Starting Plant Doctor Consultations

🎯 What You'll Learn

• Access Plant Doctor - Multiple ways to start
• Ask questions - Get effective responses
• Multi-turn conversations - AI remembers context
• Manage conversations - Organize consultations
• Best practices - Get most accurate advice

⚡ Quick Start

Start your first consultation in 1 minute:

1. Click "Plant Doctor" in main menu
2. Type your question: "Why are my plant's leaves turning yellow?"
3. Upload photo (optional but recommended)
4. Get instant advice from AI expert

Result: Personalized plant care guidance in seconds!

📚 Complete Guide

What is Plant Doctor?

Your AI Plant Care Assistant

Plant Doctor uses Google Gemini 2.0 Flash AI to provide:

• 🔍 Plant Identification - Upload photo, learn species
• 🏥 Problem Diagnosis - Detect pests, diseases, care issues
• 💡 Care Advice - Personalized recommendations
• ❓ Question Answers - Ask anything about plants
• 📚 Species Information - Learn care requirements

Think of it as: Having a plant expert in your pocket, available 24/7!

Accessing Plant Doctor

4 Ways to Start:

1. From Dashboard Menu

Standard Access:

1. Click "Plant Doctor" in main navigation
2. New conversation starts automatically
3. Type your question or upload photo
4. Conversation saved in sidebar

Use When: General plant care questions, not tied to specific plant.

2. From Plant Details

Context-Aware Consultation:

1. Open any plant from your collection
2. Click "Ask Doctor" button
3. Plant Doctor already knows:
   • ✅ Plant species
   • ✅ Current care schedule
   • ✅ Location in home
   • ✅ Health history
   • ✅ Previous issues
4. Get personalized advice for THIS specific plant

Use When: Issues with specific plant in your collection.

3. From Notifications

Proactive Suggestions:

• PlantKeeper may suggest consulting Plant Doctor
• Notification appears for:
  • Unusual symptoms detected
  • Care schedule deviations
  • Health events that need expert advice
• Click notification → Direct to Plant Doctor
• Context pre-loaded

Use When: App recommends consultation.

4. Keyboard Shortcut

Quick Access:

• Press Ctrl + D (Windows/Linux)
• Press Cmd + D (Mac)
• Plant Doctor opens instantly
• Start typing immediately

Use When: You want fastest access from anywhere in app.

Starting a New Conversation

How Conversations Work:

Auto-Creation

Seamless Start:

1. Click "Plant Doctor" in menu
2. Conversation created automatically
3. Blank chat ready for your question
4. Appears in sidebar after first message

No manual setup needed!

Conversation Sidebar

Left Panel Shows:

Your Conversations

• Title - Auto-generated from first question
• Last Updated - Timestamp of last message
• Preview - Snippet of last exchange

Organization

• Sorted by most recent first
• Active conversation highlighted
• New conversation button at top
• Search conversations

Actions

• Click - Open conversation
• Delete - Remove old consultations
• Search - Find past advice

Multiple Conversations

When to Use Multiple:

• ✅ One conversation per plant issue
• ✅ Separate topics (pest vs watering)
• ✅ Different plants
• ❌ Don't split one issue across multiple

Example:

• Conversation 1: "Monstera brown spots diagnosis"
• Conversation 2: "Snake plant propagation guide"
• Conversation 3: "Succulent watering schedule"

Asking Effective Questions

Get Better Answers

General Care Questions

Examples:

Watering:

• "How often should I water a Monstera?"
• "How much water does a fiddle leaf fig need?"
• "Should I water succulents from top or bottom?"

Light:

• "What's the best light for snake plants?"
• "Can pothos survive in low light?"
• "How do I know if my plant needs more light?"

Fertilizing:

• "When should I fertilize my plants?"
• "What NPK ratio is best for Monstera?"
• "Can I use coffee grounds as fertilizer?"

Humidity:

• "How do I increase humidity for tropical plants?"
• "What humidity level do ferns need?"
• "Will a humidifier help my calathea?"

Specific Plant Problems

Problem-Focused Questions:

Symptoms:

• "My fiddle leaf fig has brown spots on the leaves"
• "Why are my plant's leaves turning yellow?"
• "My plant is drooping even though I just watered it"
• "Leaves are curling at the edges - what's wrong?"

