Help & Getting Started
Your garden-savvy neighbor's guide to getting the most out of Sow & Tell
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Quick Start Guide
Set up your garden
Create your first garden by entering your zip code. This helps us give you accurate planting timing for your USDA zone.
Add what you're growing
Track your current plantings with planting dates. Don't worry about being exact - close enough works great!
Add your seeds
Tell us what seeds you have available so we can suggest what to plant next.
Check your suggestions
Visit your garden dashboard to see personalized suggestions for harvesting, planting, and caring for your plants.
Understanding Your Suggestions
Suggestion Types
Harvest Ready
Your plants are ready to harvest now! Based on typical growing times and your planting dates.
Succession Planting
Time to plant more of the same crop for continuous harvests. Perfect for lettuce, radishes, and beans!
End-of-Season
These plants are spent and ready to remove, freeing up space for new plantings.
Space Optimization
Use newly available space from harvested crops for quick-growing plants.
Perennial Care
Special care for long-term plants like restricting harvests on first-year asparagus.
Urgency Levels
Garden Management Tips
Tracking Plantings
Record when you plant something, even if it's approximate. "Mid-March" is better than nothing! The system uses this to predict harvest timing and suggest succession plantings.
Marking Harvests
When you harvest completely (like pulling up lettuce or removing spent tomato plants), mark the planting as harvested. This frees up space for new suggestions.
Seed Inventory
Keep your seed inventory updated. We only suggest plants you have seeds for! Don't worry about exact quantities - "some" vs "lots" is fine.
Location Accuracy
Your zip code determines planting timing recommendations. If you move or have gardens in different locations, update your garden's zip code for accurate suggestions.
Plant Lifecycle Guide
Annual Plants
Complete their lifecycle in one growing season:
Perennial Plants
Live for multiple years with special establishment needs:
Common Questions
Asparagus needs 2 full years to establish strong roots. Harvesting too early weakens the plant and reduces long-term productivity. Trust us - the wait is worth it for 15+ years of harvests!
Planting the same crop every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvests. Instead of all your lettuce being ready at once, you get fresh salads all season long!
Our timing is based on USDA zone data and typical plant growing periods. Weather varies year to year, so use suggestions as guidelines and adjust based on your local conditions.
Currently we support zones 6a-9a with the most comprehensive data. Other zones may work but timing suggestions might be less accurate.
Check that you have: 1) Plants currently growing, 2) Seeds in your inventory, and 3) The right time of year for your zone. Some quiet periods are normal in deep winter or peak summer.
Troubleshooting
My planting dates seem wrong
Double-check your garden's zip code matches your location. Timing recommendations are based on your USDA zone, which comes from your zip code.
How do I update my garden's location?
Go to "My Gardens", click "Edit" on your garden, and update the zip code. This will refresh all timing recommendations for your location.
Suggestions seem repetitive
Act on suggestions to see new ones! Mark plants as harvested, plant suggested crops, or dismiss suggestions you're not interested in.
Still Need Help?
Sow & Tell is designed to be your garden-savvy neighbor - simple, helpful, and focused on what matters most. If you're still stuck or have ideas for improvements, we'd love to hear from you!
Remember: gardening is forgiving. Close enough usually works, and there's always next season! 🌱