Product Guides

Digital Planting Plan

The Digital Planting Plan is the map-based workspace for turning a project boundary, planting recipes, and site observations into an editable spatial design.

36 minutes read

The Digital Planting Plan is the map-based workspace for turning a project boundary, planting recipes, and site observations into an editable spatial design.

This guide covers the complete planner workflow: setting up the map, placing and editing plants, generating planting layers, drawing site elements and paths, analysing the design, saving versions, and creating outputs.

The planner is a design aid, not a land survey or planting guarantee. Check important positions, dimensions, levels, plant choices, and quantities against reliable site measurements and local growing conditions before implementation.

Before you start

Prepare the project before opening the planner. You will get a more useful and reliable result when the following items are in place:

a project with a clear name;
the correct site location;
an accurately drawn project boundary;
at least one standard planting recipe linked to the project;
any known soil, moisture, hardiness, access, and site information;
a modern desktop browser for detailed design work.

The boundary defines the main design area. Individual plants, planting rows, and planting zones are expected to remain inside it, and the plan generator needs a usable boundary before it can create a layout. If the boundary is missing or wrong, return to the project and correct it first. See Projects and Planting Recipes for the setup workflow.

Some controls are only available when your account includes the corresponding advanced features. A locked control opens an access message instead of running the tool. See Plans and Feature Access if a feature is unavailable.

Open, create, or resume a plan

Open the project and find Digital Planting Plans. Select an existing plan to continue it, or select New planting plan to begin a separate design. When you open the planner without explicitly choosing a plan or requesting a new one, it resumes the project's most recently updated plan when one exists.

Check the plan name in the header before editing. This is especially important when a project contains alternatives with similar names. On a new canvas the header can remain blank; Plan hub identifies it as an unsaved plan until the first named save succeeds.

Quick start: create your first plan

Use this short workflow when you want to learn the editor before exploring every tool:

Open the project and select New planting plan in Digital Planting Plans.
Select Plan hub, choose Save planting plan, and give the plan a recognisable name.
In Planting > Plants, select a linked recipe.
Turn on Crosshair and move the map until the crosshair is over the intended planting position.
Select Place at crosshair on a plant card, or use Choose position to drag a temporary pin to an exact location.
Select the placed plant on the map and drag it to test editing.
Turn Spacing on and check the plant footprint and spacing circle.
Add a few more plants, then select Save version.
Open Analysis > Inventory to check what the plan contains.
Before leaving the page, confirm that the save status reports success.

Use Guided basics

On the first visit to the planner, Guided basics offers a short interactive introduction adapted to your screen. It highlights the live planner interface while you name the plan, choose a recipe, set the map crosshair, place a plant, review spacing and inventory, and save a permanent version. On mobile, it also introduces the labelled Tools drawer and opens or closes it at the right moments.

The guide never inserts or changes plan data automatically. You perform each action and can exit at any time. Select Guided basics beside Plan hub in the header whenever you want to restart it. Completion is remembered in the current browser; clearing browser storage makes the first-visit invitation available again.

Once this works, continue with drawings, paths, generated layers, sun and shade, or outputs.

Understand the workspace

The planner contains a header, a tool sidebar, a map viewport, and a status bar.

Header. The left side returns to the project. The centre shows the current plan name and a rename control. The right side contains Save version, Plan hub, and Fullscreen. The row above the map also provides shortcuts for common display and analysis controls.

Tool sidebar. The narrow outer navigation switches between four tool groups. The inner navigation shows the tools in the active group. Select Settings separately to configure the workspace. On a smaller screen, use the sidebar button in the header to open or close the tools.

Map viewport. This is where you pan, zoom, place plants, draw objects, inspect overlays, and select existing elements. Some tools temporarily replace the normal map interaction with drawing or placement mode.

Status bar. The bottom bar reports selected-item information and the application version.