Pests:

• "How do I get rid of spider mites?"
• "I see tiny white bugs on my plant stems"
• "What are these brown bumps on the leaves?"
• "How do I treat aphids naturally?"

Diseases:

• "White powder on leaves - is it mold?"
• "Black spots spreading on leaves"
• "Root rot - can I save my plant?"
• "Fungus gnats in soil - how to eliminate?"

Plant Identification

Unknown Species:

• "What plant is this?" (with photo)
• "Can you identify this species?"
• "What's the scientific name of this plant?"
• "Is this a Monstera or Philodendron?"

Best Practice: Always include clear photos for identification!

Propagation & Repotting

Growth Questions:

Propagation:

• "How do I propagate a pothos?"
• "Can I root this cutting in water?"
• "When is the best time to take cuttings?"
• "How long until roots grow?"

Repotting:

• "When should I repot my snake plant?"
• "What size pot does my plant need?"
• "What soil mix is best for succulents?"
• "How do I know if my plant is root bound?"

Getting Better Results

Optimize Your Questions

Be Specific

Vague vs Specific:

❌ Vague: "My plant is sick" ✅ Specific: "My Monstera has brown spots on the lower leaves that started 2 weeks ago"

❌ Vague: "Something is wrong" ✅ Specific: "Leaves are yellowing from bottom up, soil is dry, plant near south window"

Why: Specific details help AI diagnose accurately.

Include Details

Essential Information:

When

• "When did problem start?" → "Started 2 weeks ago"
• "When did you last water?" → "5 days ago"
• "When did you repot?" → "Last month"

Current Routine

• "I water every 7 days"
• "I fertilize monthly"
• "Plant is in east-facing window"
• "Temperature is 20-24°C"

Changes

• "Moved plant to brighter spot last week"
• "Changed potting soil recently"
• "Started using new fertilizer"
• "Weather became colder"

Provide Context

Background Information:

Plant History

• "I've had this plant for 6 months"
• "It's been healthy until now"
• "Previous pest issue was treated 3 months ago"
• "Plant was propagated from mother plant"

Symptoms Observed

• "3 leaves turned yellow"
• "Brown spots on 5-6 leaves"
• "New growth is pale green"
• "Stems feel soft near base"

Treatments Tried

• "I reduced watering frequency"
• "I tried neem oil spray twice"
• "I moved away from window"
• "Nothing has worked yet"

Environment

• "Indoor plant, 21°C room temperature"
• "High humidity bathroom location"
• "Near heating vent in winter"
• "Outdoor patio, partial shade"

Upload Photos

Visual Context is Powerful:

What to Photograph:

1. Overall plant - Show full plant
2. Problem areas - Close-ups of symptoms
3. Different angles - Multiple perspectives
4. Comparison - Healthy vs affected leaves

Photo Tips:

• ✅ Good natural lighting (indirect sunlight)
• ✅ Clear, focused images
• ✅ Straight-on angle
• ✅ Show distinctive features
• ❌ No flash or dim lighting
• ❌ No blurry photos
• ❌ Don't photograph just tiny portions

Multi-Turn Conversations

AI Remembers Context

How It Works

Conversation Memory:

Example Consultation:

You: "My Monstera has brown spots"

Plant Doctor: "I can help diagnose that! Can you tell me:

1. How long have you had brown spots?
2. How often do you water?
3. Where is the plant located?"

You: "Started 2 weeks ago. I water weekly. It's near a south window."

Plant Doctor: "Thanks for the details! Can you upload a photo of the affected leaves so I can see the spot pattern?"

You: uploads photo

Plant Doctor: "Based on the photo, this appears to be sunburn. The brown spots are crispy and concentrated near the window-facing side. I recommend:

1. Move plant 3-5 feet away from window
2. Continue weekly watering
3. Remove severely damaged leaves
4. Monitor for 2 weeks"

💡 Benefit: No need to repeat species, location, or symptoms - it's like talking to a real expert!

