Gardening apps offer help but have limits for growers
Updated
Updated · The Denver Post · May 8
Gardening apps offer help but have limits for growers
13 articles · Updated · The Denver Post · May 8
The article says 56% of growers used apps in 2024, with Colorado experts praising plant identification tools but warning against relying on them for diagnosis.
Apps such as iNaturalist, PictureThis and planning tools can aid identification, companion planting and weather tracking, but accuracy depends on photos, location settings and realistic data.
Nurseries and Colorado State University Extension staff remain better sources for complex pest or nutrient problems, as AI tools can hallucinate layouts or advice and miss local conditions.
With AI's accuracy for plant ID rising, what is the next tech breakthrough needed to reliably diagnose complex plant diseases?
Amidst Colorado's severe 2026 drought, can gardening apps evolve to promote genuinely sustainable and water-wise local practices?
As smart tech transforms gardening, will the essential hands-on skills of cultivation be lost or simply reimagined for a new era?