Buzz
Although gardening is all about enjoying nature, using technology doesn’t detract from the experience. In fact, it can enhance it, as you won’t need to juggle papers or books when everything you need is on your phone or tablet. While I’ve long used spreadsheets to track plants in seed trays and even Adobe Illustrator to design garden layouts, I was initially hesitant to embrace gardening apps. I had been waiting for the “perfect” app that would do it all and that I’d be willing to pay for. Instead, I ended up using several different apps for various gardening tasks, depending on what I need at the time.
The top free plant identification tool
It never fails to surprise me how many friends send me photos of plants asking me to identify them, because more often than not, I’m just as stumped. In my own garden, I turn to a plant ID app, and I rely on Plantnet regularly. It’s rarely let me down in identifying plants, even from poor-quality images, and it provides instant access to details about each plant. Plus, you can use it offline, so no need for a signal.
ADHD-Friendly Succession Planting
Succession planting, which involves sowing crops at regular intervals so they’re ready for harvest at different times rather than all at once, can be a challenge for anyone. For me, keeping track of when to plant, when to harvest, and sticking to the plan requires constant reminders. While Seedtime is marketed as a comprehensive garden management app, I mainly use it for its succession planting feature. You could achieve similar results with spreadsheets, Google Calendar, and your own research, but Seedtime does most of the hard work for you by creating a personalized calendar based on your chosen crops. There are paid options, but the free plan offers plenty, including one planting calendar. Upgrading to a paid tier allows you to use Seedtime as a gardening journal and track data like yields and germination rates.
Avoid Overcrowding in Your Garden Beds
Many gardeners, myself included, tend to buy or grow too many seedlings, which often leads to overcrowded garden beds. It’s tempting when the plants are tiny, and the beds seem sparse. Apps like Planter help you understand the space each plant needs, as their sizes vary, with some growing vertically while others spread out horizontally. This app helps you visualize the true capacity of your beds and manage spacing realistically. Like Seedtime, Planter aims to be a one-stop app for your gardening needs, including a growing calendar. However, I find Seedtime excels at that feature, while Planter is better suited for planning bed layouts. Planter starts at around $1/month, but its free plan covers most of what you’ll need.
Companion Planting Made Easy
Over time, you'll discover which crops thrive when planted together and, just as importantly, which ones should never be interplanted. While there are helpful charts that show these pairings, they're not easy to consult when you're in the garden. That’s where the Seed to Spoon app comes in. From the garden, I can quickly search for a specific plant and get details on companion plants and those to avoid, as well as other useful growing tips. The app also offers handy reminders on what to plant now and what’s coming up soon, but its main strength is as a reference for interplanting. Seed to Spoon is free to use, but for $47 a year, you can unlock additional features, like an AI garden assistant.
Utilize Free Online Gardening Tools
Although it’s not an app, Johnny Seeds offers a variety of free tools that are invaluable for gardeners. I rely on the seed quantity calculator to determine how many seeds or starts I need based on the space I have available. They also offer a seed planting scheduler that helps with calculations based on frost dates. Take some time to explore their range of planning, growing, and harvesting tools. Another great free resource is Gardenate, an online tool that tells you what to plant in your area right now, and whether to sow seeds directly or plant seedlings.
