Reference
Questions, answered
If your question isn't here, ping the team — these are the ones we've heard most often, with full answers.
Do I need to know how to code to use PlantHub?
No. You can buy a pre-flashed board, claim it in the app, pick your plant species, and the AI takes over. The only "configuration" most users do is choose between five preset modes (Conservative, Balanced, Aggressive, Power-Saver, Manual).
What happens if my Wi-Fi goes down?
Your garden keeps going. PlantHub compiles your active rules to on-device firmware, so watering and ventilation schedules continue without a cloud connection. When the Wi-Fi returns, queued readings flush and you see the gap reported in the dashboard.
How is AI mode different from rule mode?
Rules are if-then triggers — they fire when a sensor crosses a threshold. AI mode evaluates the whole context (sensors, weather, plant profile, learned outcomes) and decides what to do. You can run both: rules act as fast fallbacks, the AI takes the higher-quality decisions.
Can I run PlantHub in a greenhouse with many plants?
Yes. Group devices into zones (one zone per greenhouse, or per bed), set the zone's environment type, and the AI learns at both device and zone level. The dashboard supports group-by-zone summaries and rules can be zone-wide.
Which browsers support the web flasher?
Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Opera on desktop or laptop — they all implement WebSerial. Firefox and Safari do not yet. The Android version of Chrome supports WebSerial, but most phone OTG cables are unreliable for flashing.
Is my data private? Can other users see my plants?
No. PlantHub is multi-tenant at every layer: REST endpoints, database queries, MQTT subscriptions, and AI tool calls are all scoped to the authenticated tenant. Another user cannot read or actuate your devices, full stop.
Can I export my data or call the API directly?
Yes. The full REST API is documented via OpenAPI/Swagger and authenticated with JWT or AWS Cognito. Sensor history, alert history, AI session history — all queryable. See the API reference for details.
What does it cost?
Free during the beta. Post-launch pricing will be announced to waitlist members first. Hardware starts around $15 for a single ESP32-C3 board with sensors; full PlantHub kits cost a fraction of comparable smart-planter products.
Can I test without buying hardware?
Yes — three ways. Use the live demo at /demo with mock data, flash one of the three mock device profiles to any ESP32, or call the API directly with realistic test data.
How does the AI avoid runaway costs?
Daily evaluation caps per device, adaptive intervals that stretch when plants are stable, two-level caching of AI recommendations, and a Power-Saver mode that defers to compiled offline rules when the AI is not needed.
What sensors and actuators are supported?
Out of the box: capacitive soil moisture, DHT22 / BME280 (temp + humidity), BH1750 (light). Actuators: water pump, grow light, vent fan, mist sprayer, heater mat, shade cloth. Adding new sensors or actuators uses a template-copy pattern in the open-source firmware — no server-side schema changes required.
Does PlantHub support battery or solar power?
USB-C is the recommended power source today. Power-Saver mode is designed for low-power setups: it stretches evaluation intervals and minimizes radio time. Battery support is on the roadmap.
Will it work in my country?
If you have Wi-Fi and plants, PlantHub works. Weather data covers cities worldwide via OpenWeatherMap. The dashboard and AI work entirely in English at present; other languages are on the roadmap.