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Gardening apps
Birdy13
Posts: 595
Has anyone any experience of using gardening apps? I would be interested in any apps that could make easier things like plant, weed and mini-beast recognition, garden design, keeping gardening records and diary, organising regimes for watering, feeding, plant care, soil types etc
I know our forum members can usually help with most of those sorts of questions but having it all to hand stored on one’s phone or iPad could be so convenient.
I have found quite a few apps to choose from in the App Store but the reviews often show there are pitfalls - like getting a lot of annoying adverts, inability of some recognition apps to recognise some of the most common plants not to mention not-upfront fees.
If anyone has come across a particularly useful and clever app that combines some or all of the above I would appreciate the feedback.
I know our forum members can usually help with most of those sorts of questions but having it all to hand stored on one’s phone or iPad could be so convenient.
I have found quite a few apps to choose from in the App Store but the reviews often show there are pitfalls - like getting a lot of annoying adverts, inability of some recognition apps to recognise some of the most common plants not to mention not-upfront fees.
If anyone has come across a particularly useful and clever app that combines some or all of the above I would appreciate the feedback.
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Posts
I use Plantnet. I use it as a resource along with my gardening books, this forum and the internet. So far it has been rather accurate and is a help.
An example, i started cutting back a massive Elderflower tree. It was massive when we moved into this house and was just getting bigger and bigger. As I was cutting back, i found another tree. I am not good at trees and when it flowered I knew it was some kind of fruit tree. I used the app and it confirmed it was a plum tree.
Anything vaguely technological can seem like the very antithesis of the tranquil natural activity of gardening. But even experienced and skilled gardeners learnt their wisdom from somewhere - fellow gardeners, books. Remember those? In the Middle Ages some people thought even books were a bad idea.
Nowadays we still have all those as support but the added technology can just help us learn quicker. I had no idea how to proceed with the garden after my wife died because it was she who had the gardening experience. That was 8 years ago, and since then I have learnt from books, friends, relatives and good old trial and error, yes, but also through this very forum which is surely a sort of app - all through the grace of modern technology, a bit like a living electronically interactive gardening encyclopaedia.
What originally led to my enquiry was that the other day I was wondering what a certain plant was in my garden. That is always happening. So I asked a neighbour who knows quite a bit about plants. I saw her photograph the plant and immediately give me a possible match. She explained, it was a plant identification app she had on her phone.
I was quite excited to think about this. Until then I never knew such a thing was possible. Now I do and since Purplerose’s useful answer (above) I have identified several mystery plants in my garden using Plantnet with my iPad.
Thank you Purplerose.
I think I could still benefit from the other features I was asking about: e.g.an app for garden design (I’ve seen Joe Swift use one); an app to help keep a diary or gardening records; and one to help organise regimes for watering, feeding, plant care etc.
I’m now quite converted to technology - it gives me more time to enjoy the garden, real gardening you might say - so if there are any more helpful answers out there I’d be very grateful.
I use MyRHS which is free for RHS members. Again, not an app, a website.
I find it is a good app, especially when out and about and a mystery plant catches your eye. Easy to use to identify. I am pleased that you have found Plantnet useful.