How to Use the Garden Planner to Plan Your Garden

[@GrowVeg]

For anyone looking for the link to the new Garden Planner, you can create a free 7-day trial here: www.growveg.com/garden-planner-intro.aspx

[@barbaravance6774]

Question, What is the difference between the Annual subscription cost and the 1 year subscription ? Usually annual means 1 year in most of them.

[@gretchenbell9340]

@@barbaravance6774 it means that you have to pay for it annually. Not just a one time purchase.

[@Conny-tk8md]

Wish I had known about this before backing SEEDTIME on Kickstarter.

[@foodgrowers1531]

This is the answer to managing 35 raised beds and 82 growing pots with 10 volunteers at a food bank garden. Visually easy to follow. Captures data for the following year. Keeps the seeds that worked in one system. Takes all management off one person's shoulders. I was trying to do it with Google Docs - then I found THIS and the angels sang...

[@GrowVeg]

So delighted to hear you are finding the Garden Planner so useful.

[@mindyweaver9279]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! Had given up and decided I wasn't going to try using this planner again after 2 years of ditching it early in the planning season because of how slow and unreliable the interface had been. It took me forever to get anything added, I was limited to what i could do, and trying to make changes was a nightmare. I didn't have time for the constant reloads and Adobe loosing my changes midway through. I needed a tool that was reliable and fast, that was a time saver rather than a time sucker. I am so glad you have made the great improvements with the new version!! Now, finally, this works like the planner I had always wished for!!

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you love it Mindy. Thanks for sticking with us. We're so pleased with the new version.

[@JonathanWendt1986]

Just about to start my vegetable plot in my rather small garden as recently moved. This is perfect. It's clear so much thought has gone into this.

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you're impressed with it Jonathan. :-)

[@folee_edge]

This application is amazing - I bought it when I started my first serious garden in this region, and I found it to be indispensible. Fast forward to now, and I can view it on my mobile device while in the garden. I can make notes in the journal, and come inside to adjust my plan. Once it has touch capability, this will become the perfect gardening tool...so in less than a year, my subscription will allow me to year-round garden! Subbed for life!

[@GrowVeg]

That's super to hear - thanks for sharing your experiences of the Garden Planner. :-)

[@TheAdamballah]

I still recommend the lock feature for things you don't want to move. so that you cant select it by accident. also it would be great to have an advanced tab with more setting so not to confuse people who want a basic setup. Looks great so far.

[@GrowVeg]

Many thanks for these suggestions Adam, it's very much appreciated. We'll consider these for future upgrades.

[@austinalley6036]

@@GrowVeg does the garden planner have any use for planning a winter garden or rather overwintering plants? For a late fall winter and early spring harvest?

[@jiveelephant9985]

I did the 7-day free trial and am extremely impressed. What a tremendously useful tool. A few suggestions for features that could make it even better. First, a tool that would display shadows caused by the sun based on object heights entered by users. Second, the ability to add labels to identify objects (e.g., shed, path, bed #1, bed #2). Third, the ability to add plants in SFG mode by clicking and dragging, similar to how it is done in regular mode. Fourth, the addition of an icons for a house and for a geodesic dome type greenhouse. Just some thoughts on how to enhance an already great tool. Cheers!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much for your suggestions, very much appreciated. :-)

[@monikapancek7538]

Genius idea! I just started 7 day trial, it will help me so much, I love it!!

[@GrowVeg]

That's wonderful to hear Monika. :-)

[@Haze1434]

I've used it previously, in it's old form, and have to say that it is the best garden planner I've used, for sure. The improvements you've made appear to be great, too. Nice one!

[@jeremy-dore]

Thanks! We appreciate the feedback!

[@operarter]

WOOOOW THANK YOU ! THIS LOOKS LIKE A DREAM FOR ANY GARDENER!

[@rhonda-t4587]

Whoo hoo!! So excited to finally use the updated version, I have been using the Garden Planner for years... so much better than the soggy paper grids of yesteryear!!!

[@mhmdvanshrekka7444]

Can i add autocad file to garden planner and how?

[@marylaw4327]

Looking at this Ben, do enjoy your gardening on You Tube, our garden looked very "neat" when we bought our house BUT loads of Roundup had been used so everything I planted died, North coast of Scottish Highlands, loving it, and a compost heap about 35 foot long, (full of Victorian bed springs) so I have a little cart to bring that down to use, lots of cleaning up work but have a scribble jotter to take notes.I'm a 78 year old thug, but live with 2 children, one loves the soil and greenery, and a son who does not, but he's great at moving stones/and all wood work/electrics etc.we will enjoy our journey , Thank You Ben

[@GrowVeg]

Sounds like you are doing great things up there Mary - great job! Love the north coast of Scotland!

[@montanadivacreations9267]

I had the older version and happy to have renewed to the new and improved one.. planning my Montana garden now.. May 20th as I watch it snow outside my window.. LOL I LOVE that you have SFG Mode.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for renewing. If it's any consolation we have had perpetual rain and temperatures peeking at around 50-55F for the last month - not sure what's going on here either!

[@claireromito5682]

We use this for our veg garden and it is just super! ❤

[@wildearthling]

Wonderful! Please add more perennial plants, trees and bushes for us permaculturists and food foresters! 💚

[@GrowVeg]

Thank you. We have opted to keep the plant selection reasonably streamlined - you can add bespoke crop choices as necessary. But thank you for your suggestion, which we will certainly consider for future updates.

