Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I want an EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
What operating systems does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor support?
Do I need to own an EasyBloom Plant Sensor to use the website?
I would love to grow my own fruits and vegetables. Will the EasyBloom Plant Sensor help me?
What features do I get with and without the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
I'm interested in the EasyBloom Plant Sensor and live outside of the United States. Can I purchase a sensor?
Why did you make the EasyBloom Plant Sensor white?
Is the sensor bottom (the prongs) sturdy? They look flimsy!
How did EasyBloom acquire its plant database?
What do I get when I purchase the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
I'm interested in being a reseller. How do I get started?
Does the EasyBloom work with growlights?
What's Recommend mode?
What's Water mode?
What are the technical specifications of the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
Is there any limit to how many times I can use my EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
Does EasyBloom require a high-speed internet connection?
How much does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor cost and where can I buy it?
Does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor measure soil acid levels (pH)?
Who designed the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
Does the sensor measure fertilizer levels?
What kind of warranty covers the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
I'd like to buy multiple EasyBloom Plant Sensor for use around my home and garden. Do I need to create multiple user accounts?
How It Works
How does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor deal with the changing weather throughout the year/seasons?How does EasyBloom recommend plants?
What is the importance of USDA Zones?
How does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor measure light?
How does EasyBloom Monitor Plants?
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What's Monitor mode?
If you've ever poured your heart and soul into a plant, only to have it slowly die, Monitor mode is your solution to figuring out what vital element is missing.
When you set the EasyBloom Plant Sensor to Monitor mode, you first select the plant to monitor (i.e. a rose, lemon, etc.). You then connect the top and bottom parts of the sensor together, sinking the green soil sensor into the soil adjacent to the plant. The sensor then monitors the plant's environment. When you connect the sensor to your computer, our website algorithms gives you the thumbs up or thumbs down on your sun, water and temperature.
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Why would I want an EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor was created for anyone who has experienced the frustration of not knowing what plant will thrive in a specific location or anyone who has been unable to figure out what is wrong with a plant that isn't fairing well.
The EasyBloom product is comprised of two components:- A website that contains rich information about plants and gardening. The website also keeps track of all of the plants that you own - so you don't have to!
- The EasyBloom Plant Sensor (optional), which collects environmental data in any location where it is placed. The sensor works in tandem with the website to determine what plants will grow in any location or to diagnose what a plant may be lacking.
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What operating systems does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor support?
We currently support
- Windows XP
- Windows Vista
- Mac OS X (v10.4 and later)
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Do I need to own an EasyBloom Plant Sensor to use the website?
Nope! We encourage you to get a feel for our product by trying our website out before you buy.
To get started click Register on the upper-right of the EasyBloom website. The EasyBloom website is available for your use, free of charge, as a valuable plant and garden reference tool.
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I would love to grow my own fruits and vegetables. Will the EasyBloom Plant Sensor help me?
Absolutely! The EasyBloom Plant Sensor helps you grow all types of plants, including vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
You can take a look at what plants are available by registering on our website. Once you're signed up, you can search our plant library for your favorite varieties.
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What features do I get with and without the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
Feature No SensorWith SensorBrowse plants √√Save plants that I'm interested in to My Plants, my personal plant library √√Order plants √√Ask questions of other users √√Answer questions for other users √√Get general plant care information √√Access specific plant care recommendations based on the plants that I save √√Get specific plant recommendations based on localized environmental conditions in a spot in your garden or home √Monitor a plant and get specific recommendations on how to make it healthier based on what is going on with the plant in your garden or home √ -
I'm interested in the EasyBloom Plant Sensor and live outside of the United States. Can I purchase a sensor?
EasyBloom WILL NOT WORK outside of the 50 United States. EasyBloom uses more information than the raw sensor data to give the best possible horticultural advice. Local growing zones, climate, hourly weather and instantaneous solar position are all taken into account. Currently this information is all tied to US zipcodes. The sensor will currently NOT work in US Territories, nor APO/FPO (military) zip codes. Sorry for the inconvenience!
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Why did you make the EasyBloom Plant Sensor white?
Contrary to popular belief, we did not make Easybloom white so that you will buy a new sensor when yours gets dirty!
