The modern hobby greenhouse is no longer just a passive space. With advanced sensors, WiFi equipment, and smart applications, you can monitor and control your greenhouse from your living room, or while on vacation in Italy. In this article, we will show you what is available today for under 300 €.
Why a smart greenhouse
Three main reasons:
- Peace of mind: You can see the state of the greenhouse even when you are not there
- Optimization: Sensors tell you exactly when to water and ventilate
- Learning: With an archive of data, you understand seasonal patterns and improve them
Important: intelligence replaces only routine decisions. Gardening instinct and observation are still indispensable.
Sensors, which and how many
Four basic types:
- Temperature + air humidity (all WiFi gateways have this): 15-25 €
- Soil moisture: 20-40 € (Xiaomi Mi Flower Care, Tuya sensors)
- Light (lux): 30-50 € (for optimization of placement)
- CO2: 100-150 € (for advanced users, affects growth)
For a hobby greenhouse 6-20 m²: 1 temperature+humidity + 2-3 soil = enough to start.
Actuators, from manual to automatic
Sensors see, actuators act. Typical actuators:
- WiFi smart plugs (10-15 €/piece), switching on/off irrigation system, fans
- Smart relay for window opening wires (30-50 €)
- Linear actuator for automatic doors (80-150 €)
- WiFi water valve (40-70 €)
The system is built gradually. Typical plan for 3 years:
- Year 1: sensors for observation + WiFi plug for pump
- Year 2: automatic window openings
- Year 3: CO2 sensor + dosing pump for fertilizers
Platforms, Home Assistant, Tuya, Apple Home
All smart elements must "speak" in the same application. Three most popular:
1. Home Assistant (open-source, free):
- Most adaptable, supports all
- Requires some technical knowledge (Raspberry Pi, dockers)
- Free + one Raspberry Pi 4 (75 €)
2. Tuya / Smart Life:
- Plug & play (buy sensor, download app)
- Everything in one application, Chinese ecosystem
- Price-friendly, but closed
3. Apple HomeKit:
- Best integration with iPhone
- Smaller selection of sensors (mostly Eve)
- More expensive
Three budget classes
Basic package (50-100 €):
- 1× WiFi T+H sensor (Govee, Sonoff)
- 1× WiFi smart plug for pump
- App for monitoring (Sonoff eWeLink, Govee)
- Function: see temperature, manually switch on irrigation
Medium package (150-300 €):
- 2× T+H sensors (top, bottom of greenhouse)
- 3× soil sensors (Xiaomi Mi)
- WiFi water valve
- Timer with weather forecast
- Function: automatic irrigation based on soil moisture
Advanced package (400-800 €):
- All above +
- CO2 sensor
- Linear actuators for window openings (2x)
- Home Assistant on Raspberry Pi
- Automation for fertilization (dosing pump)
- WiFi camera for visual monitoring
- Function: fully automatic greenhouse
"A smart greenhouse is not just for nerds, it's for anyone who has a 3-week vacation without panic calls to the neighbor.", Termoplast user from Ljubljana
Be careful with Chinese WiFi sensors, check if they send data outside the EU. For privacy, choose Sonoff (with Tasmota firmware), Shelly or domestic Govee.
Classics remain the foundation
A smart greenhouse still needs a quality construction. Termoplast, 10-year warranty, ideal base for your IoT story.
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