Quick Actions - Instant Plant Care

🎯 What You'll Learn

• Quick water action - Mark plants as watered in one click
• Quick fertilize action - Log fertilization instantly
• Add plant shortcut - Start the multi-step form quickly
• Action workflows - Understand what happens behind the scenes

⚡ Quick Start

Use quick actions in 30 seconds:

1. Find your plant card on the dashboard
2. Hover over the card (desktop) or tap the card (mobile)
3. Click the action icon - Water drop (💧), fertilizer (🧪), or plus (+)
4. Confirm if prompted - Action completes instantly

Result: Plant care recorded without navigating away from dashboard!

📚 Complete Guide

Quick Actions Overview

Quick actions let you perform common tasks directly from plant cards, saving time and reducing clicks. They're designed for daily care routines where you need speed and efficiency.

Available Actions:

• 💧 Water - Mark plant as watered
• 🧪 Fertilize - Log fertilization activity
• ➕ Add Plant - Start new plant form
• 📝 Quick Diary - Add note (hover menu)

Water a Plant 💧

The most common action - mark a plant as watered and update its schedule.

How to Use

Desktop:

1. Hover over any plant card
2. Click the water drop icon (💧) at the bottom
3. Optional: Add a note (appears in diary)
4. Confirm or press Enter

Mobile:

1. Tap the plant card
2. Tap the water drop icon in the quick action bar
3. Swipe to confirm (prevents accidental taps)

What Happens

When you water a plant:

1. Last Watered Updates:

   • "Last watered" date → Today
   • "Days since watering" → Resets to 0

2. Next Watering Calculates:

   • Based on plant's watering frequency
   • Example: If frequency is 7 days, next watering = Today + 7 days

3. Diary Entry Created:

   • Auto-generated entry: "Watered [Plant Name]"
   • Timestamp: Current date/time
   • Type: Care Activity

4. Reminders Updated:

   • If you have a watering reminder, it's marked complete
   • Next reminder schedules automatically

5. Statistics Refresh:

   • "Needs Attention" count updates if plant was overdue
   • Plant card status badge changes to green (healthy)

Advanced Options

Add Notes While Watering:

• Click "Add Note" before confirming
• Example: "Soil was very dry, increased watering amount"
• Note appears in diary entry

Adjust Watering Amount (if tracked):

• Select amount: Light, Normal, Heavy
• Helps track watering consistency
• Useful for drought-sensitive plants

Fertilize a Plant 🧪

Log fertilization activities quickly, especially important during growing season.

How to Use

From Plant Card:

1. Click the fertilizer icon (🧪)
2. Optional: Select fertilizer type (if you track multiple)
3. Optional: Add application notes
4. Confirm action

Bulk Fertilizing (multiple plants):

1. Select multiple plant cards (Ctrl+Click or Cmd+Click)
2. Click bulk action menu (three dots)
3. Choose "Fertilize All"
4. Confirm - all selected plants marked as fertilized

What Happens

When you fertilize:

1. Diary Entry Created:

   • Entry: "Fertilized [Plant Name]"
   • Includes fertilizer type if selected
   • Notes any observations you added

2. Reminder Completion:

   • Active fertilization reminder → Marked complete
   • Next reminder schedules based on frequency

3. Care Schedule Updates:

   • "Last fertilized" date → Today
   • Next fertilization date → Calculated based on schedule

Fertilizer Tracking

If you track different fertilizers:

Fertilizer Types:

• Liquid fertilizer (weekly/bi-weekly)
• Granular fertilizer (monthly)
• Organic compost (seasonal)
• Foliar spray (as needed)

Set in Settings:

• Go to Settings > Care Preferences
• Add your fertilizer types
• Quick action will remember your choices

Add New Plant ➕

Start the multi-step plant addition form with one click.

