SOW - A Planting Companion

Name: SOW - A Planting Companion
Rating: 2.7 (54 reviews)
Author: Alabama Cooperative Extension System

By: Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Lifestyle

Features & Capabilities

SOW – A Planting Companion helps you plan your home garden by providing zone-based planting guidance and crop data. Choose your location and start planting. Tap a crop to view essential details, including:

Estimated days to harvest
Estimated yield per plant
Spacing between plants
Planting depth below ground level
Suggested varieties
Special notes as needed

This app is developed through a collaboration between the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, University of Kentucky, and North Carolina A&T State University Extension, covering growing zones 6a–9a. If you’d like to see your state/zone, contact acesapp@auburn.edu.

User Growth & Download Statistics

App Education

By:

Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Rating:

2.70

(54)

Version:

5.2 Last updated: 2025-01-29

Version code:

872092048

Creation date:

2014-03-28

Compatible devices:

Size:

52.18MB

URLs:

Full description:

Source:

Apple Apps Store

Data ingested on:

2026-06-06

Compare stats and ranking:

Ranking

# 233,038 ▼ 531

For Developers

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Contact the developer

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Developed by:

Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Apple Apps Store

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sow-a-planting-companion/id840347996

User Reviews

Users praise SOW for its science-based, county-level planting-date guidance and general usefulness for planning, especially when functioning. However, it faces recurring issues: limited/outdated zone coverage, stability crashes and data loss, restrictions on adding crops, and settings not being saved. They also request features like indoor sowing dates, printing, notes, reminders, and broader crop coverage. Addressing zone accuracy and reliability would likely unlock the app’s potential.

Pros

County-level, science-based planting-date guidance that helps with planning.
Useful tool for garden planning and calendar management when the app runs smoothly.
Free to use with potential for future enhancements and broader crop coverage.

Cons

Hardiness/zone coverage is limited or inaccurate (zones not supported or outdated mappings).
Frequent stability issues: crashes, freezes, blank screens, and data loss across devices.
Inability to add non-listed crops or crops outside the recommended list, plus loss of planted data.
Location/region settings are not reliably saved or remembered across sessions.

Recent reviews

I love this app and I want to add my blueberry bush but they’re not even an option for my zone even though they’re absolutely able to grow here. I wish there was more of a search function for things that may not be technically in my zone, I have some things indoors I would also like to track.

by vi*****, 2026-04-17

Updating a previous review. They have not updated the revised for 2023 USDA zones. They have Shelby County as 8a! I looked at a detailed map, and I’m actually 9a now. This dramatically affects when and what I plant!

by tw*****, 2024-11-17

Says it works on my Mini, but the UI follows neither Apple's iOS nor Mac guidelines and basic things like dates can't be selected on the mac. Impossible to get past the setup screen!