Automatic watering for living plant hire
PotWatch is an automatic watering system for indoor plant hire. It waters each hired plant only when it needs it, and tells you when a reservoir needs refilling. Fewer site visits, healthier plants, and a record of every watering.
PotWatch is at the prototype stage
We are looking for living plant hire companies to help shape it. There are three ways to be involved.
Prototyping
Trial PotWatch with your own plants and sites, and tell us what works and what needs to change.
Wholesale
Become a PotWatch wholesaler and offer automatic watering to your own clients and fleet.
New products
Work with us on new developments and new products that improve productivity across the industry.
Water when the plant needs it, not when the roster allows
A sensor in each saucer tells the controller when a plant is thirsty. Everything is hidden inside the planter.
- 1CheckFour times a day, the controller reads each plant's saucer sensor.
- 2WaterIf a saucer is low, that plant's pump runs for a set time. The others stay off.
- 3ReportEvery check and watering is sent to your online portal over an IoT SIM.
- 4RefillWhen the reservoir runs low, you get one alert saying exactly which site needs a refill.
Why PotWatch doesn't use wicks
Many popular hire plants, such as snake plants, ZZ plants and dracaenas, need to dry out between drinks.
Wicking
- Keeps the roots constantly wet, which risks root rot
- Flow changes with the potting mix, temperature and humidity
- Wicks clog, and salts build up in the top of the soil
- No way to tell from the office if it's working
PotWatch
- Waters from the top and lets the plant dry back
- Flushes salts down through the root zone
- Plants stay in their standard nursery pots
- Every watering is measured and recorded
See it working
Each demonstration opens on its own page.
Tanball walkthrough
Why automate, then every component and a full watering cycle. Watch it through, or click any part to hear what it does.
Open the walkthrough → About 7 minutes · narratedSingle pot
The same system in a single planter, from a scheduled check to a refill. Watch it through, or click any part.
Open the single pot → Walkthrough · tray modeL-shaped planter
Forty-one plants on one controller: two trays filled from below, roots drawing water up, and a top-watered corner plant.
Open the L-planter → Interactive prototypePortal dashboard
What your team would see: alerts, a refill planner and every site's watering history.
Open the dashboard →Questions plant hire companies ask
Common questions about automatic watering for hired indoor plants.
What is PotWatch?
PotWatch is an automatic watering system built for living plant hire companies. A controller, saucer level sensors and small pumps sit hidden inside a planter or tanball, water each plant only when it needs it, and report every check and watering to an online portal.
How does PotWatch know when a plant needs water?
A level sensor sits in the saucer under each nursery pot. Four times a day the controller reads it. If the saucer is dry, that plant's pump runs for a set time and the sensor confirms the water has come through. Each plant sets its own watering pace, so a thirsty plant is watered sooner and a slow drinker is left to dry back.
Will it work with the plants we already hire?
Yes. Plants stay in their standard nursery pots, so nothing is repotted and swaps take seconds. Because watering follows each plant's own needs, it suits plants that like to dry out between drinks, such as snake plants, ZZ plants, dracaenas, yuccas, fiddle-leaf figs and rubber plants.
How much labour does automatic watering save?
With watering taken care of, plant hire companies can expect to at least halve the number of visits to each site. Technicians still visit to tidy, clean foliage and top up reservoirs, but there are no weekly watering rounds, so the same team can look after more sites with less travel, fuel and parking.
How often does the reservoir need refilling?
It depends on the plants, the light and the season. The reservoir holds weeks of water, and the portal alerts you when a reservoir is running low, so you know exactly which site needs a refill and can fit it into a regular tidy-up visit.
Does PotWatch need power or Wi-Fi at the client's site?
No. A rechargeable battery powers the controller, sensors and pumps, and is designed to last well over a year between charges. It recharges through a USB-C port. A built-in IoT SIM sends reports to the portal, so it doesn't need the client's Wi-Fi.
Why not use a wicking or self-watering pot?
Wicking keeps roots constantly wet, which risks root rot in many popular hire plants. Wicks also clog, let salts build up in the top of the soil, need special pots, and give no way to check from the office that they're working. PotWatch waters from the top, flushes salts through the root zone and records every watering.
Can our clients see that their plants are being looked after?
Yes. The online portal keeps a record of every check and every watering, along with reservoir levels and water temperature, which you can share with clients as proof of care.
Is PotWatch available now?
PotWatch is at the prototype stage. We are looking for Australian plant hire companies to trial it at their sites, to become wholesalers, and to help develop new products for the industry. Register your interest below.
Let's build this with you
If you run a living plant hire business and want to be involved, tell us a little about your company. We'll be in touch.
- Trial the prototype at your sites
- Wholesale PotWatch to your clients
- Help develop new products for the industry