The sidebar is organised as follows:

Group	Tools	Main purpose
Site design	Base map, Drawings, Paths, Templates	Build the physical context and access structure
Planting	Plants, Generator, Plant info, Plant editor	Place plants and refine planting choices
Analysis	Measure, Terrain, Ground control, Sun & shade, Harvest, Inventory	Test dimensions, terrain, light, harvest periods, and quantities
Execution	Planted, Notes, Output	Record implementation, collaborate, export, and share
Settings	Grid, spacing, overlay, existing plants, map type	Configure how the workspace is displayed

When a tool appears unresponsive, first check whether another placement, drawing, measurement, or preview mode is still active. Finish or cancel that mode before starting a different one.

Navigate and configure the map

Drag the background to pan. Use the mouse wheel, trackpad, or a pinch gesture to zoom. Fit plan recentres the view on the project area. Fullscreen gives the map more working space without changing the plan.

Choose a map view

Use the header shortcuts or Settings > Map type to select a background:

Map shows the standard road map;
Satellite shows aerial or satellite imagery;
Hybrid combines imagery and map labels when selected in Settings;
Terrain shows the provider's terrain-oriented base map;
Combined places visible orthomap layers over satellite imagery;
Orthomap uses imported orthomap layers as the main map view.

You can also hide provider labels in Settings. Combined and Orthomap are useful only after an orthomap has been imported.

Map imagery can be old, displaced, seasonally obscured, or captured at an angle. Do not infer exact legal boundaries or construction positions from the background alone.

Use the viewport shortcuts

The shortcut bar changes the display without changing the underlying design:

Crosshair shows the target at the centre of the viewport used by Place at crosshair and other centre-based actions.
Grid shows or hides the planting grid.
Overlay shows or hides the mask outside the project boundary, making the design area easier to read.
Numbers shows inventory numbers beside plan elements.
Spacing shows the configured spacing circle around individual plants.
Heights shows the plan's plant-height indicators.
Notes shows or hides annotation markers.
Elevation opens or closes the contour display.
Sun path shows or hides the sun compass.
Shadows shows or hides shadows for the selected date and time.

These controls are visual aids. For example, a spacing circle is based on the stored plant width and the current multiplier; it is not an automatic site-specific planting recommendation.

Adjust workspace settings

Open Settings to customise:

grid size, horizontal and vertical offset, colour, and opacity;
the plant-spacing multiplier, colour, line opacity, fill opacity, and line width;
project-overlay colour and opacity;
whether existing plants are visually dimmed;
map type and map-label visibility.

Use a grid size that matches the decisions you are making. A small grid may help with intensive beds, while a larger grid is easier to read for orchards or shelterbelts.

Find and place plants

Open Planting > Plants. This tab is the main plant palette for the current design.

Select and manage recipes

Choose a recipe from Recipes to load its plants. Select Manage recipes to add another standard recipe to the project or remove a linked recipe. Removing a recipe from the project changes the available palette; it does not automatically remove plant markers already stored in the current plan.

The search mode determines what appears in the plant list:

Recipe searches the selected recipe;
Catalogue searches the curated plant database;
My Plants searches your private reusable plant library.

Enter part of a common or scientific name in the search field. The Filter sub-tab can sort results by layer, harvest date, or name and can show additional filters based on the current plant set.

In Catalogue mode, enter a search term or choose a plant layer; the planner does not load the complete database as one unfiltered list. If no catalogue result matches, select Add this plant to create it privately without waiting for an administrator. Recipe quantities are reference information and do not limit how many markers you can place.

Each plant card summarises the stored name, scientific name, dimensions, layer, light requirement, and harvest period where available. Select Details before placing a species when you need to inspect its complete plant record.

Build your private My Plants library

Use My Plants when a plant is missing from the catalogue, the exact species is not known yet, or you need a reusable placeholder such as “Existing pear tree” or “Future berry shrub”. The library belongs to your account and does not require administrator approval.

Select Add my plant and complete the short form:

Enter the name you recognise.
Choose the plant layer.
Choose Small, Medium, or Large.
Select Save to My Plants.

The planner estimates mature width, height, and map colour from those choices. Open More details only when you want to add a scientific name, name language, exact dimensions, a different map colour, harvest months, or private notes. Exact dimensions replace the estimate. Missing ecological information remains unknown; a personal plant is not automatically treated as suitable for the site.

