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PlantSense
PlantSenseKnow Your Plants

Getting Started

Quick Start Guide

From the box to your first reading in about eight small steps. Charge it, connect it, and settle the probe into the soil — PlantSense takes it from there.

Before You Start

  • Your PlantSense probe and its USB-C charging cable
  • The free PlantSense Connect app (coming soon to the App Store) or web dashboard
  • A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network and its password
  • A few minutes

Step by Step

Setup, Start to Finish

01

Charge over USB-C

Connect the USB-C cable and give the sensor a full charge before you begin. A single charge lasts weeks, so this is the last time you'll think about it for a while.

02

Power on

Press the power button. The LED flashes white for a second as it starts, then blinks blue — that's the sensor awake and ready to pair. If nothing happens, let it charge a little longer and press the reset button.

03

Create your account

Open PlantSense Connect — coming soon to the App Store — or the web dashboard at app.myplantsense.com, and sign up with your email, or continue with Apple or Google. Free, with no subscription. (Android is on the way.)

04

Pair over Bluetooth

The app scans for nearby sensors over Bluetooth. Pick yours from the list to connect. Keep your phone close and make sure Bluetooth is switched on.

05

Join your Wi-Fi

Choose your Wi-Fi network and enter the password. PlantSense uses 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, not 5 GHz — if your router broadcasts both, pick the 2.4 GHz one. The sensor then restarts and blinks white while it joins the network; about a minute later it shows solid green for a few seconds as its first reading goes through, then goes dark to sleep.

Pro Tip: Bluetooth is only needed for this first-time setup. From here on, the sensor reports over Wi-Fi on its own.

06

Place the probe

Push the probe into the soil near your plant's root zone. The electronics are sealed and water-safe, so you can water as usual with the probe in place.

Pro Tip: In small pots, angle the probe as you insert it so the sensing section stays down in the root zone as the soil settles.

07

Identify your plant

Take a photo and PlantSense identifies the species using PlantNet, then loads that plant's ideal care ranges — the healthy bands your dials and alerts will use.

08

Watch it come to life

Your first readings appear in the app, then refresh every 90 minutes to 3 hours. When a reading drifts outside a plant's range, PlantSense sends you an alert so you can step in early.

Pro Tip: The sensor sleeps between readings to save battery, so the very first one can take a little while to arrive. That's normal.

Quick Reference

What the LED Is Telling You

Blinking blue

Ready to pair. The sensor has no Wi-Fi saved and is waiting for the app.

Yellow

Paired to your phone over Bluetooth. Solid yellow means the app is actively connected for setup or calibration.

Blinking red

Can't reach your Wi-Fi — the network isn't available, the password changed, or it's 5 GHz-only. Check the network, or re-add the sensor in the app.

Solid red (about 1.5 seconds, then dark)

Connected to Wi-Fi, but the PlantSense server couldn't be reached. It goes back to sleep and retries next cycle — check your internet.

Solid green (about 5 seconds)

Setup worked — the sensor just sent its first reading, usually 45–60 seconds after you enter the Wi-Fi details. It then goes dark and sleeps until the next reading.

Solid white (1 second)

Powered on or restarting — you pressed reset, plugged it in, or it just saved new Wi-Fi.

Blinking white

Connecting to your Wi-Fi. This takes up to about 15 seconds.

Blinking purple

Calibration mode — your phone and your Wi-Fi are both connected.

No light

Normal. The sensor sleeps between readings to save battery and wakes every 90 minutes to 3 hours to report. Press the reset button to wake it for 5 minutes. (A small steady red or green light beside the USB-C port is the charger: red while charging, green when full.)

That's It

Your PlantSense sensor is now watching over your plant and will let you know when it needs attention. That leaves you free to enjoy your greenery instead of guessing at it.

Explore the App Guide

Help

Troubleshooting

The LED won't blink blue

  • The battery is likely flat. Connect the USB-C cable and give it time to charge, then press the power button again.

The app can't find my sensor

  • Make sure Bluetooth is switched on for your phone.
  • Check that the sensor's LED is blinking blue — that's pairing mode. If it's dark, press the reset button; it stays awake for 5 minutes.
  • Keep your phone close to the sensor while it scans.

It won't join my Wi-Fi

  • PlantSense uses 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, not 5 GHz. If your router broadcasts both bands, select the 2.4 GHz network.
  • Double-check the Wi-Fi password.
  • After you enter the Wi-Fi details the sensor restarts (blinking white while it connects) and shows solid green for about 5 seconds once its first reading goes through — usually under a minute. Blinking red means it can't reach that network.

The LED is blinking red

  • The sensor has Wi-Fi saved but can't reach it. Check that the network is 2.4 GHz and that the password hasn't changed.
  • If you've changed routers, re-add the sensor in the app to give it the new network.
  • A brief solid red flash instead means it connected but couldn't reach the PlantSense server — check your internet; it retries next cycle.

No readings yet

  • The sensor reports every 90 minutes to 3 hours to conserve battery, so the first reading can take a little while to appear.
  • A dark LED is normal — the sensor sleeps between readings. Check the app for the time of the latest reading.