Thanks to Elho's Smart Pebble, caring for my houseplants has never been easier

I was getting tired of asking why my monstera plant looked so unhappy. It seemed like one of life's great mysteries, one I wasn't solving anytime soon. So when I came across this plant care gadget from Elho, I jumped at the chance of testing it out.

If you're anything like me, you've probably wondered why your monstera is turning yellow or perhaps why its leaves are turning brown at the tips. But when you're a relatively good plant parent, if I do say so myself, it can feel a little frustrating seeing your leafy friend fight for their life.

Annoyed as I was playing this guessing game, the Elho Smart Pebble was kindly sent to me to try out, and I'm actually cross I haven't had this in my life for longer. The riddles of houseplant care are no more, technology is here to make things oh so simple.

What is the Elho smart pebble?

Although they're not on the easiest plants to keep alive list, it's not exactly meant to be rocket science caring for a monstera. And yet I've been finding myself with a pretty unhappy plant consistently, even with a regular watering routine and sunny space.

Now I write about houseplants on a weekly basis, and would consider myself a humble expert at their care. So when my own plant was struggling, I was not only confused but a little embarrassed. Why was it drooping and turning yellow?

Well, thanks to my new best friend, the Elho Smart Pebble, I now have a daily diagnostic coming straight to my phone from the plant, whom I have named Alexis (this will become more relevant later on).

So what exactly is this miracle pebble? It's a small, natural-looking device that lives in your plant pot and helps with catering to all your plant's needs. It will notify you about whether your plant needs more water, light, nutrients, or to be somewhere that's cooler or warmer.

Gone are the days of making houseplant mistakes with this gadget. It comes with an accompanying app that couldn't be easier to use, even if you're not exactly tech-savvy like me.

This tool couldn't be more perfect for very busy households, forgetful workaholics or cursed plant parents surrounded by wilting leaves. It does all the stressful remembering for you and tells you exactly what you need to do. What a dream, right?

How does the Elho smart pebble work?

If you're still a little dubious, much like I was when I first came upon the device, I made sure to take note during set-up and for the past few weeks whilst caring for my indoor plants.

In terms of set-up, it couldn't have been easier. All you need to do is charge the pebble with the cable it comes with, and make sure you've got the free app downloaded. It's then just a matter of connecting your pebble to the app and the WiFi, and then setting up what your plant is and what you want it to be called. Alexis really came from nowhere, perhaps the plant itself?

Once you've followed the simple step-by-step of setting up, the pebble will run its first diagnostics and start measuring what your plant needs. You'll already have access to a thorough expert-led care guide on your plant by this point, which is fantastic in itself.

From there, you needn't do much else but follow the pebbles' advice. You'll receive an update every 24 hours, which is customisable and can be tailored even down to the time of day you want to be notified. With each notification, you will be told what your plant needs, whether that's a drink, some fertiliser, or to be moved to a sunnier spot.

The charge lasts around six months, and the device comes with a two-year warranty should you have any issues with it.

And should you want to make sure your plants stay alive whilst you're away, you can quickly check what they need before you go with a press of a button for an immediate report. It's quite mindblowing just how straightforward yet smart this little pebble is.

Would I recommend the elho smart pebble?

If you can't tell from my thoughts already, I would 100% recommend picking up one of these smart pebbles from Elho. For someone who is extremely forgetful about my plants, this is an absolute game-changer.

Like I mentioned before, I know how to care for my plants, but it's the remembering what they need and when that leaves my monstera less than happy some months.

The only downside is that if you have a large collection of plant friends, you will need to buy a pebble for each one, should you want to. However, if that's the case, I'd suggest only getting them for the plants that are the hardest to keep alive in your home.

I think for £39.99, the peace of mind and convenience this gives you makes it a real bargain. It's not necessary for keeping your plants happy and healthy; however, if you do struggle with keeping to your watering routine or remembering to add fertiliser, this will be a big help.

Now you've got backup, why not try caring for a bonsai tree? Even if you're a rookie plant parent, Elho's smart pebble is that helping hand that can make those stubborn species less intimidating.