Each My Plants card shows its current library status:

Private means only you can use the plant;
Enriched means more information has been added but the plant remains private;
Submitted means it is waiting for catalogue review;
Published means it is linked to a curated catalogue plant. Your private name, size, harvest details, and notes remain editable;
Estimated size identifies dimensions that came from the quick size choice.

Use the pencil action to edit a private plant. Changes affect placements made afterward; existing markers, rows, and zones retain the name, layer, dimensions, colour, and harvest period saved with that plan. Private notes and review metadata are never copied into the placement snapshot.

Use the archive action to remove a plant from the active library. A plant already referenced by a plan is archived and can be restored from My Plants > Archived. A plant that has never been used is permanently deleted after confirmation. Existing plans remain visually complete even when their source library plant is archived. A quota-frozen plant cannot be edited, submitted, or newly placed, but it can still be archived to free library capacity. Publication never replaces or silently updates a plant already placed in a plan.

When a personal plant is sufficiently identified, use the send action to suggest it for the public catalogue. The private record remains available during review. Catalogue publication is optional and administrator-controlled.

The planner inventory groups personal plants by an internal typed reference and reads their display data from the saved placement snapshot without looking up the private library again. CSV output contains the displayed inventory or planting fields, not the private source reference or an embedded snapshot. Missing values remain Unknown. Text fields are escaped and neutralised before download so names, nursery names, and notes beginning with spreadsheet formula characters are opened as text.

Your subscription may limit the number of active personal plants. The current usage appears below the My Plants controls. Archiving an unused plant or changing plan access can restore capacity.

On phones, the form opens as a full-height sheet with one field per row and a save bar fixed above the safe-area inset. The form scrolls independently from the map and keeps entered values when validation or a network error occurs.

Place an individual plant

A plant card provides two individual-placement methods:

Place at crosshair adds the plant immediately at the centre of the map. Turn on Crosshair, pan the map until the target is correct, and then select the action.

Choose position creates a temporary draggable pin. Drag the pin to the intended position and select Place plant here. Select Cancel or press Esc to leave placement mode without adding the plant.

Tree records may ask you to choose a trunk form. Select the form that represents the intended plant material. If you choose to remember the selection, the browser reuses it for later tree placements; it can be reset in the Plant editor.

Plant circles use the width stored for the plant or cultivar. They show a design footprint, not the present-day canopy of a young plant. Keep the circle inside the project boundary and verify the assumed mature dimensions.

Select, move, duplicate, or remove a plant

Select a plant circle on the map to highlight it. A selected individual plant becomes draggable. Move it to the new position and release it; a move outside the project boundary is rejected and the plant returns to its previous position.

The Plant info tab contains management actions for the selected plant:

Duplicate places a copy at the map crosshair;
Remove deletes only the selected marker;
Remove species deletes every marker of that plant type from the current plan.

The removal actions ask for confirmation. Save a useful version before deleting many plants so that the earlier layout remains available in version history.

With an individual plant selected, the arrow keys nudge it. Hold Shift for a larger step. Delete or Backspace opens the removal confirmation when focus is not inside a text field.

Place cultivars

When a plant card lists cultivars, use the cultivar's own placement, zone, or row action. Cultivar markers remain associated with the parent species but retain their cultivar-specific name and available dimensions or harvest information. See Cultivars for cultivar management outside the planner.

Draw a planting zone

Use Zone for groundcovers, dense herbaceous planting, mass planting, or another area where exact individual positions are not yet required.

Select Zone on the intended plant or cultivar card.
Click around the planting area to draw a polygon.
Finish the polygon using the drawing interaction shown on the map.
Select the completed zone to review it in Plant info.

Zones must remain inside the project boundary. The zone details report its area and an estimated number of plants. The estimate uses the stored plant width together with allowances for access space and packing efficiency. Treat it as an early design estimate and calculate the implementation quantity separately when exact spacing or losses matter.

Select Edit in the zone information to move the zone or adjust its points. Save or cancel the shape edit explicitly. Select Remove to delete the zone.

Create a planting row or perimeter

Use Row to distribute individual plant markers along a route, hedge, bed edge, or closed perimeter.

Select Row on a plant or cultivar card.
Click to draw an open line. Close the shape at its starting point when you want a perimeter.
Finish the drawing.
Review the preview and choose the number of plants, up to the displayed maximum.
Select Confirm to create the individual markers.

