Gadget alerts you when plants need water

We've got a lot of plants here at Working Guy HQ. Or rather, we have a lot of pots that used to have plants in them. Most are now tubs of dirt with spindly sticks sprouting from them, long since dead from neglect.

What if those plants could tell me when they're a little dry and need water? Well, they can, sort of: Trident Design's new gadget, the Thirsty Light, is a simple moisture sensing device that you simply stick in a flowerpot and otherwise ignore. When things get dry, an LED flashes, and it's bright enough that you can see it even if you're passing by casually. When they really need water, the LED flashes faster. Want to check all your plants with just one Thirsty Light? Just take it from plant to plant once a week to see who needs a top-up; it's much more scientific than eyeballing the top of the soil.

I've had a couple of Thirsty Lights installed here for the last couple of months, and I'm happy to report that neither of those plants being monitored are dead yet. I've also been surprised to see how seldom plants actually need to be watered, and how irregularly they need it as well. Perhaps we've actually been killing the plants with too much water in the past? I'll also add that I like the design of the gizmo too, and it fits right in with the plants' environment.

At $10 per probe, Thirsty Lights make for a nice, inexpensive gift; any plant lover can easily make the case for a three-pack to rotate around the plants in and around the house.

Of course, if you want to get really geeky, check out this project, which lets your plants send a phone call or a Twitter alert whenever they get too dry. I'm not sure about dedicating a cell phone and circuit board to each of the plants I have, but I like the concept behind it. Check it out!