Next Up

13 Useful Gardening Gadgets

By: Jeff Stafford

These cool gadgets and apps offer help for almost any garden interest or need.

Don't get caught off guard by a sudden drop in temperature. With ColdSnap!, gardeners are notified when there is a danger of low temperatures outside the expected range, giving them time to cover up and protect plants, and take other measures against the cold. Includes global forecast data and the ability to configure and monitor up to four locations. Compatible with Android, $1.58.

1 / 13

Photo: Image courtesy of Antony Cook, ColdSnap! Frost Alert

ColdSnap! Frost Alarm

Afraid you'll get caught off guard by a sudden drop in temperature? With ColdSnap!, gardeners are notified when there is a danger of low temperatures outside the expected range, giving them time to cover up and protect plants, and take other measures against the cold. The app includes global forecast data and the ability to monitor up to four locations. Compatible with Android; $1.58.

If you want to get scientific about your gardening, here's one way to become more precise in tasks like calculating how many square feet a bag of fertilizer will cover in your garden. You can find out what caused a plant's leaves to turn yellow and what nutrients can cure the problem. This is a handy go-to source for fertilizer and nutrient troubleshooting. Compatible with iPhone and iPad and iPod touch, $2.99.

2 / 13

Photo: Image courtesy of TimesToCome Mobile, Fertilizer Calculator

Fertilizer Calculator

If you want to get scientific about your gardening, here's an app that will help you become more precise in tasks like calculating how many square feet a bag of fertilizer will cover in your garden. You can find out what caused a plant's leaves to turn yellow, what nutrients can cure the problem and other essentials. Fertilizer Calculator is compatible with iOS; $2.99.

3 / 13

Photo: Image courtesy of Parrot.

Parrot Flower Power

This unique gadget from the French company Parrot can sense levels of sunlight, moisture, temperature and fertilizer in your plants' environment and wirelessly send a signal to your smartphone or tablet to keep you informed on the health of your plants. Containing a database of over 6,000 plants, Parrot Flower Power can tailor its diagnoses to your specific plant. Currently compatible with iOS, but Parrot expects Android support to be released during the first half of 2014; $59.99.

4 / 13

Photo: Image courtesy of Back to the Roots

Plants + Fish = Fun

The young entrepreneurial UC Berkeley students who brought you the grow your own mushroom kit have done it again, with the AquaFarm. This self-cleaning fish tank uses fish waste to feed the plants that grow above the tank. In turn, the plants clean the water in a perfect little ecosystem. $59.99.