How to Access

Dashboard Button:

• Large "Add Plant" button (top-right or center)
• Always visible, never hidden
• Primary action color (green/blue)

Quick Add (keyboard):

• Press Ctrl+N (Windows) or Cmd+N (Mac)
• Opens form modal instantly
• Great for power users

Multi-Step Form Overview

The form has 5 steps:

Step 1: Basic Info (Required)

• Plant name (what you call it)
• Species (scientific/common name)
• Location (where it lives)
• Purchase/acquired date

Step 2: Care Settings (Recommended)

• Watering frequency (days between watering)
• Sunlight needs (Low, Medium, Bright, Direct)
• Temperature preferences (min/max)
• Humidity requirements

Step 3: Initial State (Optional)

• Current height/width
• Health status
• Initial notes/observations
• Upload first photo

Step 4: Reminders (Optional)

• Set up recurring care reminders
• Choose reminder types (water, fertilize, prune, etc.)
• Configure notification preferences

Step 5: History (Optional)

• Import previous care records
• Add backdated diary entries
• Upload existing photos

Quick Add vs. Full Form

Quick Add Mode:

• Only Step 1 (Basic Info) required
• Get plant in system fast
• Complete details later
• Perfect for impulse plant purchases!

Full Form Mode:

• All 5 steps available
• Complete setup upfront
• Reminders start immediately
• Best for planned additions

Toggle in Settings: Settings > General > "Use Quick Add by default"

Quick Diary Entry 📝

Add observations without opening full plant details.

How to Access

From Plant Card:

1. Hover over plant card
2. Click three dots menu (⋯)
3. Select "Quick Note"
4. Type observation → Save

Use Cases:

• "New leaf unfurling!"
• "Yellowing on lower leaves, investigating"
• "Moved to brighter spot, monitoring"
• "First flower bud spotted 🎉"

Entry Types

Select type when adding quick note:

• Observation - General note
• Health Event - Pest, disease, damage
• Growth Event - New growth, milestone
• Care Activity - Manual watering, pruning, etc.

💡 Tips & Tricks

Efficiency Hacks

• Keyboard First: Ctrl+N new plant, W water selected, F fertilize selected
• Batch Actions: Select multiple → Apply action once → All update
• Templates: Save common diary notes as templates for quick reuse

Avoiding Mistakes

• ❌ Don't accidentally double-water: Check "Last Watered" before clicking
• ❌ Don't skip notes on problems: If you notice issues, add a quick diary note
• ✅ Do review before confirming: Quick actions can't be undone (yet)

Daily Routine

Morning Workflow (5 minutes):

1. Check "Needs Attention" count
2. Filter to plants needing water
3. Quick water all → Add notes for any concerns
4. Check "Upcoming Reminders" for later today

Weekly Routine (15 minutes):

1. Filter by location (e.g., "Living Room")
2. Inspect each plant (visual check)
3. Use quick actions for any needed care
4. Add quick diary notes on progress

❓ Common Questions

Q: Can I undo a quick action?

A: Currently, quick actions are immediate and can't be undone. We recommend checking the plant before confirming. Undo functionality is planned for a future update.

Workaround: Go to plant details → Diary tab → Edit or delete the auto-generated entry.

Q: Why don't I see quick action icons on my plant cards?

A: You might be in Compact view mode. Quick actions appear in:

• ✅ Grid view (hover to reveal)
• ✅ List view (always visible)
• ❌ Compact view (use card menu instead)

Switch views: Dashboard → View selector (top-right)

Q: Can I customize which quick actions are available?

A: Not yet, but it's on our roadmap! Currently, Water and Fertilize are standard. We're considering letting users choose from:

• Prune
• Repot
• Pest Check
• Measure Growth

Vote for this feature: Settings > Feedback > "Custom Quick Actions"

Q: Do quick actions work offline?

A: Yes! Quick actions are queued when offline and sync when you reconnect. You'll see a "Syncing..." indicator while the action uploads.

Q: Can I set default notes for quick actions?

A: Yes! Go to Settings > Care Preferences > "Quick Action Defaults". You can set:

• Default watering notes (e.g., "Morning watering routine")
• Default fertilizer type
• Auto-add photos (camera opens after action)

🔗 Related Topics

Essential Reading

• Dashboard Overview - Understand the dashboard layout
• Plant Views - Choose the best view for quick actions

Next Steps

• Plant Management - Editing - Make detailed changes beyond quick actions
• Diary Entries - Learn full diary entry capabilities

Complementary Features

• Reminders - Managing - How reminders interact with quick actions
• Bulk Operations - Apply quick actions to multiple plants at once

Last Updated: October 24, 2025
Document Version: 2.0 (Modular Structure)