The maximum is estimated from line length and stored plant width. An open line includes its endpoints; a closed line distributes markers around the perimeter without duplicating the start point. After confirmation, every plant is an individual editable marker.

Inspect and edit plant information

The planting tools separate reference information from plan-specific editing.

Plant info

Select a plant on the map and open Plant info to review available information such as:

scientific and common names;
height, width, form, growth rate, foliage, and longevity;
hardiness, light, soil, pH, and moisture preferences;
edible, medicinal, and functional properties;
harvest and flowering periods;
the plant description;
management or implementation data available to your account.

The information comes from the catalogue, cultivar, My Plants snapshot, and any plan-specific overrides. Missing information is shown as unavailable rather than inferred.

Plant editor

Use Plant editor when one marker, or every marker of the same species in this plan, needs different design values. Select a plant and edit supported properties such as:

diameter and height;
trunk form for tree types;
marker colour;
crown form and crown density;
harvest start and end dates.

Changes are previewed live on the selected marker while you adjust the controls. When saving, choose Only this plant or All plants of this species to confirm the intended scope. The reset action offers the same scope and restores the original stored properties. These changes customise markers in the current plan; they do not rewrite the shared plant database. Select Save version afterward to persist them in the plan.

Generate planting layers automatically

Open Planting > Generator to create an editable layout from a linked recipe, your site boundary, painted planting areas, and design preferences.

Generated layouts are organised into independent planting layers. You can use one layer for the north orchard, another for an understory strip, and a third for a pond edge. Re-generating one layer does not replace manual plants or other generated layers.

Step 1: check readiness and create a layer

The readiness panel checks the project boundary, site area, and linked recipes. If the result is out of date, select the refresh control.

Enter a descriptive layer name and select Add layer.
Select the layer in the layer list.
Choose a linked recipe for that layer.
Select Edit selected layer.

The layer counter shows how many generated layers are in use and the current limit. Use separate layers for areas that require different recipes, density, objectives, or design horizons.

Step 2: set preferences and paint the allowed area

Configure the selected layer:

Planting density chooses spacious, balanced, or intensive spacing.
Primary objective gives extra weight to a balanced design, food production, biodiversity, or medicinal value.
Design horizon chooses the future point used for size, spacing, and cover estimates. A later horizon generally requires more room.
Fill target asks for either a target plant count or target plant cover.
Priority plant layers gives selected vegetation layers extra weight.
Maximum height excludes plants above the chosen height at the design horizon.
Use current plants as spacing constraints keeps generated markers away from manual plants and plants in other generated layers using layer-aware crown spacing.

In Plants in this recipe, include or exclude individual plants and give important plants extra priority. Advanced layer weights provides finer control over how strongly each vegetation layer is represented.

The generator only uses map areas painted with the Planting brush:

Choose a brush diameter. The control reports both diameter and radius.
Select Paint on map.
Paint inside the intended part of the project boundary.
Use Undo stroke to remove the last stroke or Clear paint to start again.
Select Stop painting when the allowed area is complete.

The brush colour identifies the generation layer; it does not change plant colours. Paint only genuinely plantable space and leave access routes, buildings, water, and service areas out of the allowed area.

The generator automatically excludes paths and drawings that act as blocking objects. Structure templates do not have a reliable obstacle footprint, so leave unpainted clearance around every placed template. Planting zones are considered as current-plant constraints only when Use current plants as spacing constraints is enabled.

Step 3: review and generate

Select Review preferences and check the summary. Generate preview creates a temporary layout for the selected layer. The current saved plan remains unchanged during preview generation.

Step 4: inspect, tune, and apply the preview

The preview reports:

requested, placed, and unplaced plants;
estimated plant cover;
painted area;
plants by vegetation layer;
cover by vegetation stratum when available;
assumptions, fallbacks, and warnings used to build the design.

Select a preview plant to identify it or open its plant information. You can adjust spacing, objective, design horizon, and count or cover target while retaining the same layout seed. Select Generate another variant when you want a different arrangement.

