Hopefully we’ve seen the back of the months of relentless rain, the sun has made a reappearance and it looks like Spring is actually on its way. If you’re a budding gardener or want to start growing your own veg or brighten up your outside space, here are 5 great apps to help you along the way.
Vegetable Garden Guides (iOS £1.49)
Suitable for all gardeners whether you’re a novice or an old-hand. Step-by-step guides to planting, growing, harvesting and even storing over 90 different types of vegetables and herbs. Lots of tips and advice on what to grow, when to plant and how many plants or seeds you’ll need as well as information on dealing with nibbling bugs and insects eating your crops and common plant diseases. There’s also the option of adding you own notes to use for future crop growing and putting your favourite vegetables in one handy place.
My Soil (iOS Free)
A very handy app courtesy of the British Geological Survey which can help you determine the type of soil you are dealing with wherever in the UK you are based. As well as soil types it has other useful information such as soil texture, it’s pH, likely depth and what organic matter is likely to be inside it. Useful for planning on what crops to grow where and if you’re likely to be moving then you can find out the soil type in your new environment.
Fruit Garden (iOS, Android £1.49)
If you fancy trying your hand at growing your own fruit, this app is a great to get you up and running. Packed full of details on a wide range of fruit and their varieties, how to prepare your soil as well as growing tips and when and how to harvest, the app is ideal for beginners and more experienced gardeners alike. Check out the fruit growing calendar which helps you to plan on what needs to be done each month to keep your fruit crops ticking over.
Weed ID (Android, iOS Free)
Weeds can be one of the banes of a gardeners life. This useful app helps to identify over 140 different weed species which are found in the UK. With over 1000 photos to help you spot the weed encroaching on your crops and a search option, it helps you eradicate the plant invaders and gives advice on how to kill them off without poisoning your plants and crops.
Bugs Count Pocket ID Guide (iOS, Android Free)
The other bugbear of a gardeners lot is of course plant-marauding bugs and insects. This app from the Natural History Museum comes with lots of tips on identifying bugs common to the UK as well as interesting facts and images. This app is not specifically for gardeners as you can also give the Natural History Museum a hand by taking part in a nationwide Opal Bugs Count survey at the same time.