[@WesD85]

I use this software for my garden and my allotment and I love it. Wouldn't be without it now. Great.

[@jessechristopherson4334]

Just bought a subscription today, what a great program.

[@GrowVeg]

That's awesome to hear Jesse - thanks so much for the feedback!

[@janicealderson4329]

Dear Ben - it is 6th July and I have just harvested 3 pieces of corn! Fabulous, I kept the ants away with a mix of sugar, bicarb and boron substitute (I couldn't get boron) mixing it all up into old plastic cream cartons with holes in; for ants to get into it. Last year the ants ate the lot. I got the corn out in late April and by June it was showing and went so fast. I now realise that I can keep picking it! I have so much this year - have been at it now for 2and a half years - waiting for a canner now as loads of cougettes!

[@GrowVeg]

Wow, that seems incredibly fast! Well done! I’m sure you will enjoy it. :-)

[@annmoy8932]

This is amazing! Thanks so much for sharing this new and improved planner. Will definitely try it out!

[@donlussi2424]

What a great Christmas present to us! Thank you!

[@stevenstroud1379]

The garden planner is legit the best thing you have earned my paid subscription to it and sub to youtube fantastic

[@GrowVeg]

Nice one Steven! That's really great to hear. :-)

[@olf777f]

Just started the garden planner, fab, i cant remember how many times i have measured up my allotment, you would think i wouldve written it down somewhere

[@GrowVeg]

Write it down next time! :-)

[@rawfoodelectric]

Wish the garden planner was a software I could just buy once

[@clevoloki55]

Traditional, “single buy” software is becoming outmoded. By hosting the program on their own servers the developers are able to control the functionality/improvements of the program much more effectively, rather than having to struggle to make sure it runs properly on all manner of continuously evolving systems. Especially when catering to a small market (garden planners), it is more cost effective to run a subscription model, and the program itself is more likely to operate consistently properly.

[@GrowVeg]

That's right - by subscribing you can be sure of continuous updates that keep the Garden Planner fresh and working effectively.

[@wyosundancer]

It is well worth the annual subscription. In the few years I have been using it; it has improved dramatically. The companion plants alone are worth several times the annual fee. I used to have to look up each plant individually on a list I had compiled.

[@FourSeasons04]

Yep, I would prefer a software version too. You can always check for updates at anytime.

[@BuddysBeats]

They could offer one at a premium perhaps. But the other commenters are right. Selling software that way is no longer efficient. If you pay a monthly fee it allows the team at GrowVeg to constantly be improving the application. Like they recently did with the update version. If you add up the hidden costs of windows or mac os you've paid for in computers over the years you'd be flabbergasted. Trust me it's really an affordable price relative to the work they put in, and the value you can get out of it.

[@frbl5552]

Brilliant! Well done. Can’t wait to get started.

[@WDWormsnGarden]

Just got some ideas for my garden after watching this. Nice planner, thanks for sharing.

[@sowenchantedirishkitchenga8282]

Excited to start this tomorrow, I had hope to do it last growing year but things went crazy 😝 so tomorrow I will be. Fantastic planner and fantastic channel 💚 Geri

[@DrProfDoctor]

I'm interested to hear how it worked for you!

[@sowenchantedirishkitchenga8282]

@@DrProfDoctor sadly I didn’t do much last year as my Dad passed away his anniversary is this Friday. I have huge plans for this year and I’m going to start the planner at the end of the month 🙏 onwards and upwards 💚

[@kylarc5068]

Just preordered your book. Love your videos, thanks!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much - I hope you enjoy it. :-)

[@MsSamchester]

This looks like an amazing resource! Well done and thank you! I'll be investing when it comes to planning my garden in the coming year.

[@GrowVeg]

We're sure you'll love it!

[@C...G...]

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!! :-)

[@kikigamble4315]

Hi. Glad for updates. MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours

[@GrowVeg]

Same to you!

[@JackieGreen71]

I am sooo happy with the updated version

[@GrowVeg]

Yey!

[@timothymichael6549]

WOW! This is so cool, It's like the Revit of garden - yes I am an architect.

[@GrowVeg]

Brilliant Timothy, thank you. Give it a whirl - it's rather compulsive once you get into it!

[@mhmdvanshrekka7444]

@@GrowVeg can i add autocad file to this appand how

[@ler5299]

Looking forward to trying this! Thank you!

