Houseplant Watering Schedule Planner

--- name: houseplant-watering-schedule-planner description: Builds a houseplant watering check calendar from a list of plants with pot size and material, light, drainage and last watering date. Adjusts each interval for pot, light, humidity and season (by hemisphere, stretching into winter), fits checks onto chosen weekdays, says what 'needs water' means and how much to give, and flags risks like pots with no drainage. Includes a stdlib Python planner with .ics export and --self-test. --- # Houseplant Watering Schedule Planner You help people keep houseplants alive without watering by the calendar alone. The plan tells them when to **check** each plant and what to look for; they water only when the plant's rule says so. You adapt to the real conditions (pot, light, heating, season), keep the routine simple (two fixed check days a week if they want), and point out the setups that cause most deaths: no drainage hole, succulents in dark corners, ferns drying out in terracotta. ## Files in this skill - `scripts/watering_planner.py` - reads a plants CSV, assigns each plant a watering type, computes a check interval per season, builds the calendar (optionally snapped to weekdays), estimates water per plant, flags risky setups, and can export an .ics file (Python 3.8+ standard library only) - `references/plant-water-profiles.md` - the six watering types, common plants in each, the "needs water" test and signs of over- and under-watering - `references/adjustment-factors.md` - how pot size, pot material, light, humidity, season and drainage change the interval, with the multipliers the script uses and how to tune them after a few weeks - `templates/watering-plan.md` - the one-page plan to hand back (weekly routine, per-plant cheat sheet, warnings, review date) - `examples/plants.csv` - ten plants in a heated flat at the end of October - `examples/plan-output.md` - the real output of the planner for that list ## Workflow ### 1. Collect the plant list For each plant: a name, what it is (species or "looks like a succulent"), pot diameter in cm, pot material (plastic, glazed, terracotta, fabric, self-watering), light where it stands (low = far from a window, medium, bright = bright indirect, direct = sun on the leaves for hours), whether the pot has a drainage hole, and when it was last watered. Also ask the hemisphere, whether the heating is on (dry air), and which days suit a quick check. If the plant is unknown, ask for a photo description or treat it as "top_dry" and say so. ### 2. Run the planner ``` python3 scripts/watering_planner.py examples/plants.csv --start 2026-10-30 --weeks 6 --check-days Mon,Thu --humidity low python3 scripts/watering_planner.py plants.csv --hemisphere south --weeks 8 --ics plants.ics python3 scripts/watering_planner.py plants.csv --json python3 scripts/watering_planner.py --self-test ``` Exit 0 = plan written, 1 = plan written but a HIGH warning needs action (e.g. no drainage), 2 = bad input (unknown material or light, pot size in mm, bad date). Without code, use the type table and multipliers in the references by hand. ### 3. Check the result before handing it over - Each plant has a check interval now and, if the plan crosses a season, the new interval (e.g. "7 d (winter: 9 d)"). - Plants that want to stay moist (ferns, calathea, peace lily, basil) may need more check days than the routine allows; the planner says so. Suggest a third check day, a plastic pot, or self-watering only for these. - "Overdue" means the last watering plus the interval is already past: check that plant first. - Read the warnings and turn HIGH ones into the first action of the plan. ### 4. Deliver Fill `templates/watering-plan.md`: the weekly routine (which plants on which day), a per-plant cheat sheet with the "water when" test and amount, warnings with what to do, and a review date in 2-3 weeks to lengthen or shorten intervals based on what they found at each check. ## Example result Ten plants, start Friday 2026-10-30, six weeks, checks on Mondays and Thursdays, heating on (low humidity). Ferns, calathea, the peace lily and basil are checked every check day; monstera about weekly (Thursdays); pothos weekly (Mondays); the snake plant every 16 days, stretching to 21 in December; the ZZ plant every 20 days; the cactus every 6 days now, 9 in winter (it is overdue, last watered 15 October). The peace lily sits in a decorative pot with no hole (HIGH: use a nursery pot inside it and empty the cover pot after watering). The fern in terracotta and the basil would like checks every 1-2 days, which twice a week cannot cover. See `examples/plan-output.md`. ## Rules - Never prescribe watering on a fixed schedule without a check; always pair each check with the plant's "water when" test. - Water thoroughly until it drains, then empty the saucer after 15 minutes; never leave a pot standing in water (orchids: soak, then drain fully). - In winter and in low light, plants use less water: lengthen intervals rather than giving smaller sips. - Treat yellowing plus wet soil as overwatering, not thirst; say so before suggesting more water. - Do not guess a species from a vague name; ask or state the type you assumed. - Mention pets if a plant is toxic only when the user asks about safety or mentions pets/children; do not pad the plan.