# SOW - A Planting Companion > Gardening companion for optimal crop planting times and detailed plant information. (iPhone/iPad app by Alabama Cooperative Extension System.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sow-a-planting-companion/id840347996 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Alabama Cooperative Extension System](https://appshunter.io/developer/632308093) - Category: Lifestyle, Utilities - Price: Free - Rating: 2.70/5 from 53 App Store ratings · 48 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.6 · 52 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2014-03-28 - Data updated: 2026-07-05 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sow-a-planting-companion/id840347996/reviews.md ## What is SOW? The “SOW – A Planting Companion” app is designed to tell you the optimum time to plant crops in your home garden. Choose your location and start planting. Tap the photo of a crop to see more information: • Estimated days to harvest • Estimated yield per plant • Spacing between plants • Planting depth below ground level • Suggested varieties • Special notes as needed The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, University of Kentucky, and North Carolina A&T State University Extension have partnered to provide crop and planting information for growing zones 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, and 9a. If you would like to see your state/zone in this app, contact Alabama Extension at acesapp@auburn.edu. ## Key features - Optimum planting time recommendations - Crop-specific planting information - Estimated days to harvest - Estimated yield per plant - Plant spacing and depth guidance - Suggested crop varieties ## Recent user reviews (10 of 48) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sow-a-planting-companion/id840347996/reviews.md ### 3/5 — Blueberries? *2026-04-17, version 5.2* 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. ### 2/5 — Never saves my info *2024-11-17, version 5* 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! ### 1/5 — Unusable on Mac *2024-01-01, version 5* 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! ### 1/5 — Your major update is terrible *2023-04-11, version 5* This app I have used for the last 2 years, I will delete this app because of this update. It is no longer user friendly. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work *2023-03-27, version 5* App froze after just two days. When opened, would only show a blank white screen. Tried to see if there was an update possibly making it do this, but no updates were available. Deleted. ### 1/5 — Glitchy *2023-01-15, version 4.1.1* Won’t let me input any plants. Keeps shutting down ### 2/5 — Not as impressed as I could be! *2023-01-06, version 4.1.1* After I put tons of work into adding all of the plants that I’m putting into my garden with hopes of being able to follow the harvesting calendar in the app, multiple times now Ive had to go back in and restart because the app has completely reset, and I’ve lost all of the data. ### 2/5 — Not supported for my state *2022-04-22, version 4.1.1* I love everything about what this app can do, but it doesn’t support my state. I really wish it did. ### 2/5 — Please update this app *2022-03-08, version 4.1.1* I really wish this app would give you the dates of when you can plant a certain vegetable and the option to print out information ### 4/5 — Please add indoor seed sowing dates! *2022-01-08, version 4.1.1* Great app, but please add an indoor sowing date tab! That would be incredibly helpful! ## Frequently asked questions about SOW ### What does the SOW - A Planting Companion app do? This app helps home gardeners identify the optimal time to plant various crops. By selecting your location, you can receive personalized planting recommendations and access detailed information for each crop. ### What kind of information does the app provide for each crop? For each crop, the app offers details such as estimated days to harvest, expected yield per plant, recommended spacing between plants, planting depth, suggested varieties, and any special growing notes. ### Is this app free to use? Yes, the application is available for free. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned, indicating a completely free user experience. ### What growing zones does the app support? The app currently provides crop and planting information for growing zones 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, and 9a. Users can contact Alabama Extension if they wish to see their state or zone included in future updates. ### Who developed the planting information in this app? The planting information is a collaboration between the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the University of Kentucky, and North Carolina A&T State University Extension, ensuring reliable and expert-backed guidance. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 5.2 — 2025-01-29 Introduced an optional feature to anonymously track user state and county. Users can opt out at any time, and no personal information is collected or stored. ### 5.1 — 2025-01-15 Introduced an optional feature to anonymously track user state and county. Users can opt out at any time, and no personal information is collected or stored. ### 5 — 2023-03-15 This is a major app update. This new installation will overwrite garden data from the previous version of the app. To retain your current planted garden data, we recommend making notes of current crop names and planting dates and manually reentering the data after the update is installed. This update includes planting data from the University of Kentucky, the ability to create multiple gardens, and a journal function to keep track of previously harvested crops, to name a few. ### 4.1.1 — 2020-07-15 Fixed an error where the app was displaying the wrong number of vegetables available and showing blank results. ### 4.1 — 2020-05-06 Bug fixes ## Apps similar to SOW | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [(株)JAエコパル](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ja/id1635276580) | — | Free | Lifestyle | | [Rivals Barbershops](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rivals-barbershops/id1660629140) | — | Free | Lifestyle | | [Cheッk](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chek/id1638914960) | — | Free | Lifestyle | | [SA BEAUTY MANAGER](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sa-beauty-manager/id1633897180) | — | Free | Lifestyle | | [Sky Smart Home](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-smart-home/id1643672580) | 4.0 (2) | Free | Lifestyle | | [My ATF](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-atf/id1633629780) | — | Free | Lifestyle | ## More apps by Alabama Cooperative Extension System - [Alabama Crops](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alabama-crops/id900628688) - [Alabama Water Watch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alabama-water-watch/id1261497490) - [Farming Basics](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/farming-basics/id1378696723) - [Oyster Farming Toolkit](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oyster-farming-toolkit/id1381535547) - [Poultry Farming Toolkit](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poultry-farming-toolkit/id1435344690) All apps by Alabama Cooperative Extension System: https://appshunter.io/developer/632308093 ## Related topics [companion planting](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/companion-planting) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-05.*