[@shellyfish4903]

I've just started the 7-day trial and have some points. I think it's a great idea and the subscription cost isn't bad. There's some issues I've had though which maybe already have fixes to which I'm not aware. 1. Paths: they are standard width and can't adjust that, only the length. So if I want to mark a path that is much narrower it won't let me. 2. When using on a laptop rather than desktop the size of the screen is much smaller. However the webpage doesn't allow for scrolling up and down in the menu section, only the grid plan can be moved. Only solution is to zoom out to about -50 to see all menu options but even then the writing is tiny. 3. This is a silly point but, there's no option for woodchip 😅 4. When placing a background layout of grass/path of you put something else like beds, pots or other shapes on top they get pushed "behind" the grass if you click on it again. Some of these may be just me learning to use the program so if you have some work-arounds do let me know :)

[@GrowVeg]

Hi there Shelly - thanks for subscribing to the Garden Planner - I hope you'll find it really useful. In answer to your points. 1. Paths: That's right, they're only a set width. If you would like to create a narrower path width then I would suggest going to the shapes option (the cube shape to the left-hand side of your plan) and selecting the filled rectangle shape, which can then be stretched to whatever shape you'd like. You can then select the fill color/texture accordingly, selecting a paving option in the Solid Shape Fill Textures' if you wish. 2. The menu of plants/shapes etc. on the left of the screen is scrollable - you should be able to use your mouse to scroll up and down. Look to the immediate right of the, say, the plant options for the scroll bar. 3. Hey, good point! I use 'Soil - Clay' option in the Solid Shape Fill Textures as my alternative for showing wood chip, but maybe we need a dedicated fill shape texture. I will pass this on to our development team. 4. Yes, you need to either adjust the area of grass, in your example, before placing the bed. Or be sure not to select the grass option again such that it obscures what you've added. This is because the last thing you select becomes dominant, and if it's bigger than the object that was on top of it, it will obscure it until that object is selected again. I hope that makes sense!

[@Ath33na]

Point 3 is not silly.... I need it too *winks*

[@flyingcod14]

Going to try this l normally just use MS PowerPoint to record produce in my veg beds.

[@sarahwade3976]

Oh these updates are fantastic!!

[@d5husky]

Would be really nice setting the ground period even for the frames like greenhouse or shading clothes, which are not stable. I have to create 3 raised bed instead of one because is missing this feature

[@reggie5]

I think you could emphasise the fact that it is also usable on mobiles. Sure, it can be a bit fiddly at times, but no more so than most photo/video editing apps I use. In fact, it works well, with a few things missing, but I've just planned out my patio garden in just about an hour and it has injected a useful dose of realism re. spacing, as well as giving reassurance and hope that I may have a chance of fitting in everything I want to.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for this Reggie. Great to hear it's worked for you like that. :-)

[@elegantsufficiency2866]

This sounds brilliant, I'm going to give it a try as the subscription is very affordable. I'm about to go into my second growing year and was going to make my plan on an excel spreadsheet (last year I just sketched out on a notepad) but this will save me so much time. I use a mix of traditional and SFG spacing, and I'm trying to get into successional planting so this will meet all of my needs. I'll let you know how I get on! 💚

[@GrowVeg]

Please do, we'd love to know how you get on. The Garden Planner should be ideal for you since it can manage both SFG and traditional spacing on the same plan. Have fun!

[@elegantsufficiency2866]

@@GrowVeg so far so good! I measured my garden on Google maps and drew it all out on you planner. I've had success with adding new varieties and editing spacing and sowing guides. I've yet to figure out how to set the SFG tiles at an angle (my garden is a triangle) but otherwise it's doing what I need.

[@laurag.p.]

@@elegantsufficiency2866 how do you edit the spacing, please? Also, how do you set the SFG tiles? Thank you

[@emeraldknotts37]

Love this program, so fun to use! I had a question though. If we are vertical gardening would something like cucumbers still take up as much space as provided in the planner?

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, the Planner assumes these climbing vegetables are grown in that way - rather than left to sprawl. So ideally you'd still leave the appropriate space between plants. That said you could still plant things at the foot of these climbers with some success.

[@oootoob]

Finally, thank you for finally ditching Adobe Flash player!

[@alfrednewman292]

Agree totally, I'm finally able to move the app from my Windows machine to my Linux machine that will never have Flash. I have tested the new app and it is great.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much for the endorsement Alfred. We're pretty pleased with it too. :-)

[@alfrednewman292]

@@GrowVeg Some interesting new features and some radical new methods of doing things but so worth it to get away from Adobe Flash and isolate my old windows machine from the net.

[@wizel10]

What's the the between annual and 1 year subscription? I saw different cost but no details. Is it annual a renewable cost,while annual is a one time only?

[@therearenohandlesleft1]

Yeah annual renews every year whereas the 1 year subscription doesn’t automatically renew, that’s the only difference.

[@ar007r]

You should add a feature to predict sunlight. You could have size of things like fences, houses, trees and the direction of the sunlight to predict hours of sunlight. You could add in plant heights to predict how to arrange plants so that they are shaded by others properly so that intercropping can be planned for. Looking forward to continued improvements to this software

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks Adam - I'll forward that suggestion on to our developers.

[@NightOwlMedia]

Are you able to walk around the garden with your cellphone and make adjustments right there in the garden, or can you only do it inside on a computer? Would be extremely helpful if you can make changes as you perform them on the spot using your cellphone

[@rudimentalgardening]

I believe there is supposed to be a companion mobile app for this, but not sure if it is available yet. I know they are still developing features for this.

[@whatisgoingonineedtoknow.]

Oh great, another useful app but also used as a tracking device of you and your data.

[@rudimentalgardening]

@@whatisgoingonineedtoknow. Simple, don't install it if that is your concern.

[@GrowVeg]

You can't adjust the plan of your garden on a cellphone due to the small screen size (although iPad compatibility is coming soon). However, you can use the accompanying Garden Journal on a smartphone to record everything that's going on in your garden - notes, photos, planting harvesting etc and that will all show up in the Garden Planner so you can learn from your experiences.

