Growing plants indoors and outdoors is fun but also challenging. For some, it is easy and happens as if by itself, but for others, it might take a lot of time to learn how to care for green pets properly. Fortunately, now there are services that help to find a common language with plants, even for those who don’t have a green thumb. I’ve tried many apps, and in this article, I want to tell you about Botan App, my pocket assistant. It helped me save more than one plant and also became a regular companion during my walks with kids in parks. But more on that later; first things first — functionality.
I liked Botan for its simple interface and user-friendliness. I didn’t have to mess around with it for too long to figure out what was what. The information in it is clearly structured: Finding what I need is as easy as shelling pears. So what can you find inside the app?
Plant identifier
Caught the eye of an unknown but gorgeous bush? Or were you given a flower of unknown origin? Botan will tell you the name of your new pet! You just have to take a photo of it (it should be as clear as possible) and upload it to the app. The AI will analyze the picture and tell you everything it knows about the plant. You can find out its name, origin, care features, and other useful things. The Botan library contains over 100,000 plant species, including exotic ones. The high accuracy of identification — more than 90% — will not let you make a mistake with the choice of soil and the irrigation regime.
Care tips
This section is especially handy for beginners who do not have a clear understanding of the characteristics of different plants yet. However, it can also be useful for experienced gardeners. The Botan experts have collected and structured information regarding the care of indoor and outdoor plants. There are valuable tips on lighting, fertilizing, soil choice, watering, pruning, and more. If you are not sure what exactly your green friend needs, ask the app for help. I have tried many of the suggested tips on my flowers, and they really worked!
Reminders
It is an excellent tool if you have many plants that need different watering schedules. If you, like me, have both simple snake plants and money trees, as well as exotic (and moody) alocasia and benjamin fig in your collection, then reminders are a real salvation. Admit it, some flowers begin to show their character and wither if you delay watering even for one day! I’m glad that Botan is always on guard and will not allow even the slightest mistakes.
Disease diagnosis & therapy
This Botan feature has saved more than one of my flowers. I always feel sorry for parting with green pets, so I do everything possible to cure them and bring them back to life. The app uses the uploaded photos to determine the most likely disease (including pests), explains their reasons, and tells in detail how to fix the situation. It also gives clues on how to prevent the disease recurrence and the emergence of an epidemic, i.e., spreading to other plants.
My Personal Experience
I’d like to tell you about the benefits of this disease identifier using a specific example. I had a money tree (or, scientifically, Crassula Ovata). Everyone knows it is a “modest” plant that thrives on being neglected. By and large, it is the perfect flower for beginners. At some point, it began to lose its appearance, and the leaves started to fall off. I resorted to the standard solution to the problem in this situation: I analyzed the watering, humidity, and temperature and came to the conclusion that my money tree was suffering from overwatering.
Even though I adjusted my care methods, the plant did not return to normal. Then, a sudden idea to use a modern solution came to my mind, so I resorted to the help of an app. Thus I got Botan. I took a picture of my pet, uploaded the photo to the system for analysis, and was surprised when it turned out that mealybugs were the problem! Apparently, there were not enough of them for me to pay attention to these nasty insects. Botan was able to see them, offered options for solving the problem, and even explained how to prevent the appearance of pests again. The latter is especially important to me since I would not like to deal with them again, much less cure other plants. Although my money tree has already recovered, I continue using Botan plant care tips.
More Than Just Plant Care App
I think my story has convinced you that the app is effective and valuable for caring for different types of flowers and treating dangerous plant diseases. However, it has another awesome use: kids’ education. My children probably inherited a passion for all greenery from me, so they enthusiastically study every bush and leaf in the park. When we walk in nature, they are always interested in new plants. Together, we take photos of them and study their features using Botan. We already have our own “encyclopedia of plants,” which constantly grows when we visit our favorite places for a walk.
The app is useful for activities with children and the study of the surrounding flora. With it, you can explore the natural world together and deepen your knowledge of plants. Perhaps, because of it, your kids will develop an interest in growing plants and want to study botany. So, if you are looking for an enjoyable joint activity with kids, use my life hack with Botan. By the way, the app is rated 4+, so it doesn’t contain any controversial content that kids shouldn’t see.
All in all, if you’re an experienced gardener like me or just starting out in horticulture, Botan can be your pocket companion on this journey.