Targets are goals, not guarantees. A preview may place fewer plants when the painted area, project boundary, design-horizon plant size, existing markers, or spacing constraints leave insufficient room. Review all warnings before accepting it.

Select Apply to current plan to replace only the selected generated layer. Applying a preview changes the working canvas but does not persist it by itself. Select Save version after applying or modifying a generated layer.

Design the site context

Open Site design for orthomaps, map objects, paths, and reusable layout guides.

Import an orthomap

Use Base map to add a georeferenced orthophoto or drone map as a GeoTIFF.

Choose a .tif or .tiff GeoTIFF no larger than the displayed upload limit.
Review the filename and size.
Select Import orthomap.
Keep the browser tab open while the file is validated, reprojected, and converted into map tiles.
When processing is complete, use Combined or Orthomap in the viewport header.

The source file must contain valid georeferencing. The server converts it to the map projection automatically; a normal, ungeoreferenced image cannot be positioned reliably by this workflow.

To protect processing capacity, an account can start at most six orthomap uploads per hour and process two at a time. Each project can retain five orthomap layers, with a maximum of twenty layers across one account. Remove an obsolete layer before importing another when a limit is reached.

The layer list lets you show or hide an orthomap, adjust its opacity, or remove the layer and generated tiles. Use opacity to compare the orthomap with satellite imagery, the boundary, or drawn objects. Orthomaps belong to the project rather than one saved plan, so the project's other planting plans can also use them. Removing a layer therefore removes that map source for every plan in the project. If preparing imagery in WebODM, export a georeferenced GeoTIFF.

Draw map objects

Use Drawings for buildings, ponds, water storage, growing areas, structures, and other physical elements.

Select Polygon, Rectangle, or Circle.
Draw the shape on the map.
Enter a required name.
Enter a height in metres, or use 0 for a flat object.
Add an optional description.
Adjust colour, fill opacity, outline opacity, and outline width if needed.
Select Save object.

Select a saved object from the map or object list to edit it. Edit shape allows the object or its points to be moved. Height indicators can be hidden without deleting the stored heights. Raised objects are also considered by supported shadow analyses.

Import visible buildings

In Drawings, zoom to level 17 or closer until the buildings of interest are visible and select Import buildings. The planner requests OpenStreetMap building footprints for the current map view and adds new footprints as editable map objects. Previously imported matching buildings are skipped.

The import does not copy geometry from the Google Maps background. When OpenStreetMap has an exact building height, the planner uses it. When only a level count is available, the planner estimates three metres per level and labels the value as estimated. If neither is available, review and set the height yourself.

Always compare imported outlines and heights with current imagery or field measurements. OpenStreetMap data can be incomplete, outdated, simplified, or offset. Correct the objects and save the plan after the import.

Draw and edit paths

Use Paths for access routes, maintenance paths, wheelbarrow routes, and service access.

To draw a custom path:

Select Draw path.
Click to place centre-line points and double-click to finish.
Use Undo point or Redo point while drawing.
Enter an optional name and description.
Set the path width. Presets are provided for narrow, walking, accessible, and service paths.
Drag control points to refine the route.
Select Save path.

The path panel reports centre-line length, surface area, and point count. Double-click a point to switch between a smooth point and a corner. Advanced controls adjust curve strength and curve detail.

With snapping enabled, endpoints can connect to other paths, project boundaries, and map objects within the configured snap distance. You can split a path at a selected interior point or join it to another path using the closest endpoints. Save to commit the edit; cancel to restore the previous saved geometry.

Design checks warn when a path appears to leave the project boundary, overlap protected plant space, cross a map object, or intersect another path. These checks highlight items for review; they do not replace accessibility, drainage, slope, construction, or machinery-turning assessments.

Use path templates

Path templates provide adjustable standard and permaculture patterns, including straight, L-shaped, U-shaped, loop, keyhole, mandala, hub-and-spoke, and meandering layouts.

Choose a template, set its overall size, path width, and rotation, then use the map handles to move, scale, or rotate the preview. Scaling changes the overall pattern without changing the configured path width. Select Place template to turn the preview into editable path geometry.

Use structure templates

Use Templates for reusable layout guides. Search the library or filter it by category, then select an available template.

