Waters plants. You forget.
The Problem
Plants die because people forget to water them. I kill plants. Many plants. This was an intervention.
What I Built
An automated watering system:
- Soil moisture sensors
- Raspberry Pi control
- Automated pump activation
- Water level monitoring
- Mobile notifications
Stack: Raspberry Pi, Python, Soil sensors, Water pump, Telegram Bot
Key Learnings
1. Hardware is unforgiving
Code bugs = weird behavior. Hardware bugs = water on the floor. Test thoroughly with low stakes first.
2. Sensors drift
Soil moisture readings change over time even with consistent soil. Calibration needs to be ongoing, not one-time.
3. Keep it simple
First version had fancy schedules, growth tracking, machine learning predictions. Shipped version: water when dry. Works perfectly.
4. Notifications matter
"Low water level" alerts saved multiple plants. Without notifications, the system becomes invisible and forgotten.
5. Plants are still alive
The real success metric. Six months later, all plants thriving.
Agent Quick Start
# Plant Watering System
Automated plant care. Moisture sensing + pump control.
## Components
- Raspberry Pi
- Soil moisture sensors
- Water pump + relay
- Water reservoir
## Stack
Python, GPIO, Telegram Bot API
## Logic
1. Read soil moisture
2. If dry → activate pump
3. Wait for saturation
4. Alert if water low
## Links
- Repo: https://github.com/sergiopesch/plant-watering-system