This smart home gadget can tell you when to water, feed and move your houseplants

If you feel like you're constantly tending to a plant graveyard, you're not alone. Keeping houseplants alive is harder than it looks, and those droopy, browning leaves are an all-too-familiar sight for many of us. If even low-maintenance plants end up looking miserable in your care, don’t worry – we might’ve just found your new secret weapon.

Meet Oko, a smart plant care system designed to take the guesswork out of plant parenting. This tiny gadget combines a sleek sensor with a super intuitive app to help you stay on top of everything your plant needs.

Currently live on Kickstarter, Oko comes in two versions – the Oko+ (around £55/$73) and the Oko Lite (around £35/$47). From the looks of it, there’s nothing quite like this on the market right now, so don’t be surprised if it blows up.

As mentioned, the system includes a small probe and a base unit. Users will have to stick the three-pronged probe into their plant’s soil, followed by connecting it to the base via a short cable. The device uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and the battery lasts up to three months on just an hour’s charge.

The Oko+ tracks water levels, temperature, humidity and pH, whilsy the Oko Lite focuses solely on water levels. Both versions pair with a handy app that will send notifications, but deeper insights and care tips will cost an extra £5/$6 month for the full experience.

If you’re planning a trip, you might want to check out our guide on how to keep your houseplants alive when you go on holiday. However, with Oko on your side, you might not even need it.