Smart Indoor Mini Herb Garden 2.0 | ESP32 Automated

Keeping indoor herbs alive shouldn't require constant attention. The Smart Garden 2.0 is a 3D-printable, fully autonomous indoor planter driven by an ESP32.

It uses a custom touch interface, fetches real-time data via WiFi (with automatic Summer/Winter time adjustments), and manages your lighting cycles perfectly. The watering system relies entirely on basic physics (the bird-feeder principle and capillary action)—meaning zero power consumption for irrigation and absolute silence. 

Videos: 

✨ Key Features

• Custom Touch UI: 2.8" ILI9341 display to manually override light, pump, or air cycles and configure timers directly on the device.

• Zero-Power Irrigation: Uses atmospheric pressure to auto-level the water tray and capillary action to hydrate the soil.

• Smart Time Sync: Uses NTP via WiFi to keep schedules accurate, completely eliminating the need for mechanical timers.

• Webserver: To track all logfiles and set everything up from the phone or laptop

• Full Automatic Mode: keep your plants/herbs nurtured 24/7

• Silent Mode: 08:00-22:00: pump and air supply is shut off

• Two Sizes Available: Includes the original big version and a compact 250mm version to fit all standard 3D printer beds (Bambu Lab, Creality, etc.).

🛒 Bill of Materials (BOM)

This project runs entirely on a single 5V power ecosystem.

• Microcontroller & Display: Display, for ESP32 dev board with WiFi Bluetooth, 2.8" 240 * 320 LCD Display, Intellegent TFT Modul Touchscreen

• Power Control: 3x F5305S MOSFET Modules (Used as solid-state relays/switches)

• Lighting: 5V LED Plant Grow Light Bar

• Pump: 5V Mini Water Pump 

• Air Supply: 5V Mini Air Pump

• Power Supply: 5V DC Power Adapter (Ensure sufficient amperage, e.g., 3A or more, to handle the LED and pumps simultaneously)

• Water Reservoir: Any rigid PET plastic bottle

• Tubing: Standard silicone aquarium tubing

• Wick: Self-watering wick, capillary wicking cord

• USB C port: 2-Wire USB-C Socket with Snap-Fit Tab

• USB C Adapter: 180-degree adapter, USB-C male to USB-C female

• USB C Adapter 2: 5V 3A USB-C to 2-Pin Solder-Free Adapter, Type-C Male to 2-Pin

• Waterproof double sided tape: to secure tubes and air outlet in the water reservoir

• Zip tie holder:  to secure tubes and air outlet in the water reservoir

• Fuses: 5 x panel mount fuse holders, glass tube fuse kit (0.5A 1A 2A 3A 5A)

• Woodrods: 2x 8mm wood rods 

• Zipties 

🔌 Wiring Guide

Since everything runs on 5V, you can distribute the main power directly to the ESP32 and the MOSFETs. Keep your wiring clean and insulate your connections.

🛡 Safety & Fuse Guide (Individual Overcurrent Protection)

To make this build as safe as possible, each of the four main power branches is individually protected by a dedicated fuse. This ensures that a stalled pump motor or a moisture-induced short circuit will only blow its specific fuse without shutting down or damaging the ESP32 microcontroller.

🛠 Assembly Instructions

1. Print the Parts and Assemble everything 

first video can help a little bit, more videos should be comming… 

• Choose either the 270mm or the 250mm print profile depending on your printer.

• Material: PETG is highly recommended for moisture resistance.

• Settings: Use min 4 wall loops for parts that need to be watertight

2. Electronics & Soldering

• Split your incoming 5V power line to feed the ESP32 (VIN pin) and the input terminals of all three F5305S MOSFET modules.

• Wire the outputs of the three MOSFET modules to your 5V LED Bar, 5V Pump, and 5V Air pump respectively.

• Connect the signal pins of the MOSFETs and the display to the ESP32 according to the Wiring Guide above. Keep your ground wires tied together to prevent signal noise.

3. Setting up the Passive Water System

• Fill the main 3D-printed water tray.

• Fill your external water bottle completely and submerge one end of the silicone tubing with the capillary wick into it. Ensure the seal at the top of the bottle is 100% airtight.

• Place the other end of the tube with the wick into the water tray below your desired water line. Atmospheric pressure will now hold the water in the bottle and release it bubble-by-bubble as the plants drink.

4. Software Upload

• Copy the Code provided in the .zip SmartGarden_v2.txt file in the Arduino IDE.

• Install the required libraries (Adafruit_ILI9341, Adafruit_GFX, XPT2046_Touchscreen, NTPClient).

• Update the ssid and password variables at the top of the code with your WiFi credentials.

• Select "ESP32 Dev Module" in your board manager and hit Upload.

💻 The Code

Is in the rawmaterial download section in the choosen .zip file 

Other models used: 

https://makerworld.com/de/models/799248-home-assistant-desk-mount-esp32-ili9341#profileId-738966

https://makerworld.com/de/models/1769755-barbed-l-connector-for-1-4-6-3mm-id-tubing#profileId-1883881 

⚠ Disclaimer: 

Build at your own risk! This is a DIY project involving water and electrical components. Rebuilding this Smart Garden is done completely at your own risk. I take no responsibility and am strictly not liable for any damages, injuries, water leaks, short circuits, or fires that may occur as a result of assembling or operating this device. The files and code are provided for educational purposes only. Always double-check your wiring and ensure your electronics are kept safely away from the water reservoir.