The Best Lawn and Gardening Apps for Android and iOS
Gardening is one of the oldest hobbies in the world, but it’s one that’s been transformed significantly with the help of technology.
Today, there are loads of different lawn and gardening apps aimed to make it easier and more efficient, you just have to know what you’re looking for.
What is the best gardening app?
Gardening apps cover all purposes and specialties, whether you want help assessing soil and pH levels, creating a planting calendar, or answering FAQs about how much to seed or fertilizer. Depending on your needs, you can guarantee there’s an app out there designed to help you meet them.
If you’ve been hesitant about leaping into the future with your favorite hobby, there’s never been a better time to try.
We’ve reviewed some of the coolest lawn and gardening apps to suit just about any type of green thumb, so see what’s possible when you download one.
The Best Gardening Apps of 2022
For centuries, gardening has been a trial and error approach, with most people learning as they go.
Here are some of the best apps available for download that can transform your gardening game without any guesswork and help you with everything from soil to watering schedules.
#1 Garden Tags
If you like to share gardening tips with others and learn from fellow gardeners’ wisdom, Garden Tags is a great app.
Using this platform, you can do it all, including keeping a photographic journal of your garden, setting reminders to prune and plant seeds, and use plant recognition software to determine what’s in your garden.
There’s a large community that uses Garden Tags as well which means you can choose to share your garden with others or see what they’re up to.
You’ll be able to ask for advice and find out what other people have growing, plus make some new friends in the process.
If you love the community spirit of gardening but don’t have a real community to share it with, Garden Tags can help you get it.
#2 Sun Surveyor
The sun plays a major role in the success, and failure, of our gardens so it makes sense to use an app that can help you keep track of it.
Sun Surveyor can predict the upcoming sun and moon positions so you can plan your gardening activates to suit how much or little exposure your plants might be getting.
Rather than just giving you the data, Sun Surveyor allows you to get a visual of where the sun and moon will be precisely by using an interactive map from Google Street View of your home and a 3D compass for a personalized approach.
As the most detailed app when it comes to analyzing sun exposure, this is one all gardeners will want to utilize.
#3 Johnny’s Seed Planting Calendars
Keeping track of everything growing in your garden can be a bigger job than planting them, and if you want to move away from the old-fashioned notepad, Johnny’s Seed Planting Calendars is the app for you.
This simple app lets you input the date and then tells you when you should plant which seeds for the best success, including starting seeds inside and outdoors.
Other cool features include calendars that show you when to plant your fruit and vegetable bearing plants so that they’ll be ready for harvest before winter and finding hardiness zones.
You’ll also get access to extensive libraries on all things gardening so it’s a truly one-stop shop.
#4 Gardenate
Gardenate is considered one of the most comprehensive gardening apps out there and once it’s downloaded, you don’t even need an internet connection to continue enjoying it.
It’s also regarded for its simplicity so those who don’t feel like they’re skilled with technology will still find it a breeze to navigate.
The premise of Gardenate is that it’s a tool to document everything in your garden from what you’re planting now and things that are on your wish list for the future.
You get access to growing schedules that work with your specific climate which takes the guesswork out of gardening.
You’ll also be able to access a large library of over 100 plants, vegetables, flowers, and herbs so you know exactly how to grow your garden successfully and the best time to plant them.
#5 SoilWeb
For the serious gardener who loves to study soil, you might want to check out SoilWeb.
This was developed as a portable version of the California Soil Resource Lab’s digital soil survey and it gives you access to soil data in your area using the GPS within your smartphone, so everything is personalized to your backyard.
SoilWeb can be a little heavier on the data than the other apps and it’s better left to serious gardeners and farmers, but what you can do for your garden with the data makes it all worthwhile.
With quick access to up-to-date soil information, you’ll know what nutrients are needed and how much watering the soil needs, both of which can improve the health of your garden significantly.
They say that soil is the best place to start when it comes to gardening and SoilWeb proves it.
#6 Flower Checker
Plant identification apps are plentiful these days but not all of them are as accurate as others.
Flower Check is one that we rate as the best when it comes to accuracy and having a large database, and it’s especially helpful for those who like to grow flowers.
With Flower Check, you point your smartphone’s camera at the plant in question and it does the rest, scanning and coming up with an answer about what species it is.
The app was developed by a botanist so you know what the information you’re getting is precise and it has a 90% success rate when identifying plants.