[@TheModernCanary]

@growveg can you define what "soon" means for iPad? As in this growing season?

[@gabriellanassif4919]

Hello! It seems in a previous version, one was able to create curved garden beds. Has that functionality been removed? I love the look of curved beds!

[@GrowVeg]

You can indeed still do this. Just go to Shapes in the left-hand column, then select the line option. You can then use the middle point to flex the line into a curved shape. This way you can create bespoke beds and other garden objects with curves.

[@gabriellanassif4919]

@@GrowVeg Thank you so much for your answer! I actually discovered the line tool this morning as I was exploring the software. It is quite handy! If the more complex shapes are drawn with lines, is it possible at all to group them? That way, I don't have to select each line if I need to move the bed around. Additionally, do you know of any way to align and / or distribute beds with equal spacing between? (I am used to working in Photoshop for my job, so those are some instinctive things I found myself looking for.) Thanks! :)

[@Stephydamour]

It's great, I've been using it for a while but I really struggle to navigate on the plan on iPad. Do you have a tutorial for it? Or can you do one for the old souls please? 😁

[@GrowVeg]

We don't have a tutorial on using it on the iPad yet - but that's a great idea. Please do get in touch with the customer services team if you have any problems with it - they're always very happy to help and respond quickly: www.growveg.com/contact.aspx

[@tonipollack5021]

Is there and ETA for tablets? I keep mine with me in the garden and comes in very handy for notes and changes.

[@GrowVeg]

We already have some experimental support in the new Garden Planner for iPads and some Android tablets if you have a bluetooth mouse or trackpad connected to it. Touch support will be coming soon and is a high priority for us, so it should be ready within the first half of 2021. Our free Garden Journal already works on phones, iPads and tablets and you can add notes, photos, planting and harvesting information while you’re in the garden.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

Hello, just using this for the 1st time today… I wonder if there is a way to set the spacing of plants… for example I’d like to have a more generous spacing in tomatoes due to blight being such an issue where I live

[@GrowVeg]

Yes indeed there is. Just double click on the plant you want to set the spacing for, in this case tomatoes (once they have been laid out onto your plan). This brings up the Edit Plant box, where you can then click on 'Customize varieties' to then set custom spacings. Any more questions, please just contact our friendly and very responsive customer service team at www.growveg.com/contact.aspx

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

@@GrowVeg amazing! Thanks so much! I did watch some of the tutorial and then played about with it lol

[@pantherlady7]

This is literally the most brilliant thing I've ever seen!!! 😍 Can I use the garden planner app on my iPad Pro?? I am not certain by looking at the page. Thank you in advance!! ❤

[@GrowVeg]

Yes indeed, the Garden Planner will work with your iPad.

[@sherimatukonis6016]

I'd love to have a book with all the background information in it... I don't like to rely on electronics these days if it can be avoided.

[@ABamaGardener]

Can you do a program for Cover Crops? Maybe for the best time to insert a cover crop for that bed, and maybe the best cover crop types for what just came out of the bed to replenish the soil.

[@rudimentalgardening]

Cover crop is one of the choices when searching for plants to choose from. A specific variety may also be available but the generic cover crop selection allows for typical cover crop use for selected time frames.

[@ABamaGardener]

@@rudimentalgardening That's Great, Thanks for the reply

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for your heads up there Rudimental Gardening! :-)

[@andrealampe1134]

how do you decide on what your In-ground Dates are? often there is a long harvest period - so when do you decide that the harvest period ends in order to allow new planting?

[@GrowVeg]

The software works out all of this for you. If it's a long harvest window, you of course have the option of planting a follow-on crop much sooner, if you think you will have harvested all of the previous crop earlier - for example leeks or Brussels sprouts, which might stand over much of winter.

[@sunalwaysshinesonTVs]

A plug in or integration with FarmBot would be pretty cool.

[@GrowVeg]

There's an idea!

[@gretchenbell9340]

I don't see a lot of flowers in this planner. I am taking a break from veggies this year and was really looking forward to ideas for flowers. Does anyone know if future developments will include more flower choices?

[@GrowVeg]

The flowers in the Planner are skewed towards vegetable-compatible flowers, that you might often see in a kitchen garden. We have added more flowers in the past, and may well do so in the future as we continue to tweak and evolve the Planner. But currently there aren't any immediate plans to do so.

[@Gardeningadventures49726]

It looks interesting! I've not given it a whirl, but perhaps one day I might. I've got a ridiculously large gardening space. And I love every square foot of it! 😄 Takes some work to plan it out, thankfully I have a lot of spacing/maturity size/companion planting information memorized. It would be a daunting task otherwise!

[@GrowVeg]

Try the free trial. I honestly, hand-on-heart, reckon you'll be impressed by the Planner and may be tempted to give it a whirl. It saves me so much time in my own garden.

[@barrybridgeford530]

I use a lot of 2 foot wide beds and 50 gallon tubs. Does the planner include such "bed sizes"? Or does it have a larger minimum bed width?

[@GrowVeg]

The bed sizes are all scalable - so you can make them as wide and long as you wish. There are also lots of container/pot options to scale up or down as necessary.

