Spade, check. Pitchfork, check. App, check.
The buds are popping and the weather is getting warmer. It’s time to start spending time out in the garden. Before you stick your hands in the dirt, though, it’s a good idea to have a plan. Planter: Garden Planner is an app that can help you design a garden that fits your needs and space.
I downloaded the free version and it seems to have enough tools and information for my needs. You can upgrade to the premium version to unlock more plants, the ability to add notes and save multiple garden plans. There are two options for upgrading: a subscription plan that costs a dollar a month, or a lifetime purchase for $50.
As the name implies, the app assists you in planning your garden. You start by putting in the dimensions of the plot you plan to cultivate and the app generates a grid of squares. Each square represents 1 square foot. You’re limited to rectangular shapes, so if you have an irregular plot you want to work with, you can make a grid that encompasses the entire plot and ignore the squares that fall outside it.
Next you need to pick the plants that you want in your garden. The app has a selection of more than 80 common fruits, vegetables, flowers and types of produce. The selection of edible plants is probably good enough for most gardeners, but the flower selection is limited to just 14 species. You can sort the gallery by the category the plants are in or by the names of the plants.
Colorful illustrations are used instead of photos in the plant gallery, which gives the app a playful aesthetic. When you select a plant, a page opens with photos, a description, and information about its space, sun, water and climate needs. There’s also a calendar that tells you when to plant it.
Scroll down the page and you’ll find even more information. Different varieties of the plant are described and there are lists of plants that it does well near and plants to avoid planting by it. The app shows pests and diseases the plant is susceptible to, as well as bugs and birds that are beneficial to it. There are also instructions about planting, growing, feeding, harvesting and storing the plant.
Once you pick a plant you can drag it into your garden. Each plant has different spacing needs. For instance, the app indicates you can plant four strawberry bushes in a square foot, but a tomato plant takes up 4 square feet. When you drop a plant in your garden it will automatically take up the correct amount of space. You can drag plants to different squares on the grid, but it displaces any plants that were already there, so you’ll have to “replant” them. There is an undo button if you move something and decide you liked it better where it was.
In addition to the calendar featured with each plant, there’s a comprehensive calendar that lists all the plants either by category or name. It tells you when to start them inside, when to transplant them, when to sow them outside and when to harvest them.
There’s also a Guide section that features links to online articles covering gardening issues.
The More button contains additional features, including Seed Box, which lets you create an inventory of the seeds you have, including when and where you got them, how many you have and any notes you want to add.
The last feature is the Settings section. Here you can enter your location so the app can adjust calendars to your local climate. You can also customize the look of the app, view tutorials, check out the FAQ section and make requests for more plants or features.
The app’s interface is intuitive and easy to use. The background features a colorful animated illustration of a serene garden with trees swaying, clouds drifting by, butterflies flitting about and a cat napping in the sun. Access to the site’s features are on a menu bar going down the left side of the screen.
This app won’t be the only tool you need to plan your garden, but it’s useful and will complement other resources you use.
