Garden Plan Pro - iPad Gardening App

Designing Your Garden Layout

This application provides exceptionally versatile layout capabilities, surpassing many others currently available. Unlike programs restricted to rectangular forms, Garden Plan Pro enables the creation of customized shapes, their rotation, and even the incorporation of curved lines.

However, manipulating these elements can prove somewhat challenging, particularly after rotation, an area where refinement is needed. Adjusting a rotated shape’s position is difficult, and resizing via corner dragging doesn’t account for the rotation. This can be frustrating, potentially leading users to delete and recreate shapes.

Despite this, it remains achievable, and remember that defining basic shapes is a one-time task, as they are carried over to subsequent years. Currently, the options are limited to geometric forms (and colors), straight lines, and curves, with more typical garden objects planned for future updates.

Crop Rotation Features

After establishing a complete garden and planting scheme for a season, what about the following year? Garden Plan Pro preserves the garden’s layout for future use, though modifications are always possible. A particularly useful function is the shading of areas where plants were previously located when planning subsequent seasons, promoting effective crop rotation.

The application retains data for five years, with older years displayed with progressively lighter shading. While seemingly minor, this feature will be highly valued by gardeners managing sizable allotment plots.

Plans can also be edited on a monthly basis, facilitating quick successional planting. Furthermore, the option to divide the growing season into two separate plans is available, demonstrating the developers’ commitment to creating a professional-grade application.

Another distinctive feature is the inclusion of a square foot gardening mode. This method involves interplanting varieties within 1-foot sections, potentially leading to increased yields in manageable quantities.

Helpfully, a numerical indicator within each square indicates the optimal number of plants for that space, and accommodates larger plants like courgettes that require more than one square foot.

Plant Variety and Database

The software boasts a comprehensive plant database, encompassing both generalized plant types and specific cultivars. This includes a wide range of options, from vegetables and fruit trees to herbs and medicinal flowers.

In contrast to platforms like SmartGardener, which restricts seed choices to those of affiliated American companies and lacks generic options for users outside the US, this program offers greater flexibility.

Comparison to Other Software

While Garden Plan Pro also appears to initially focus on American plant varieties, it distinguishes itself through the inclusion of generic types.

Crucially, the software allows users to add custom varieties, specifying planting schedules and spacing requirements. This feature is particularly valuable.

• It addresses the limitations of pre-defined lists.
• It caters to organic and heritage growers.
• It supports those who save and exchange seeds not typically found in commercial markets.

The ability to incorporate custom varieties effectively transforms the software into an indispensable tool for specialized gardeners.

Adding personalized plant data makes this program a significant asset for those cultivating unique or locally adapted seeds.

Software Defects

The initial release of this application contains several noticeable defects. A primary issue is the inability to remove garden plans that were created unintentionally. While modifying individual planting areas within a plan is straightforward, complete plan deletion isn't currently supported.

The planting calendar also exhibits a flaw. The month label was shifted ahead by seven months during testing. Despite this, the visual planting guide remained accurate; the discrepancy was purely cosmetic.

Functionality isn't impacted by this calendar issue, as long as users interpret the blue line as representing the current date. The planting recommendations will still be correct under this assumption.

Date Selection Anomalies

Selecting dates within the application also presents some unusual behavior. Utilizing the decrement button can result in the date being set to an implausible year, such as 2201.

This suggests a potential error in the date handling logic. Further investigation is needed to resolve this issue and ensure accurate date selection.

Important Note: These bugs, while present, do not appear to completely hinder the core functionality of the garden planning application.

Is Garden Plan Pro a Valuable Investment?

Even with initial release issues, such as the absence of a garden deletion function, Garden Plan Pro remains the premier garden planning application available for the iPad. Its feature set is exceptionally comprehensive, surpassing that of many online platforms.

The app effectively serves a broad spectrum of users, from hobbyists seeking basic organizational tools to dedicated allotment gardeners requiring precise control over their seasonal planning.

Acknowledging its current imperfections, a positive outlook is warranted, as future updates are anticipated to address these concerns. Consequently, a 5-star recommendation is confidently extended to this iPad gardening application.

Pricing and Availability

The application, Garden Plan Pro, is available through the iTunes Store at a special introductory price of $9.99, regularly priced at $19.99.

iTunes Store: Garden Plan Pro - $9.99 (introductory), $19.99 (standard).

User inquiries regarding the app's functionality are welcome in the comments section. Furthermore, purchasers are encouraged to share their own concise reviews.

What additional features would you like to see implemented in future versions?