Whether you’re a beginner gardener or a seasoned green thumb, having the ability to quickly and accurately determine what’s growing and how to take care of it is a gamechanger, and Flower Checker is the best way to do it.
#7 Garden Manager: Plant Alarm
Life can be busy at times and it’s easy to forget to take care of our own basic needs, let alone the needs of our plants and garden.
Garden Manager: Plant Alarm was designed to do the thinking for you and it can notify you of whatever your garden might need, whether it’s pruning, watering, or fertilizing.
The various alarms can be set when you first download the app and then it takes over so you never forget to do something again, meaning your garden continues to thrive.
Using the Garden Manager: Plant Alarm app, you can also create a plant photo log so you can keep track of your plants and how they’re growing, including their height and width.
This app lets you share photos and information about your garden with friends and others that use the app or ask questions about why your plants might be suffering.
If you want a fuss-free approach to gardening and like to be reminded, using Garden Manager can be a lifesaver.
#8 Garden Plan Pro
This premium gardening app is the best way to plan an entire garden from start to finish.
Garden Plan Pro lets you use drawing tools and design features to plan out a garden so you can make sure you get it right before doing it with the real deal.
Better still, it relies on your exact location and climate to ensure everything planned will work with the weather, so there’s no guessing on your part.
With Garden Plan Pro, you’ll be able to access expert tips on planting everything in the right space and which plants work with each other and those that don’t.
It can also advise you on how much area is needed for crops so that nothing is overcrowded. If you’re planning a new garden or want to make sure yours is laid out correctly, get designing with Garden Plan Pro.
#9 iNaturalist
iNaturalist is a plant dedicated to nature and although it’s not a specifically gardening app, it’s still an essential tool for anyone who likes to garden.
This app covers all things related to nature including insect life, plants and flowers, and local wildlife that might be hanging around your garden.
Using all of the information presented in this app, you can plan a garden to perfection and ensure that the local surroundings in your backyard work with the type of plants you plan on growing.
The iNaturalist community features over 400,000 scientists and nature enthusiasts who share information and tips
#10 CyberRain
Smart sprinklers and irrigation systems have become the “it” thing for the modern gardener and CyberRain lets you jump on board with this technology.
Dubbed “the irrigation controller with a brain”, you can use the CyberRain app to control your home’s irrigation setup, no matter how basic or detailed it may be.
This app does more than just allow you to control a sprinkler though as it thinks for itself and adjusts its watering schedule based on what’s happening.
If it’s been raining, it won’t bother watering, if it’s especially dry, it can deliver more water.
You can even upload pictures of your landscape to create a water site schedule for each zone and a uniquely tailored approach.
CyberRain is the perfect tool for garden irrigation and takes the hard work off of your hands.
#11 Waterbot
Waterbot is a fun and simple gardening app that would suit anyone who needs reminders to keep their plants hydrated.
When you install Waterbot, you set up an icon for each of your plants and their last watering date, and then Waterbot will notify you when it’s time to water them.
Although seemingly simple, this type of app can help a lot of people, especially if they’re prone to houseplants dying on them.
You take a picture of each plant, set up an avatar and watering schedule, and let Waterbot do the rest.
The less tech-savvy among us will appreciate the simplicity of the app as well and it’s a good entry into the world of gardening tech.
Related Questions
Gardening has evolved so much in recent years thanks to technology and there are now more ways than ever to implement it into your favorite hobby.
Read on for a few commonly asked questions about horticultural tech that can show you what’s possible in the world of modern gardening.
What Is a Smart Garden Sprinkler?
A smart irrigation system utilizes hoses, sprinklers, and other watering devices to keep your garden and lawn hydrated without any input required from you.
These systems create a schedule for watering dependent on things like weather conditions and the type of plants in your garden so it’s as automated as you want it to be, or you can create schedules and manual water your plants as needed.
How Does a Smart Planter Work?
Smart planters use sensors to detect measurements of soil, temperature, moisture, and light exposure of a plant.
These sensors then display the information on the front of the plant for the owner to assess and take action, and some of them also allow for automatic watering if required.
What is Virtual Gardening?
Virtual gardening is performed using software that allows you to create and care for a garden in virtual reality.
Within these games, you can witness 3D graphics that look realistic as you explore your garden, and perform the usual tasks involved with growing plants and trees without any disadvantages.
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