Easybloom’s light color decreases the amount of light that is absorbed as heat. Plants absorb light from the sun, but they only use specific parts of the light spectrum for photosynthesis. The rest of the spectrum is either reflected or transformed into heat. To prevent overheating, plants lose water from their leaves in a process called transpiration. Similarly to how we sweat to cool off, this evaporating water causes the leaves to cool.
Studies have shown that the white color of the sensor closely mimics the energy balance of leaves. This ensures your sensor can take the most accurate temperature measurements possible.
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Is the sensor bottom (the prongs) sturdy? They look flimsy!
The sensor bottom is made out of sturdy fiberglass. Before we chose this material, we did a ten thousand (10,000) time stab test. The sensor bottom held up to use. So stab away!
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How did EasyBloom acquire its plant database?
We've tapped multiple resources for our plant database, including data from the National Gardening Association, W. Atlee Burpee, Ball Horticulture, as well as other plant growers with an interest in seeing gardeners succeed in growing their favorite plants. We also collaborate with botanists from various universities to continually expand and enrich our plant database.
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What do I get when I purchase the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor ships in a recyclable cardboard box with the following:
- The EasyBloom Plant Sensor
- An USB cable
- A stand for the EasyBloom Plant Sensor
- AAA battery
- Quick Start Card
- 2 extra petal attachments
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I'm interested in being a reseller. How do I get started?
Great! Just send us an email at sales@plantsense.com, or give us a call at 415-814-1070 - we'll be happy to discuss all the details with you.
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Does the EasyBloom work with growlights?
The EasyBloom measures natural (sunlight) only. If you are using growlights, the EasyBloom will not accurately measure them.
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What's Recommend mode?
Recommend mode generates a list of plants that would thrive in a specific location, based on the EasyBloom Plant Sensor's reading data.
You simply place the sensor in any location where you want to grow a plant. The sensor gathers environmental data, such as light level, temperature, and humidity. After at least 24 hours of collecting data, plug the sensor into your USB port. The data is uploaded to the EasyBloom website, which interprets the data based on your geographic location and utilizes our extensive plant database to determine which plants will thrive in that location.
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What's Water mode?
Water mode allows you instantly to determine whether your plants need watering. You put the sensor in a plant and get an instantaneous reading and feedback as to whether you need to water the plant. If you hear a chirp with the green part of the sensor fully immersed in the soil, water the plant. You can then take the sensor out and repeat with your other plants.
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What are the technical specifications of the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
Min Max Additional Information Measurements Light 25 ft-c 12,000 ft-c Measures Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Temperature 32 °F 120 °F Measures ambient air temperature + solar-radiated heat (like a leaf) Humidity 0% RH 95% RH Relative humidity (RH) measurement is temperature-adjusted Soil moisture 0% 35% Measurement Duration All sensors 24 hours 3 weeks These specifications do not apply to Water mode, as Water mode is based on instantaneous measurements Battery Life* AAA Alkaline 4 months 6 months The sensor is compatible with rechargeable batteries, but cannot recharge them
*Battery life will vary according to use
Operating/Storage Conditions Temperature, Battery Installed 10 °F 120 °F Temperature, Battery Removed -13 °F 158 °F Humidity 0% RH 95% RH
Water Resistance
- The EasyBloom Plant Sensor is designed for outdoor exposure to normal weather conditions in North America
- Will withstand exposure to rain and dew when USB connector is properly protected by the Cap or the Soil Sensor
- Do NOT submerge product in water
- Do NOT expose product directly to strong jets of water (oscilatting sprinklers, for example)
- Do NOT allow product to freeze if wet, or get covered with snow or ice
- Do NOT expose air intake to soapy water, as this may cause permanent damage to the protective membrane
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Is there any limit to how many times I can use my EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
Not at all! You can reuse your sensor as often and as many times as you'd like.
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Does EasyBloom require a high-speed internet connection?
Nope, you can use any Internet connection, from dialup to fiber-optic. Please note, however, that you will have a more speedy experience using a high-speed Internet connection.
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How much does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor cost and where can I buy it?
The product costs $59.95. See our Buy page to purchase direct or from a retail store.
