Plant Database
The Plant Database is TilthIQ's reference library for every plant you can track. It stores growing parameters, rotation data, and companion relationships that power the rest of the app.
What Is Stored for Each Plant
Each plant entry in the database contains:
- Name — the common name (e.g., Tomato, Cucumber, Basil)
- Days to Germination — typical days from sowing to first sprout
- Days to Maturity — days from transplant (or direct sow) to harvest-ready
- Spacing — recommended distance between plants in inches
- Height — typical mature plant height
- Growth Habit — e.g., Determinate, Indeterminate, Bush, Vining, Compact
- Crop Rotation Family — the family used for rotation tracking (Solanaceae, Brassica, etc.)
- Notes — any free-text growing notes or variety-specific guidance
These values are used automatically when you create a planting — harvest dates and task schedules are calculated from them.
Browsing the Plant Database
Navigate to Planning > Plant Database to browse all entries. Use the search box to filter by plant name, or filter by crop rotation family using the dropdown.
Click any plant to view its full details page, where you can also see all companion relationships associated with that plant.
Adding New Plants
If a plant you grow is not in the database, click + Add New Plant and fill in the fields. You do not need every field complete to start — add what you know and fill in details later.
The Enrich from Web Button
The Enrich from Web button on any plant's Details page uses the Garden AI to search the web for growing data and auto-fill empty fields. This is especially useful for:
- Unusual heirloom varieties
- Newly released cultivars
- Plants you have grown from saved seed without much documentation
After enriching, TilthIQ shows you a preview of what it found so you can accept, edit, or reject the suggested values before saving.
Note: Enrich from Web requires a Garden Pro or Garden Team subscription.
Admin Plant Importer
Administrators can bulk-import plants from a CSV file via the Admin > Plant Importer page. This is useful for populating the database with a large number of varieties at once.
The CSV format accepts: Name, DaysToGermination, DaysToMaturity, Spacing, Height, GrowthHabit, CropRotationFamily, Notes.
Tip: The more complete your plant database entries, the more accurate TilthIQ's harvest date calculations and planting window suggestions will be. Take 5 minutes to fill in days-to-maturity for your most-grown varieties — it pays off all season long.