Care Reminders¶
Kamerplanter automatically reminds you which plants need water, fertiliser or care today — without needing to know cron expressions or workflow templates. A single tap is enough to confirm. The system learns from your care behaviour and adjusts intervals automatically.
Prerequisites¶
- At least one plant is created
- The plant instance has a care profile assigned (created automatically on first access)
The Care Dashboard¶
Navigate to Care > Due Today to see all plants that need attention today. Cards are sorted by urgency:
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Red | Overdue (plant may be suffering) |
| Orange | Due today |
| Yellow | Due soon (1–2 days) |
| Green | Recently cared for |
Confirming Care¶
- Click on the care card for the plant
- Click the large Done button
- That is it — the system records the time and calculates the next appointment
Adaptive learning
If you consistently water a plant 8 instead of 7 days after the last confirmation, the system adjusts the interval automatically after 3 consecutive confirmations. The learning effect is limited to ±1 day per step and can change the interval by a maximum of ±30%.
Care Profiles¶
Each plant has a care profile with the care intervals for that specific plant. The profile is automatically generated from the species master data and can be adjusted afterwards.
Opening a Care Profile¶
- Navigate to Plants > desired plant
- Click the Care tab
- Click Edit Care Profile
Care Style Presets¶
The system knows predefined care styles for typical plant groups:
| Care style | Watering (summer) | Winter factor | Typical plants |
|---|---|---|---|
tropical | Every 7 days | 1.5× | Monstera, Philodendron, Ficus |
succulent | Every 14 days | 2.5× | Echeveria, Haworthia, Aloe |
orchid | Every 7 days (soaking) | 1.5× | Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium |
calathea | Every 5 days | 1.3× | Calathea, Maranta, Ctenanthe |
herb_tropical | Every 3 days | 1.5× | Basil, Mint, Coriander |
mediterranean | Every 10 days | 2.0× | Rosemary, Lavender, Thyme |
fern | Every 4 days | 1.3× | Nephrolepis, Adiantum, Asplenium |
cactus | Every 21 days | 3.0× | Cacti (Cactaceae) |
custom | Freely configurable | Free | — |
Not all succulents are cacti
Cacti (Cactaceae) and succulents like Echeveria or Haworthia belong to different families. The cactus care style applies only to true cacti. Echeveria and Haworthia use succulent. Lithops and other Mesembs (Aizoaceae) require even more specific logic and should be configured with custom.
Watering Instructions¶
The care profile shows not just when but also how to water:
| Care style | Watering method |
|---|---|
tropical | Water from above until water drains from the bottom. Empty the saucer after 30 min. |
orchid | Soak: place pot in lukewarm water for 10–15 min, then let drain. |
calathea | Water from above with low-lime water. Do not wet the leaves. |
cactus | Water thoroughly, let dry completely before the next watering. |
Water quality
For Calatheas and Orchids the system recommends rainwater or filtered water — these plants are sensitive to lime in tap water (brown leaf tips).
Automatic Reminder Types¶
The system generates daily reminders for the following care tasks:
| Reminder type | Trigger | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Watering | Interval since last confirmation | High |
| Fertilising | Interval + only in active months | Medium |
| Repotting | Months since last repotting | Low |
| Pest check | Fixed interval (default: 14 days) | Medium |
| Location check | Seasonal: October + March | Medium |
| Humidity check | Heating period (Oct–Mar) | Medium |
| Winter protection | October (northern hemisphere) | High |
| Spring uncovering | March (northern hemisphere) | High |
| Tuber digging | Before first frost (October) | Critical |
Fertilising Guard (Dormancy Guard)¶
Fertilising reminders are not generated if: - The current month is outside the active months of the care style (e.g. November–February for most houseplants) - The plant is in a dormant phase (winter dormancy, senescence, hardening-off phase)
Why no fertiliser in winter?
With reduced light in winter, the photosynthesis rate drops. Houseplants cannot absorb nutrients — fertiliser accumulates as salt in the substrate and damages the roots.
Seasonal Adjustment¶
The system automatically adjusts watering intervals to the season:
- Northern hemisphere: Winter = November–February, Summer = May–August
- Southern hemisphere: Winter = May–August, Summer = November–February
The hemisphere is derived from the plant's location (Site.hemisphere). The effective watering interval is calculated as:
Example: Monstera in winter
- Base interval (summer): 7 days
- Winter factor (
tropical): 1.5× - Effective interval (winter): 10–11 days
Overwintering Management¶
For plants that need winter protection, Kamerplanter provides a complete overwintering system.
Winter Hardiness Traffic Light¶
Each plant receives a colour rating based on its frost sensitivity and your climate zone:
| Light | Meaning | Typical plants |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Frost-hardy — no protection needed | Gooseberry, apple tree, tulips |
| Yellow | Needs protection — mulch or fleece | Roses, lavender, perennials |
| Red | Must overwinter frost-free | Oleander, citrus, dahlias |
Dahlias and tubers
Dahlias, gladioli and canna must be dug up before the first frost. The system sends a critical reminder with the tuber-digging notice as soon as the temperature forecast indicates frost.
Tracking the Tuber Cycle¶
For plants with tubers or bulbs (dahlias, gladioli, canna, tulips) you can document the complete annual cycle:
- Plant out → Bloom → Dig up → Dry → Store → Inspect → Pre-grow
Navigate to Plants > desired plant > Overwintering tab to manage the status.
Outdoor Care Styles¶
In addition to houseplant styles, there are presets for outdoor plants:
| Care style | Winter action | Typical plants |
|---|---|---|
outdoor_perennial | Check winter protection (mulch, fleece) | Larkspur, Phlox, perennials |
frost_tender_tuber | DIG UP + store frost-free | Dahlia, Gladiolus, Canna |
frost_tender_container | Move to winter quarters (5–12°C, bright) | Oleander, Citrus, Olive |
fruit_tree | Lime wash, trunk protection | Apple, Pear, Cherry |
spring_bulb | Leave in ground (frost-hardy) | Tulip, Narcissus, Crocus |
Family-Based Care Assignment¶
The system knows the care requirements of 10 plant families and automatically assigns new plants to the matching care style:
| Family | Auto style |
|---|---|
| Araceae (arums) | tropical |
| Cactaceae (cacti) | cactus |
| Marantaceae (prayer plants) | calathea |
| Orchidaceae (orchids) | orchid |
| Crassulaceae (stonecrops) | succulent |
| Asphodelaceae (asphodels) | succulent |
| Lamiaceae (mints) | mediterranean |
| Polypodiaceae / Pteridaceae (ferns) | fern |
| Liliaceae / Amaryllidaceae (lilies) | outdoor_perennial |
| Solanaceae (nightshades) | outdoor_annual_veg |
Automatic assignment
When you create a new plant instance, the system automatically assigns the matching care style based on the botanical family. You can override the style manually at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions¶
The reminder appears too late — can I adjust this?
Yes. Open the plant's care profile and reduce the interval. Alternatively, the system will recognise the pattern after a few confirmations and adjust the interval automatically.
I forgot to water a plant — how do I reset the counter?
Confirm the care manually in the care dashboard. The system resets the timer to "now", regardless of when the last confirmation was.
Why am I not getting a fertilising reminder for my Monstera in December?
That is correct — Monstera (care style: tropical) has an active fertilising period of March–October. In December this period has ended, as houseplants cannot absorb nutrients in winter with reduced light.
My dahlia has a green traffic light — but I know it needs protection.
The light is calculated from the frost_sensitivity value of the species AND your climate zone. Check whether the correct climate zone is set for your location. You can also manually set the care style to frost_tender_tuber.