Frequently asked questions
Botanix FAQ
Everything you need to know about how Botanix works, how it identifies plants, how it diagnoses diseases and pests, and how it builds your personalised care reminders.
How does Botanix identify a plant from a photo?
Take or upload a photo of the plant: our botanical AI analyses leaf shape, growth habit, flowers and other visible traits to identify the species in seconds. You get the common name, scientific name and botanical family, with a confidence score. When it's not sure, it asks for more information instead of guessing.
Can I identify a plant just from a leaf photo?
Yes, in most cases the leaf is enough. For very similar species (e.g. philodendrons or tropical climbers) it helps to include a full-plant view and any flowers or fruit, so the model can distinguish precisely.
Is Botanix free?
Yes. The core features — plant identification, disease and pest diagnosis, care reminders, the Tymo assistant — are free. Some in-depth content or premium features may be introduced later, but the heart of the app stays free.
Which devices does Botanix work on?
Botanix works on any modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) on phones, tablets and computers. You can also install it as an app on your phone by adding it to your Home screen: it behaves like a native app, with notifications and partial offline support.
Can I manage multiple plants in the same app?
Yes. With Botanix you build your personal greenhouse: add as many plants as you like, name them, tell the app where they live (living room, bathroom, south balcony, etc.) and it builds an independent care calendar for each one.
How accurate is TYMO, the AI assistant?
Tymo is designed to answer plant care, diagnosis and cultivation questions in natural language. It's built on a curated botanical corpus and on your plant's contextual data (species, season, city, exposure). It's very reliable on care, watering, feeding and common problems. For rare cases or unusual diseases it always suggests consulting a local nursery or a plant pathologist in person.
How are product recommendations generated?
Suggested products (pots, substrates, fertilisers, pest treatments) are filtered by botanical compatibility with your plant's species, by quality (minimum 4.3 rating and hundreds of verified reviews) and by relevance to the problem at hand. We use Amazon affiliate links where available to support the project — this is clearly stated.
How often should I water a Monstera?
On average, an adult Monstera deliciosa indoors needs watering when the top 3-4 cm of substrate is dry: roughly once a week in spring-summer, every 10-14 days in autumn-winter. Botanix builds a precise schedule for your city, season and the plant's light exposure.
How do personalised care reminders work?
For every plant you add to your greenhouse, Botanix builds a calendar based on species, season, your city's weather and the plant's exposure. You get precise notifications for watering, fertilising, repotting and pruning. You can snooze, skip or mark as done: the system calibrates future reminders based on your actions.
Does Botanix also diagnose pests?
Yes. The nursery diagnoses the most common pests on indoor and outdoor plants: spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects, aphids, whitefly, thrips, fungus gnats. For each you get a graduated natural remedy plan (potassium soap, neem oil, isolation) before turning to chemicals.
What should I do if my plant has yellow leaves?
Yellow leaves usually indicate overwatering (the number-one cause), poor light, nutrient deficiency or early root rot. Take a photo of the plant and upload it: the diagnosis will tell you which cause is most likely based on the visible symptoms and your care habits.
Does Botanix recognise orchids?
Yes. The most common domestic orchids (Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Dendrobium, Vanda, Cymbidium, Oncidium) are recognised and have dedicated care sheets with specific advice on soak watering, bark substrate, light and dormancy.
Can I use Botanix for vegetables and herbs?
Yes. Basil, rosemary, sage, mint, thyme, parsley, oregano and the main culinary herbs are recognised and have care guides. Potted vegetables (tomato, chilli, strawberries) are also covered.
Does Botanix work for outdoor and garden plants?
Yes. Beyond houseplants, we recognise balcony plants (geraniums, petunias, surfinias, bidens), ornamental garden plants (roses, hydrangeas, camellias, hibiscus) and several ornamental shrubs and trees.
What happens if I misidentify a plant?
You can correct the species manually at any time: your correction feeds the model's improvement loop. If the corrected species isn't in our database yet, you'll get a notification once it's added.
How do I repot a plant?
The best time is spring, when the plant is actively growing. Move it into a pot 2-3 cm larger, using a substrate suited to the species (all-purpose for most, orchid-specific, succulent or acid-loving where needed), arrange drainage and water lightly to settle. The full step-by-step is in the Botanix guide centre.
How often should I fertilise houseplants?
Generally every 2-4 weeks in spring-summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser, suspending in autumn-winter. Orchids, succulents and acid-loving plants follow specific rules that Botanix applies automatically based on the species.
What should I do if a plant has mealybugs?
Isolate it from other plants immediately. Manually remove the visible mealybugs with a cotton swab dipped in denatured alcohol. Treat with potassium soap or neem oil every 7-10 days for 3-4 applications. The full protocol is in the dedicated mealybug guide.
Can I use Botanix if I've never had a plant?
Absolutely — it's built exactly for you. Add your first plant, tell the app where you keep it, and Botanix walks you step by step through watering, exposure and early problem signs. The guide centre includes beginner articles.
Does Botanix protect my privacy?
Yes. The photos and data about your plants are used only to provide the service. We don't sell data to third parties. You can delete your account at any time from settings. Full details in our Privacy Policy.
Does Botanix work offline?
Basic functions (viewing your greenhouse, reading downloaded plant sheets, checking upcoming reminders) work offline. AI identification, diagnosis and Tymo require a connection because they run on our servers.
Can I share my greenhouse with other people?
Yes. You can invite family or flatmates to share the same digital greenhouse, so multiple people can manage the watering and reminders of the same plant.
How is my plant's light exposure estimated if I don't know it?
Botanix helps with simple questions: does the room have windows? Which orientation (north, south, east, west)? How far is the plant from the window? The answers produce a light estimate that's enough to calibrate care advice.
What does TYMO do when it doesn't know the answer?
Tymo is trained to say clearly when it isn't sure. In those cases it suggests consulting a local nursery, a botanical garden or a plant pathologist, instead of inventing an answer. That's a design choice: we prefer honesty to the illusion of knowing everything.
How can I contribute to Botanix?
The easiest way is to use it, send us feedback when you find bugs or want new features (from the Feedback menu inside the app), and share Botanix with other plant lovers. For structured collaborations, write to us at botanix.life@gmail.com.
Does Botanix replace a nursery or an experienced gardener?
No, and that's not the goal. Botanix is a daily companion that helps you manage your plants and catch problems early. For delicate interventions (major pruning, systemic diseases, garden trees) we explicitly tell you to call a professional.