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ESP32Gardening3D printedBeginner
AI summary

An ESP32 reads soil moisture every few seconds, shows it on a small OLED screen, and runs a 5 V pump through a relay when the soil gets too dry. The pump has its own 5 V supply so it never resets the board.

Board
ESP32 DevKit V1
Difficulty
Beginner
Build time
~2 hours
Parts cost
~₹2,795

Self-watering plant monitor

Made by Blueprint Hardware
CategoryPartsCost
Electrical6₹2,288
Microcontroller1₹704
ESP32 DevKit V11₹704
Sensor1₹220
Capacitive soil moisture sensor v1.2 (Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor v1.2)1₹220
Display1₹352
0.96" OLED display (SSD1306, I²C) (SSD1306 0.96in I2C OLED)1₹352
Actuator2₹484
1-channel 5 V relay module (SRD-05VDC-SL-C relay module)1₹176
5 V mini submersible pump + 1 m tubing (JT-DC3L 5V submersible pump)1₹308
Power1₹528
5 V 2 A power adapter with DC jack breakout (5V 2A adapter + DC 5.5×2.1 mm jack breakout)1₹528
Mechanical20₹507
3D printed1₹141
PLA filament for case and lid1₹141
Hardware19₹366
M3 × 8 mm screws8₹35
M3 × 6 mm brass standoffs8₹84
PG7 cable gland1₹44
Silicone tubing, 5 mm ID1₹70
Breadboard jumper wires1₹132
Total26₹2,795

How it works

Plants die from forgetting more than from anything else. This monitor checks the soil every few seconds and waters only when it is actually dry, so you can leave for a week without worrying.

A capacitive probe measures moisture without corroding. The ESP32 converts the reading into a percentage, shows it on a small OLED screen and, when the soil drops below 35%, clicks a relay that runs a small submersible pump for four seconds. It then waits ten minutes so the water can soak in before checking again.

The pump runs from its own 5 V adapter. Pumps cause voltage dips when they start, and keeping them off the board's supply stops random resets.

Electronics₹2,288
Mechanical₹507
Total₹2,795