Plants get chance to chat back

London: If you're the type who talks to your plants, listen carefully. They could be about to talk back.

In news that will delight Prince Charles, who has been ridiculed for admitting he chats to his vegetable patch, a new device claims to give plants the ability to let you know how they are feeling — by text.

It means your roses could raise the alarm when they're thirsty and your hydrangeas could hassle you when they get too hot.

The sensor, which costs £99 (Dh573.8), can be placed in the soil of any pot plant and monitors basic conditions such as moisture, temperature and light intensity.

Using a wifi internet connection, the information is then analysed against plant care models in a central database — and the owner receives an alert telling them just what that particular plant needs.