[@TeachThem729]

So its only $70 for 2 years? I'm ditching my older round raised beds and putting in several larger rectangle gardening beds in spring 2021. This garden planner is just what I need because I plant a ton. Also do succession planting so this would be very helpful to have to keep track of everything.

[@GrowVeg]

It is really hand for succession planting - this is one of my favourite features of the software.

[@VivianfFurlow]

Now I know the cost...thanks...now where do I buy?

[@GM_____]

This looks so cool. Do you have tropical plants in your planner for places like Florida with a subtropical climate?

[@GrowVeg]

It includes a lot of subtropical fruits, yes. E.g. fig, citrus of various types, grapes, nectarine, peach, apricot, almond and melons of various types.

[@GM_____]

@@GrowVeg we also grow tropical fruits like jaboticabas, acerolas, pineapple, papayas, and mangoes as well as local favorites like mulberries. How can we add those to the plan?

[@soulbusinesshq]

@@GM_____ Hey there! We are in Brazil and have joboticabas, acerolas, and mangoes too. (Plus bananas!) Those are not listed. No papaya tree either, although OUR papaya tree had to go because it grew on its own one year after we threw papaya seeds out the kitchen window. It was a fun surprise, but it was no good to have a papaya tree growing ON our house! Anyways... I am using the garden planner and do not find all of the tropical fruits. I'd definitely like to see them added! Meanwhile, there is a way you can pick "small fruit" "medium fruit" "small tree" etc. and then just add the name in so you know what it is. You'll just need to know which category those fall into to make it work. So I add all that is available and then for those that are not, I use the sort of miscellaneous categories OR a similar-looking and sized fruit or veggie and then double click to pull up the editable name and change the name as I'd like. Hope this is helpful to you!!

[@GM_____]

@@soulbusinesshq thank you so much 😊

[@felicitystitches3143]

Can I used this on my 2020 iPad Pro? I have the magic keyboard with trackpad.

[@GrowVeg]

The new version of our Garden Planner supports iPads and some tablets if they have a bluetooth mouse or trackpad connected to them. We are working to add touch support soon.

[@Animegypsy]

What can I use to take a piece of google maps and then apply tags to a grid to identify all my trees? Is there an application that is easy to use for this?

[@GrowVeg]

I'm not aware of one Robert, but I imagine such applications must exist - it would be very handy.

[@queenSummerKeli]

Wow!!! This is sp great!

[@GrowVeg]

Glad you like it!

[@amaryl23]

Can it work with oddly shaped gardens at all, please? We're buying our first house (move in in May, so odd time for restarting a garden, perhaps the following year would be better!) and the garden areas are all triangular, so square and rectangular planting is automatically largely out of the window... I love the features of your planner, so I'd be keen to use it, if it can accommodate odd shapes too! ☺️

[@GrowVeg]

It certainly does! You can draw out the perimeter of your garden to any shape. There's also a shape function that allows you to draw out, say, triangular beds. Or you can use the line function then flex out bends etc. as appropriate.

[@amaryl23]

@@GrowVeg That's fantastic! Thank you for the reply and keep up the good work 😉

[@JohnSmith-zv8km]

Can I now run this on an IPAD which would allow me to use it at my allotment? As promised in an earlier comment response.

[@gigagamingacademy]

Hey, thanks so much for this awesome tool! I just did the tutorial where it mentioned "custom plants can be created later" but it never did. I came here and I'm still in need of an answer! Specifically, Cannabis. Could you add it? If not, how would I customize it?

[@GrowVeg]

I'm sure we can help with this. If you get in touch with our friendly customer service team they'll be able to guide you through the process and answer any further questions. You can contact them here: www.growveg.com/contact.aspx

[@paradoxbound]

My partner and I think the app is brilliant but would love an offline version for off grid smallholding. Please consider making a version that could run on a raspberry Pi or similar. I would happily pay extra for such a product.

[@GrowVeg]

The advantage of our subscription-based app is that we can (and do!) constantly improve it, ensuring subscribers have a product that's continually improving. For example, we added the 'companion planting' feature, and our new and improved Garden Planner has now rolled out to all subscribers. I appreciate it's a rolling annual cost, but we genuinely - hand on heart - believe it ultimately saves our subscribers so much in wasted time and resources, that it easily pays for itself each year. We really appreciate the feedback though.

[@dragtec009]

does this have the option to change recommend plant spacing if you want to increase the density ? also can you do it by .5ft instead of 1ft?

[@GrowVeg]

The recommended spacings given are those that give optimal growth for the plant, so it isn't possible to alter these. There is, however, the option to lay the plan out in square foot mode, which gives much closer spacings for those who prefer this method of growing. Spacings are very precise - to the inch. The contents of plans can be laid out very specifically too, not just in foot-resolution blocks.

[@vaughnpty5]

Are there any plans for tutorials of the new planner? This is my first year using it and am finding it difficult to reconcile the new planner to the old tutorials.

[@GrowVeg]

We are replacing the old tutorials with new ones, using the new version of the Planner. You can also consult the updated user guide: www.growveg.com/downloads/gardenplanneruserguidev3.pdf You may also find some of more recent video that feature the new Planner helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6uqlWaJeKlqmJI and kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGW8kqOdg5t6aNk and kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJukZ2Wsp9ymjs0

[@vaughnpty5]

@@GrowVeg Perfect!