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Does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor measure soil acid levels (pH)?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor does not measure pH. For plants known to require acidic or alkaline soil (as noted in our plant library's plant care instructions), we advise you to check pH using traditional pH/soil tests. If you know your soil is acidic or akaline, you can use this information to refine your Plant Recommendations.
Please note that while some plants will not thrive if your soil is too acidic or too alkaline, the overwhelming majority of plant failures are actually due to unsuitable light conditions, inhospitable hardiness zone, and under- or over-watering. EasyBloom accounts for all of these factors to make sure your plant is likely to thrive.
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Who designed the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor was designed and developed by PlantSense, a California-based company. PlantSense was co-founded in 2006 by Matthew Glenn and David Wilkins.
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Does the sensor measure fertilizer levels?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor does not currently measure fertilizer levels. The EasyBloom Plant Sensor currently addresses the major environmental characteristics that impact a plant's growth.
For plants needing an extra boost of growth, we encourage you to amend your soil with compost or feed your plant with a well-balanced fertilizer, according to the manufactor's instructions.
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What kind of warranty covers the EasyBloom Plant Sensor?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor comes with a 90-day limited warranty against manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship.
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I'd like to buy multiple EasyBloom Plant Sensor for use around my home and garden. Do I need to create multiple user accounts?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor talks to the Companion Software installed on your PC or Mac. Multiple EasyBloom Plant Sensor can talk to the same user account in the same location.
How It Works
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How does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor deal with the changing weather throughout the year/seasons?
Our algorithm projects the environmental conditions throughout the year based on the USDA hardiness zone you live in, the AHS Heat Zone you live in, the amount of sun that your area experiences at different points in the year (using your zip code information), and other environmental factors.
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How does EasyBloom recommend plants?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor takes multiple readings of four different measurements over a period of at least 24 hours:
- Temperature
- Light
- Humidity
- Soil Moisture
When you plug the sensor into your USB port, it uploads the data collected. Then, EasyBloom uses an algorithm that takes into consideration the following items to develop a list of plants recommended for you specific location:
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For outside garden recommendations:
- the environmental data from your reading at a specific location in your yard or home ensures plants can thrive given the temperature, light, and humidity in that specific location or microclimate
- corrects for any "out of the norm" weather conditions using the Accuweather database
- narrows down plants that will thrive in your USDA Zone (cold hardiness) and your AHS Zone (heat zone)
- accounts for any microclimates in your garden that may support growing exotic plants that normally would not thrive in your climate.
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For locations inside your home:
- the environmental data from your reading at a specific location in your yard or home ensures plants can thrive given the temperature, light, and humidity in that specific location or microclimate
- accounts for any microclimates in your garden that may support growing exotic plants that normally would not thrive in your climate.
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What is the importance of USDA Zones?
USDA zones are used to help determine which plants will survive in your area based on their ability to survive cold conditions. We use this in conjunction with the exact environmental temperature readings for your desired plant locations to project out through the year to ensure the plant can survive and thrive in the specific location.
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How does the EasyBloom Plant Sensor measure light?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor uses two indicators to determine your light readings: light intensity and DLI (Daily Light Integral).
The sensor measures light intensity, the strength of the light source (the sun, for example) at a given moment. From light intensity we can determine DLI, which represents the total amount of light received from the light source throughout the day.
It may be easier to conceptualize these two indicators in relation to the rain: Light intensity would be like measuring how many drops of water come down at a given moment. DLI would be analogous to a rain gage measuring how many inches of rain fell throughout the day.
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How does EasyBloom Monitor Plants?
The EasyBloom Plant Sensor monitors plants by measuring the soil moisture content, light intensity, temperature and relative humidity of the site where your specific plant is growing. Before you dispatch the EasyBloom Plant Sensor to the garden to monitor your plant(s), you need to upload the specific growth requirements for your target plant into the sensor. When you click on the "Monitor" button on the My EasyBloom Dashboard web page, you are taken step by step to upload the plant data from our website to the plant sensor. If any of the measurements are above or below their respective maximum and minimum, the EasyBloom Plant Sensor will sound an alarm. You can then plug the sensor into your computer. The data will be automatically loaded and the website will give you advice as to how to remedy the problem.
Still have questions? Please write to us at info@plantsense.com. We'd love to hear from you!