, and she found it very effective.

For me, my advice would be, for a garden, you need to use a system like this. Other service providers provide similar systems. I have tried one or two and found that the Hunter/Hydrawise combo works for me and my needs.

(The business where it sometimes requires you to re-enter your password is really irritating – Hunter people if you read this, sort it out – your system is a nearly awesome bar that gremlin.)

Watering apps to remind you and help you with indoor plants

Here I would suggest that you try Planta and Blossom and find which one works for you. Personally, I lean towards Planta, but that is because I found it was a little more accurate in identifying the more unusual plants I threw at it. You may find in your area that Blossom is more accurate. The two programs are really a bit of a muchness, so it is down to personal choice.

Read more about Self-Watering Planter Benefits

Final Words Best Plant Watering App!

There are apps for watering gardens, and for watering potted plants. The best plant watering app for you will be a matter of choice based on where you are in the gardening journey, and what you need. For me, the best plant watering App is Hydrwase, and I have really tested this app on my relatively large garden. What I am doing, provides me the level of control I need to ensure I produce enough food to support myself and the ones I care about.

You may find that for you the best app may be Blossom or Planta.  Neither of these apps requires the long-term financial commitment that Hydrawise does – for the Hydrawise system you get the app with the suit of relatively expensive hardware that makes up your irrigation system. I think the beauty of the modern world is there are so many choices we can make to find something that works for us. I hope this article helps you on your path.

Learn more about How Long Can Hydroseed Go Without Water?

FAQ

Is there an app for watering plants?

There are many. Some are connected to hardware (irrigation controllers) and some remind you to water potted plants. In the attached article we review one of the former and two of the latter.

What is the best free app for plant care?

I do not think there is a best that fits every situation. You can try and find the one that works for you - I have tried Planta and Blossom, and found they both work but I have uninstalled both now. For what its worth.

Is there an app to help take care of plants?

There are many apps that can help you identify plants, work out watering schedules and so on. Trust me, those little video clips on Instagram where a dead plant miraculously recovers with a teaspoon of coffee are not based on the real world. Apps can help you learn, and give you nudges in the right direction, and once you have experience, you will not really need the app anymore. But the Apps are good mentors if you can't find somebody with real experience to help you.

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