Are you struggling to keep your plants alive and feel like a plant killer, or are you an expert green-fingered gardener? If you are looking to learn new planting skills, grow plants to boost your mood and improve air quality, or transform your living space, then Plant With Willow may be able to help.
Plant With Willow is a smart plant-care system that uses soil sensors and a companion app to monitor everything that affects plant health, making it much easier to grow indoor plants successfully.
Throughout my life, I have tended to kill more plants than I have managed to keep alive. Being a plant killer is not great, especially as it is such a waste of money and time. Since my mum discourages me from having too many artificial plants around the house – believing they attract bad feng shui – I have slowly started picking up the habit of growing real plants again.
This time around, I decided to grow a bay leaf tree (Laurus nobilis) and a rosemary plant. They are both quite hardy and, best of all, their leaves can be used for cooking. Of course, the first challenge is making sure I keep them alive.
The starter kit includes a sensor, hub, USB Type-C cable, pin, and instructions. By scanning the QR code in the instructions, you can download the Willow app from the Play Store or App Store.
Once you open the app, you will be guided through a series of questions, such as your level of interest in planting, your location, your plant’s location, and your preferred tone of voice for care reminders.
You will also need to connect the hub to a power source. Unless your socket has a built-in USB port, you will need a 3-pin USB wall charger adapter, which is not included in the kit. The hub can support up to 40 sensors, allowing your plant-care system to grow alongside your collection.
After setting up the hub and connecting it to your internet provider, the next step is setting up the sensor. Remove the sensor top to reveal the base, then use the provided pin to turn it on. The sensor runs on a CR2477 button cell battery, which can be replaced when the battery runs low.
Once powered on, the sensor connects to the hub. You can then remove the pin protector and insert the sensor into the soil, making sure it sits below the maximum soil level marking. Every few minutes, the sensor measures moisture, light, temperature, humidity, and nutrient levels.
After adding your plant species in the app, you will receive clear alerts straight to your phone. This allows you to see what is really happening beneath the soil surface and give your plants exactly what they need to grow strong and resilient. It removes the guesswork, helping plants recover after winter and thrive as light levels and temperatures change.
Each plant in the app is given a simple happiness score, offering a quick snapshot of its overall health at a glance. You can also set fertiliser schedules – whether slow-release granules or liquid feed – to give your plants a boost exactly when they need it.
As I have only just started using the system and bought healthy plants straight from a nursery before repotting them, there have not been many alerts or insights so far. However, I’m looking forward to learning more about caring for my plants in the near future.
The app also offers articles and care guides, allowing you to explore trending plants, office plants, quick tips, and more. You can shop for plant-care products, watch expert advice videos, scan for diseases, identify plants, and browse different plant varieties.
I really enjoy learning more about plant care, and this intelligent sensor paired with a clever app helps transform the way we look after indoor greenery – keeping plants healthy, vibrant, and ready to flourish as the seasons change.
The Willow Starter Pack is available in either moss or charcoal and costs £34.99 from plantwithwillow.co.uk.
Disclosure: We received this product as a sample for review purposes; however, all thoughts and opinions are our own.
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