Strange spot on a leaf? Scan your way to a fast diagnosis
A spot, a hole, a white film — and you have no idea what's going on. Rootivo's photo scan gives you a first hunch in seconds, instead of helplessly googling.
In high summer the bed gets busy: powdery mildew settles on zucchini leaves, aphids cluster under the shoot tips, and the odd seedling looks so different from what you expected that you’re no longer sure what’s even growing. Instead of comparing image searches for an hour, you simply point the camera at it. The photo scan is a Plus feature — you get ten free scans a month and can top up if you need more.
What the photo scan actually does
The photo scan has two separate modes, and you pick which one you need before each scan.
The first mode identifies the plant: you photograph a leaf or a whole shoot and get a shortlist with the most likely species plus a confidence rating. The second mode checks plant health: it looks for signs of disease or pests and tells you what it spotted. Each scan uses one of your free credits — no matter the mode.
Mode 1: What’s even growing here?
On a balcony it happens fast: a pot from an old sowing, a self-grown seedling, a swap-market find — and you’ve lost track of what’s actually in there.
You start the identification mode from the camera icon at the top of the encyclopedia tab. Hold the camera close to a typical leaf, ideally against a calm background. If the scan finds a species that’s also in the encyclopedia, one tap takes you to its profile with location, care and matching companions.
Mode 2: The health check in high summer
Late June is peak season for fungi and aphids. That’s exactly what the second mode is for.
You reach the health check from the care card. Photograph the affected spot as sharply as you can — the white film on a zucchini leaf, the curled shoot tip, the browning edge. The scan tells you whether the plant looks healthy or which problems it suspects, and points you in a direction. That way you find out faster whether you’re dealing with powdery mildew, aphids or simply sunscald.
Your photos stay your photos
One point that matters to a lot of people: Rootivo does not store your scan photo.
The image is only processed for the analysis and isn’t kept in the app afterwards. The only thing logged is that you used a scan — for your free monthly quota. So you can take a blurry test shot without worry, without a gallery filling up inside the app.
How to make your scan result more reliable
The quality of the photo decides the quality of the answer. A few small habits make the scan noticeably more accurate.
Shoot in daylight, but not in harsh midday sun — hard shadows confuse the recognition. Get close and fill the frame with the leaf instead of capturing half the plant. For diseases it helps to check both the top and the underside of an affected leaf, because many aphids and fungi sit underneath first. And hold the camera steady: one sharp photo beats three blurry ones.
The scan is the starting point, not the last word
As handy as the quick diagnosis is — treat it as a first suspicion, not a final verdict.
An artificial intelligence can be wrong, especially with early symptoms or several problems at once. Take the result as a signpost and then look more closely yourself: does the damage pattern match what you see in the bed? The plant encyclopedia lists the typical pests and diseases for many species, along with organic countermeasures — the ideal next step once the scan has pointed you in a direction.