[@moniquem783]

It looks fabulous! Can it be used in all countries or is it specifically designed for the UK and similar climates? I’m in a temperate climate where it never snows, so the timing for me of some vegetables is different to the UK. It also gets too hot here in summer for some things that you seem to be able to grow pretty much year round.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Monique. The planner is suitable for North America, most of Europe, South Africa, NZ and Australia, where you are.

[@moniquem783]

@@GrowVeg okay great! I’m planning to move soon and I think it will come in very handy when setting up my next garden!

[@TheShellemilyCrayon]

How come there's no trellis option in the garden planner? Seems like a very common garden item to omit, i've had to add a fence to my plan instead.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Shelley. We have a bean trellis option (otherwise known as a bean tripod/teepee) but haven't got a normal vertical trellis as this would be hard to replicate on a plan, looking from above. The fence option does the job, but maybe you are right about producing a trellis option too - I will suggest this to our development team, thank you!

[@dougalwatts3656]

This looks great. How much per year for subscription?

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Doug. It depends on where you are and what length and type of subscription you take. This page summarises it for you: www.growveg.com/subscribeinfo.aspx

[@Killthebatsman]

I tried the trial version and it doesn’t let me decide if I want to start some plants earlier indoors or not... :( for example, Chinese Cabbage id like to start indoors earlier but it doesn’t let me... I can’t simply do it earlier because then the timing would be off in terms of weather.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi there. Please do get in touch with our customer services team who can look into this for you: www.growveg.com/contact.aspx

[@Killthebatsman]

@@GrowVeg Thank you for the reply! And yes I did reach out to the team for help, they did give me guidance on how to solve the problem and it did work! I’ll definitely be subscribing to the service after the trial period :) I do have 2 suggestions 1) Please make the “start indoors” or “start outdoors” for the plants that are in the short-medium grow time period... I’d like to have a quick option as opposed to setting this manually for each plant each time. 2) Can you give an automated succession planting option so that the program calculates a “harvest period” for me as opposed to me needing to manually put in “in ground dates”?

[@MrsMouse873]

Is this something that may be developed into an app? Been looking for a decent planner app for ages and this would be perfect!

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Danielle. It's a web-based service as this works best for such complex software. The Garden Planner is compatible on iPads and many tablets though. More details on it all here: www.growveg.com/garden-planner-intro.aspx

[@familieglennon8031]

in square foot gardening mode, I can have 24 strawberry plants i my raised bed, when not activated, I can only have 2 plant? I don't get it

[@GrowVeg]

Square-foot gardening uses a very precise recipe for filling raised beds. It is meant to enable you to grow a lot more in the space available. Personally I prefer to use normal spacing, i.e. not square-foot gardening.

[@egotripical]

That looks very square. I have round key gardens. Can this thing do round key gardens?

[@GrowVeg]

Indeed you can. The software has lots of shape and line options, so you can draw more free-form shapes. Have a browse at some examples of plans drawn with the software, including keyhole gardens: www.growveg.com/garden-plans/

[@GlauceCerveira]

If it wasn't a rental and there was no tracking (location to the spot), this app would be great, it looks great... Please consider other formats (i.e., fully owned by user).

[@GrowVeg]

You don't have to set your location to the spot - you can set it anywhere close enough to you so that it picks up your nearest weather station. And it only does that once when you create your account, it doesn't track you. Finally, the reason it's a subscription is to keep the cost down and because quite a lot of features require ongoing costs (e.g. planting reminders by email, weather forecasts, customer support, backups of your plans and in the future alerts of pests).

[@GlauceCerveira]

@@GrowVeg Thank you for taking the time to explain how it works and why there is a need for the features you mentioned, it was very helpful!

[@megantczak8840]

Does the planner offer grow bags as a planting option?

[@GrowVeg]

It does indeed Meg.

[@yetihomestead9242]

I just started the free trial and was wondering if there was a new video after Dec 25, 2020? What I am seeing is a little different than what is in this particular video. Under the SFG there is also a snap to grid slider. What does this do? I was hoping it would automatically snap into my raised garden beds, the plants that I wanted to plant, against the edges and in the corners. But it doesnt seem to do that. I have created several 4x20 and 4x30 beds. When i turn on SFG, I am unable to fit 4 sets of plant without going outside the lines of the raised bed. Do I need to add 6 or 8 inches or something? i also have about 30 feet of horizontal/ tunnel style using hogfence that is approx 8 feet wide, stratling 2 beds. Is there an option for that or just keep it as a trellis? ANd finally, I seem to be unable to "stretch" one set of plants into rows or blocks. I have to go over and hit the plant on the left to put it in the beds on the right... Otherwise i love what you guys have done and plan to use it as soon as my free trial runs out. Thank you. And can you add pineapple? :)

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Jay. Glad you're enjoying the free trial. To answer your questions: - The snap to grid option fits your SFG blocks to an underlying grid running over the entire plan, not to your marked out beds. For neatness, you might want to start marking out your beds so they fit to this underlying grid, for neatness. - There are not options for absolutely every object you might place in your garden, so I would use whatever looks closest to what you wish to put on the plan. - I'm not sure what's going on with the set of plants you are unable to stretch into a row or block. The best thing to do would be to email our support team, who will respond very quickly to help you: www.growveg.com/contact.aspx - We are always updating the Garden Planner, so I will suggest to our programmers that pineapple is also added.

