What is a Cover Crop? The term “cover crop” is often used as a catch-all for plants whose main purpose is not to yield a food crop but rather to provide desirable benefits to your soil and the actual food crops planted after them. Cover crops are commonly used and associated with industrial farming operations but in recent years gardeners have started to realize their usefulness in personal gardening. Benefits of Using Cover Crops The most important benefit gardeners get from cover crops is that they act as a natural weed suppressant....

Greeting fellow gardeners! You’ve asked for it and we’ve listened. Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re rolling out flowers in Planter! Some of the new flowers in Planter 🌼 About Me My name is Pam, and I’m one of the newest members of the Planter team. I’ve been adding flowers to Planter over the last few months, and I’m thrilled to finally share them with you! A little about myself- I’ve gardened my entire adult life, always perennial/herbaceous beds and vegetables when my kids were growing up....

A good herb garden has herbs that can be used in cooking and herbs that can be used as traditional medicine. A lot of these same herbs can also be used in the spa (or bathroom of course). Check out these herbs for some inspiration: Aloe Aloe deserves a top spot in our herbal body care garden lineup. Many of us reach for aloe after getting too much sun. It’s great at soothing irritated and sun burned skin....

Many of us gardeners start getting the urge to get something growing as the gardening season draws nearer. We start to wonder to ourselves ‘When should I start my seeds indoors?’…all the while knowing the answer is more than likely not yet. While it’s a common gardening question, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for when you should start seeds indoors. There are several factors to consider when deciding the seed starting dates that will work best for you....

Known for its warm and spicy flavor, ginger is a very popular spice and herb. It’s native to Asia, but it has been enjoyed all over the world for a very long time. It’s a tropical plant that loves heat and humidity, growing conditions that many of us don’t have, especially in the northern hemisphere. Those of us in the colder climates can still grow our own ginger at home....

As you’re planning your garden in Planter, you’ve likely included some pepper plants in the mix. While many gardeners opt to grow the classic bells, there’s a plethora of pepper options available that might be more productive and even easier to grow! On top of that, experimenting with different pepper varieties - spicy or mild - opens up more culinary possibilities. So as you’re thinking about which peppers to grow this year, we hope you’ll take inspiration from our Top 10 Pepper Picks to add some new pepper varieties to your garden!...

We here on The Planter Team have been getting busy planning our 2024 gardens! We hope you’ll find inspiration for your own garden from the unique plans our team members have been working on in Planter: Peter Peter’s community garden plan My garden is a 20x30 ft community garden plot since I live in the woods and the oak trees shade out pretty much everything. This year I’m excited to be growing many new varieties....

Spring is right around the corner and you’ve been planning your new herb garden. You know where it will be and you’ve got it all laid out in your Planter app. You decide to check out your local garden center for some more inspiration. You see a beautiful witch hazel named ‘Jelena’ that would look good in your garden. Then you see another one named ‘Rubra’. ‘Jelena’ is labeled as Hamamelis x intermedia and ‘Rubra’ is labeled Hamamelis japonica....

To kick off the 2024 garden planning season, we’re announcing a brand-new Planter feature: the Seed Box! The Seed Box lets you keep track of all the seeds in your seed collection. No more buying too many seeds every year! (Or at least…no more excuses😉) Note: If you are using Planter on Android or IoS, be sure to update to the latest version to be able to access the Seed Box....

Have you ever wanted to know more about herbs but weren’t sure where to start? Maybe you’re thinking you have to be enrolled at a school of wizardry to learn. Or maybe you have to be a medieval monk to have an apothecary garden. Not at all! The interest in herbalism is growing quickly. Many countries around the world use plants as a form of complementary medicine. There’s no better time than now to start your herbal garden....