Five Great Apps to Keep Your Plants Healthy + 1 App For Self Care!

Don’t you just love apps? They can make building habits so much more fun than the old checklist method. They help us keep track of tasks, prioritize our fitness, and even make grocery shopping lists with ease... so why not use them step up your plant parenting game, too? When life gets hectic, here are five apps that can help you stay consistent with watering and fertilizing, identify pests and problems before they get out of hand, and even identify plants you find out in the world so you know exactly what to ask for the next time you visit us in the shop!

Perennial Match App

This app is great for the patio gardeners out there. Perennial Match will help you pair plants based on their compatibility- not only to each other directly, but also based on their respective light and climate needs. You can look up plants you're interested in from the massive plant database, or you can filter results based on your space needs if you’re just looking for inspiration.

Perennial Match is available for $4.99 on iOS and works on both iPhones and iPads. To learn more about it, you can check it out here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/perennial-match/id670735275

Garden Compass

Garden Compass is a very good all-in-one, and it's free! It provides monthly reminders geared towards the plants you have so you know when to move, repot, fertilize, or even cut back on water.  Garden Compass also has plant and disease identification and provides access to local plant experts and a huge plant database.

Garden Compass is available on iOS and Android. You can check it out here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garden-compass/id985170972

or

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.desmart.gardencompass&hl=en

Homegrown with Bonnie Plants

Looking to branch out into growing your own food? This app is for you! With lots of photos, care guides, and tools to track growth, harvest, and even local weather, this app will help you build up your confidence and your green thumb. From your kitchen counter herb garden to the raised bed you’re dreaming of next spring, Homegrown can help you plan projects that work with local conditions and your own needs.

Homegrown with Bonnie Plants is available on both iOS and and Android.  You can learn more about it here:

https://bonnieplants.com/app/

NatureGate

Have you ever been out for a walk, or even just hanging out in someone else’s yard and seen a plant you knew you NEEDED… but oh, if only you knew what it was called! Well, NatureGate lets you identify plants with the flower identification tool. It’s not just plants, though: you can also use NatureGate to identify birds, insects, and fish!  While it’s largely geared towards the outdoors and might not have your favorite tropical foliage plants in its database, this app is a great way to start learning more about the different plants that grow in your climate and is a handy addition to any hike.

NatureGate is available on iOS and Andriod.  You can learn more about it here: http://www.luontoportti.com/suomi/en

Moon Garden

For millennia, humans gardened on a schedule that was based on the cycles of the moon. While it’s not taken into consideration much these days, if you’d like to experiment with syncing your plants up with the moon cycles this app has everything you need for that. Get daily gardening advice based on the moon phase and zodiac sign! It also provides a visual watering schedule for each plant and alarms just in case you get distracted moon-gazing.

Moon Garden is available only on iOS. You can find more information about it here: www.LifewareSolutions.com

Lastly, here's an app to help you practice self care! Sometimes we can get so carried away with taking care of other life that we forget to help ourselves.

Plant Nanny

Are you ready to never be dehydrated again? This adorable app helps you keep track of your daily water intake by watering the freaking cutest plant with eyeballs you have ever seen. If you water it regularly, your little plant will whistle a happy tune, but forget to water your plant and be prepared to be traumatized by the saddest wilted little plant image you have ever seen. Plant Nanny lets you customize your water intake based on weight and activity level, then reminds you to drink throughout the day.  If you’re a plant lover already, you’ll adore this fun game that keeps you hydrated and happy all day.

Plant Nanny is available on iOS and Android.  You can learn more about it here: http://plantnannyapp.com/

Do you have a go to gardening app you LOVE?  Are you as obsessed with the precious Devil's Ivy in Plant Nanny as I am? Go ahead and talk to us in the comments!