Garden Weather Tools
Plant smarter. Lose fewer plants.
Free zone + planting tools
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map — planthardiness.ars.usda.gov. Type zip — get zone.
- Almanac.com Planting Calendar — when to plant for your zip code. Free.
- Burpee planting calendar — also free, by zip.
- Garden.org last-frost-date lookup.
Weather apps — gardener features
- Weather Underground — frost alerts, hyperlocal stations.
- AccuWeather — "MinuteCast" rain prediction.
- Apple Weather — pollen, UV, sunrise/sunset.
Plant ID apps
- iNaturalist — free, identifies plant + tells you if invasive/edible.
- Seek by iNaturalist — kid-safe version, super fast.
- PictureThis — $30/year. Premium accuracy + plant care.
- PlantNet — free, scientific.
- Google Lens — built into Google app, decent at common plants.
Smart garden tech
- Smart sprinkler — Rachio, Rain Bird Wi-Fi. Skips watering when rain forecast. Saves 30% water.
- Smart soil sensor — XLUX (free, no app), or Vegetronix (with app).
- Min-max thermometer — track overnight low ($15 at hardware store).
- Rain gauge — $5-15.
- Personal weather station — Davis, AcuRite. $150-500. Reports back to Weather Underground.
Frost protection
- Cover with old sheets, frost cloth, or upturned buckets when overnight low < 35°F.
- Container plants — move into garage or against house wall.
- Water plants thoroughly DAY BEFORE frost — wet soil holds heat.
- Christmas lights (incandescent only) under cover add 5-10°F.
- Frost cloth at hardware store — $10-30.
Free local advice
Every county has a Cooperative Extension office (USDA). FREE Master Gardener phone hotline. Identify pests, diagnose plant problems, get planting advice for YOUR exact area. Search "[your county] cooperative extension".