[@rosalindpaul7427]

Can it be used on an iPad yet?

[@GrowVeg]

iPad support is already in there if you have a bluetooth mouse or trackpad connected to your iPad. Touch support is coming soon.

[@johnbraunschweig]

Is there a search function for the plant selection list? Finding the english name for a (exotic) plant can be a real pain, if english ist not the main language. The printing in the old planner left room for improvement.

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, the plant selection list can be searched by both its common English name and, in most cases, the Latin name too. This has sped things up a lot when selecting and placing plants onto your plan.

[@Dee-ic8oq]

If this has it maybe i missed it. But it would be convenient to see an alert if i try and plant two plants in a bed that don't grow well together, For instance, dill and carrots.

[@GrowVeg]

We just focus on companion plants, as there are very few plant combinations that are actively bad.

[@dwjackson5662]

Can this be download on phone? What is the APP icon? I cant find it in the play Store. I want to use it while in my garden. I signed up for a free trail already.

[@GrowVeg]

The Garden Planner is web-based, so you don't download it to your device, just log into your account online. All the details are here: www.growveg.com/garden-planner-intro.aspx

[@rawfoodelectric]

Hi!! It's ME!! LOVE YOU!

[@GrowVeg]

Right back at yer!

[@JQueen2024]

Hi! The planner looks really good! Love the covered beds feature. Questions please: I’ve got the planner on my iPhone too so I can make changes at the garden. 1) the experience didn’t seem to change on iPhone - did you redesign the mobile as well? 2) The app doesn’t seem to sync with my desktop changes I made yesterday. Do I need to reload the app? 3) I don’t see the Notes option on the mobile app. Thanks!

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Jana. The app is a separate product from the web-based Garden Planner. We launched it several years ago, but then discontinued it. The app was a one-off purchase that was essentially a simplified version of the Garden Planner, in order for it to work effectively on phones. For this reason the two don't sync and the app does not include the notes option. You can still, however, reference your Garden Planner plans on your phone by signing into your account on the website.

[@GrowVeg]

Garden Plan Pro is no longer available in the App Store and, unfortunately, customers report to us that it is not currently supported by the developer who makes it. You can contact them directly at: [e-mail] We aim to have a touchscreen-compatible version of the Garden Planner available later this year.

[@JQueen2024]

@@GrowVeg Thanks for the explanation. Unfortunately, the iPhone compatibility was one of the essential reasons I am subscribing. It is much easier to make notes and check my plan while I am at the garden, rather than redoing everything later on the desktop. If you can suggest another method to avoid double work, that would be great!

[@JQueen2024]

@@GrowVeg I am sorry but I feel that this is part of the subscription and thus part of the decision whether or not to spend the money for the planner. At this Fay and age, a mobil version of a software is a must. It saves ton of time!

[@gillessellier1451]

hi, does it works under Linux? for those of us who don't want Microsoft.

[@alfrednewman292]

I just tried it using Ubuntu with Firefox for Linux and it works great.

[@rojerww]

This seems like an excellent tool - however, I'm not sure how well adapted it is to having a pre-conditioned straw bale garden (following the recommended procedure to get past peak temps within the bales themselves). The SBG is not a soil garden - it is a freshly activated and composted bale of straw where you shouldn't have any of the typical soil contaminants (as long as one doesn't introduce them by adding non-sterilized soil) because you swap out the bales annually (to use the composted straw at a different location or reincarnate the the bales by combining what's left together and compressing them into a new bale already conditioned biology - just add water once ready. My season hasn't started yet - so I'm not ready for a short 7-day trial. Is this the same program as: The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Planner?

[@GrowVeg]

The Garden Planner doesn't have an SBG option, but you could use it to draw out straw bales and then add your plants at the spacing you wish. This is the same program as The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Planner, yes.

[@JennySimon206]

I am going to try this. First time gardener. Will have 2 3 feet by 16 feet beds with trellis between them. Then 4 more beds in that space. Then I have another part of the yard I haven't even planned the bed layouts in that area yet. This app will help immensely. Does it change anything if you plan to use trellises? I am going to do some arches between beds. Either way, I think I am going to try out the app. I really need it lol. What about sunshine and shade? Does it calculate that? I have heard there is a website that you can plug in your coordinates to and it shows you sun and shade spots in your garden for that time of year.

[@rudimentalgardening]

Trellises can be added to any area/section/plant in the garden but it is only for design and informational purposes. This program does not calculate sun/shade characteristics of your garden, the idea is that you use that as one of your guidelines when planning your garden. A lot of things would have to be incorporated into the software to include sun/shade requirements in each area of a garden space and it would be reflected in the price. This is a very affordable option with a lot of features.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Jenny. As Rudimental Gardening says, it doesn't incorporate shade and sunlight as this varies so much according to surroundings. There is a simply compass icon you can drop on, to help you visualise where the sunshine falls.

[@JennySimon206]

I am about to get this program. Can multiple people on the farm use the planner? It's the same property and garden. We are working together.

[@AAHomeGardening]

Well done

[@MichelleOhio]

When will this work on ipads? Looking for something I don’t need to buy a bt mouse to use.

