Plants

Grove currently contains around 80 different plants – independent species, not merely a collection of varieties. Each one has been carefully thought through, with all the important information on sowing, care, crop rotation and neighbourship.

Behind the scenes we are already working on more plants: around 140 in total have been created, but are not yet fully integrated into the bed planner. We are entering all the data carefully one by one so that you can use them later.

And because we like sharing our knowledge, you can find this information publicly on our website too.

The plant list

You can reach the full list of available plants via the “Plants” menu item in the navigation. All currently usable species are listed there in a clear overview.

If you are looking for something specific, just use the text search. Here you can enter not only the common name but also the botanical name or alternative names – for example regional terms, synonyms or names from other countries.

Particularly useful: the “Filter” button opens a powerful tool that helps you find exactly the plants that suit your bed, your soil or your season. This is where you can see how well we have structured the data. Because the filters are so helpful, they have their own page in the guide.

If you click on a column heading in the table, you can sort the list by that criterion.

The gallery was originally a spontaneous idea – created over a weekend. Today it is a firm part of grove. The many beautiful plant images are put together randomly – sometimes small, sometimes large and in focus. Perhaps you will use it as inspiration for new crops or as a small visual break whilst planning.

The plant detail page

You will get to know the plant dialogue well over time – it is embedded everywhere in grove. Whether in the bed plan or with tasks: one click on the relevant button opens the plant’s detail page.

At the top you find a short introduction. Below that come all the figures, data and facts you need for sowing and care – laid out clearly in table form. These include details such as plant spacing, sowing depth, germination temperature and light requirements.

Particularly useful: for many plants you will find several time windows for sowing and planting. This may be slightly different from what you are used to from seed packets – but it is much more flexible:

  • There are often different times for early and late crops.
  • Some varieties can be grown over winter.
  • In a greenhouse you can often start considerably earlier.

Neighbours

Plant neighbours are a central topic in companion planting and therefore also in grove. You will find information for each plant on which other species grow well or less well nearby. Who supports whom, and who would hold whom back.

We do not just distinguish between “good” and “bad”, but also show you the particularly good or very unfavourable neighbours. Because some combinations – such as carrots and onions – are so effective that they simply deserve to be highlighted.

Crop rotation

Grove takes crop rotation into account – that is, the question of what grew in a bed before a plant and what should follow it. This matters, because when the same plant family is repeatedly grown in the same spot it encourages disease or depletes the soil. But there is a positive side too: beans, for example, enrich the soil with phosphorus, which is ideal for many subsequent crops.

We distinguish two directions:

  • Predecessors: Which plant was previously in the same spot?
  • Successors: Which plant should (or preferably should not) be grown afterwards?

Here too you will find a more precise breakdown: there are very good, good, poor and very poor combinations. This way you can see directly which sequence makes sense for your beds – and where it is worth thinking again.