Smart Tree Care Saves Time and Money in Felixstowe

In many towns across the UK, council-maintained trees planted in large planters along high streets and public spaces face a common challenge: they need regular watering, but the resources to check on them are limited.

In Felixstowe, a council gardener was spending significant time driving between sites just to check whether trees needed water. Each trip cost fuel, took up valuable hours, and often turned out to be unnecessary — the soil was still damp from the last visit or recent rain.

The LoRaWAN Solution

By installing LoRaWAN-enabled soil moisture sensors in the planters, the gardener now receives live readings on the Steward of Things platform. The sensors transmit data wirelessly over long range and at low power, meaning they can run for years on a single battery.

Now, instead of guessing or relying on a fixed schedule, the gardener checks the dashboard each morning. If the moisture level in a planter drops below a threshold, the system flags it. If it's fine, there's no need to visit.

Results

• Fewer unnecessary trips — saving fuel, mileage, and time
• Healthier trees — watering happens when it's actually needed
• Better data — the gardener can now see trends over time, like which planters dry out faster
• Scalable — new sensors can be added to more planters as the network grows

This kind of smart, sensor-driven stewardship is exactly what Steward of Things was built for: helping people care for the things that matter, with less guesswork and more insight.