[@GrowVeg]

The new version of our Garden Planner supports iPads and some tablets if they have a bluetooth mouse or trackpad connected to them. We are working to add touch support soon.

[@laurag.p.]

I just tried the planner this evening and it doesnt work as advertised, I'm afraid... My beds are 15 square feet, but the planner doesn't recognise that and only shows me 8 😢🤦🏻‍♀️ it doesn't even divide the beds into sfg sizes... I tried using the regular version without sfg, but it doesnt recognise that my beds are much bigger than what it thinks they are and, as a result of that, I can't see at a glance what's in my bed... I'll contact you over the weekend to see if the team can help with this...

[@GrowVeg]

Please do contact our customer services team who will be very happy to help you out and get this sorted for you. They're really great and I know will help you to iron out any problems. :-)

[@laurag.p.]

@@GrowVeg Hi Ben, thank you for your message. I will contact them tomorrow, as I just finished work today 🤦🏻‍♀️ I really hope they can help, I love the idea of this planner and it would be very useful if I can get it to work as I need it 😊 Happy New Year!😊

[@danielmalan8310]

Would your planner be relivant in Johannesburg, South Africa?

[@GrowVeg]

Yes it would Daniel.

[@tonipollack5021]

Is there still an app for the garden planner for iPad?

[@GrowVeg]

The Garden Planner is web-based. You can find out all about it here: www.growveg.com/garden-planner-intro.aspx

[@tonipollack5021]

@@GrowVeg Thank you. I deleted the old app.

[@jukeseyable]

Does it now have an option for multi sown crops

[@GrowVeg]

It doesn't, but you can assume that multi-sown crops should be spaced a little further apart to compensate, which in reality wouldn't affect the total number of individual plants you could grow in a particular area.

[@1anhen]

Wondering how to add a veg that’s not in the Plant List already..? Eg A Tayberry.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Ian. To do this, select one of the generic options. For a tayberry you would probably select Fruit (Trellised). Once placed onto your plan you can then, if you wish, double click to bring up the information box, and then apply your own label to the plant, so you know what it is.

[@1anhen]

@@GrowVeg Fine. That's what I did for now. I'm wondering if there might a specific process to request additional plants? Like a Web Form? Then your developers could add many in one go...?

[@reggie5]

@@1anhen I also think this is a good idea. Especially where there are some relatively simple/common plants that are not in there

[@thiramil]

How much is the year subscription? Kind regards

[@GrowVeg]

All details, including pricing and how to enjoy a free (no obligation!) trial can be found here: www.growveg.com/garden-planner-intro.aspx

[@zeni789]

how do i delete veg beds on the planner ? i cant seem to..

[@GrowVeg]

Hi there. Get in touch with our customer services team who will be able to get to the bottom of this for you asap. Drop them an email from here www.growveg.com/contact.aspx

[@VivianfFurlow]

How much is the garden planner? I have poor eye sight and can't find cost or where to buy

[@GrowVeg]

You can find out more about the Garden Planner here: www.growveg.com/garden-planner-intro.aspx

[@TruthDefender]

looks complicated for a beginner - do you have any tutorial for new subsribers on www?

[@GrowVeg]

You might find this original video easy to follow: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmPQoZtrgZekn6c You can sign up for a free trial to give the Garden Planner a try for yourself, at your pace: www.growveg.com/subscribeinfo.aspx

[@carolynserich386]

I've just subscribed to the Garden Planner and am working on my first plan. I live in Australia in a hot climate and therefore have a long growing season. the Planner in Australia doesn't have a "split season" button which means I can't create a follow up plan for crop rotation within the same year. When I try to do this it automatically sets the follow up plan to next year ie: 2021/2022! Is this going to be changed for Australia or do you have some other suggestion that would work.

[@GrowVeg]

Hi Carolyn. There are a couple of ways to plan your autumn garden/split the season. The first method is to use the Succession Planting feature of the Garden Planner which enables you to assign each plant to certain months when it is in the ground. This enables you to see your plan change through the months without creating another plan at all and you can then select particular months to view separate Spring and Autumn plans. Alternatively, some people prefer to have a separate plan for their autumn planting and this can be achieved by creating a Follow-on plan and then changing the year back to the current one in the drop-down box (it will have automatically moved on to the next year).

[@carolynserich386]

@@GrowVeg Well, I have to laugh! I did try alternative two before I asked the question. It must have been late at night and for some reason I thought the drop-down box didn't go back to the current year even though I thought I tried! I'm trying to overcome haphazard Crop Rotation that has been happening perpetually in my garden for the last decade! Another question for you: Is my understanding correct in that the Plant List can only be created from the plan itself so growing times and harvesting times are dictated by the "in the ground" information that can be recorded against each vegetable in the plan? In other words, there's no other way to place a plant in the Plant List. Thanks for your responses.

[@bergfridskaaradias2071]

does it automatically update for us who have a subscription to the old planner, or do we need a different sub?

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, it automatically updates and all of your current plans will still be there.

[@athenarork2716]

Is there an option for any strawbale gardening? Thank you so much for your time and effort on this video. :-)

[@GrowVeg]

You can draw straw bales using the filled rectangle tool and add plants on top, though we don't yet have a straw bale object ready-made.