Follow-Up Questions

Dig Deeper:

After initial diagnosis, you can ask:

• "Why does sunburn cause brown spots?"
• "How far from window is safe?"
• "Will the damaged leaves recover?"
• "Should I change watering schedule?"
• "Can I prevent this in future?"

AI provides explanations and reasoning!

Treatment Progress Updates

Ongoing Consultation:

Week 1: You: "I moved the plant as suggested. How long until I see improvement?"

Plant Doctor: "Great! You should see:

• No NEW brown spots within 3-5 days
• New growth should be healthy green
• Allow 2-3 weeks to assess full recovery Take a photo after 2 weeks and share for progress check!"

Week 3: You: uploads progress photo "Here's the plant after 2 weeks"

Plant Doctor: "Excellent progress! I can see: ✅ No new brown spots ✅ New leaf growth is healthy ✅ Existing damage hasn't spread Your plant has recovered well. Continue current care routine!"

Managing Conversations

Organization

Conversation Titles

Auto-Generated:

• Title based on first question
• Example: "Monstera brown spots diagnosis"
• Rename if needed (click edit icon)

Manual Naming:

• Descriptive titles for easy finding
• "2025 Summer Pest Treatment"
• "Snake Plant Propagation Guide"
• "Fiddle Leaf Fig Light Experiment"

Delete Old Conversations

When to Delete:

• ✅ Issue resolved, no longer needed
• ✅ Test conversations
• ✅ Duplicate topics
• ✅ Outdated advice (care routine changed)

How to Delete:

1. Hover over conversation in sidebar
2. Click delete icon (trash can)
3. Confirm deletion
4. Conversation permanently removed

⚠️ Cannot recover deleted conversations!

Search Conversations

Find Past Advice:

1. Click search icon in sidebar
2. Type keywords:
   • Plant name: "Monstera"
   • Problem: "brown spots"
   • Treatment: "neem oil"
   • Date: "August 2025"
3. Matching conversations appear
4. Click to reopen

Use Case: "What did Plant Doctor say about spider mites last time?"

💡 Tips & Tricks

Take Photos Before Asking

Prepare Visual Evidence:

• Photos ready before starting consultation
• Take multiple angles
• Close-ups + full plant
• Upload immediately when asked
• Faster diagnosis = faster treatment

Ask "Why?" to Learn

Understand Reasoning:

• Don't just follow advice blindly
• Ask: "Why does this work?"
• Request: "Explain the biology"
• Learn plant care principles
• Apply knowledge to future issues

Reference Plant Name

Context-Aware Help:

• Start with: "My [Species Name] has..."
• Plant Doctor tailors advice to species
• More accurate recommendations
• Species-specific care tips

One Issue Per Conversation

Focused Diagnosis:

• ❌ Don't mix: "Brown spots AND propagation question"
• ✅ Create separate conversations
• AI stays focused on one problem
• Easier to find advice later

Save Important Advice

Bookmark Responses:

• Click bookmark icon on helpful messages
• Add to plant diary as entry
• Create reminder based on suggestion
• Export conversation as PDF

❓ Common Questions

Q: Is Plant Doctor free?

A: Yes! Basic consultations, plant identification, and diagnosis are included in free plan. Premium adds advanced features like unlimited photo uploads and priority AI processing.

Q: How accurate is Plant Doctor?

A: Plant Doctor uses Google Gemini 2.0 AI trained on extensive plant care data. Accuracy is high (90%+) for common issues and species. For rare plants or complex issues, consult professional.

Q: Can Plant Doctor see my entire plant collection?

A: When you access from a specific plant, yes - it knows that plant's history. From general menu, it doesn't pre-load collection but you can reference plants by name.

Q: How long do conversations stay saved?

A: Conversations saved indefinitely unless you delete them. Access past consultations anytime.

Q: Can I use Plant Doctor offline?

A: No, Plant Doctor requires internet connection to process AI requests and analyze photos.

🔗 Related Topics

Essential Reading

• Diagnosis & Treatment - How AI diagnoses problems
• AI Capabilities - What Plant Doctor can detect

Advanced Features

• Treatment Tracking - Monitor recovery progress
• Consultation History - Review past advice

Related Tools

• Diary Entries - Document consultations
• Plant Details - View plant context

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