On the map:

drag inside the template to move it;
drag a corner to scale it;
drag the top handle to rotate it;
use the arrow keys to move, + or - to scale, and [ or ] to rotate.

Select Place on map to fix the guide in position. The Placed templates list is used to revisit or remove fixed templates. A structure template is a design guide; verify that its real dimensions and construction requirements suit the site.

If My templates is available, you can upload an SVG as a reusable personal template. The filename supplies its library name. Review the SVG and its scale before placement, and confirm carefully before deleting a personal template because library deletion is irreversible.

Analyse the design

Analysis tools help you inspect the plan from several perspectives. Their results depend on the quality of the project boundary, map data, plant records, and object dimensions.

Measure distance and area

Open Measure and choose:

Distance for a straight line, route, bed length, or path;
Area for area and perimeter.

Select Start measuring, then click to add points. The panel reports live point count, current segment, total distance, and—when applicable—area and perimeter. Drag points to correct the geometry.

Use Enter to finish, Backspace to undo the last point, and Esc to cancel. The same actions are available as buttons. Keep labels after finishing leaves segment labels on the map. Completed measurements remain in the list and are included when the plan is saved; remove individual results or select Clear all measurements when they are no longer needed.

Map measurements inherit any positional error in the boundary or background. Use surveyed or field measurements for construction and legal decisions.

Show terrain contours

Open Terrain and turn on the elevation display. Configure contour interval, line colour, opacity, line width, label visibility, and label colour.

The planner samples available elevation data around the project and interpolates contour lines. The result can help identify broad slope patterns, but resolution and vertical accuracy vary by location. Do not use generated contours as a replacement for a topographic survey, drainage design, or earthworks setting-out.

Create a section view

Open Section to generate an automatic side profile of the project boundary, terrain, and plants at their stored mature dimensions. Switch between the long axis and cross axis, use Flip view to reverse A and A prime, and select Refresh after changing the plan.

The section keeps horizontal and vertical scale equal. Zoom, pan, show plant names, filter plant layers, and inspect the ordered plant list to understand how canopy and understory layers relate along the profile. Export the current view as a high-resolution PNG, editable SVG, or vector PDF.

The profile is a design aid. Its terrain and plant silhouettes depend on the available map data, boundary geometry, and stored plant dimensions; verify construction levels and critical clearances with field measurements.

Set up ground control

Ground control helps translate a digital plan into field measurements from fixed reference points.

Identify at least two stable, unambiguous points that also exist in the field. Three points provide a stronger triangulation check.
Select Place reference marker, drag the temporary marker to the exact point, and confirm it.
Repeat for the other reference points. The planner labels them sequentially so that you can match the map and distance table.
Turn on all measurement lines when you want an overview, or select one plant to focus its distances.
Use the plant list and distance table to read the distance from the selected plant to each marker.

You can show distance labels, emphasise reference markers, fit all markers in view, search plant measurements, and clear the marker set. Where available, export all plants or only the visible search results as CSV, GeoJSON, or PDF.

Ground-control distances are only as reliable as the map alignment and marker positions. Measure from stable physical points, use consistent units, and verify triangulated positions in the field before planting.

Explore sun and shade

Open Sun & shade to explore sunlight at the project location.

Sun compass. Turn on the compass to show orientation and sun paths. You can choose a projection, show or hide altitude, azimuth, seasonal, and current-path lines, and change compass size, position, colours, and opacity.

Date and time. Set month, day, and time directly or drag through the year timeline. Quick selections jump to morning, solar noon, evening, or the current time. Lock a solar preset to keep the same relationship to sunrise or sunset while moving through the year. The panel also shows estimated sunrise and sunset times and a daily sun graph.

Shadows. Turn on plan shadows and choose a minimal, realistic, analysis, or outline presentation. Intensity changes appearance; direction and length remain based on the selected sun position and stored object dimensions.

Daily shade analysis. Turn on the shade heatmap, choose selected day, growing season, or year overview, select the calculation detail, and run the analysis. The result classifies sampled areas as sunny, partially shaded, or shaded. When light compatibility is enabled, the planner flags placed plants whose recorded light preferences may conflict with the estimate.

Animation. Run a day, month, or year animation. You can limit it to daylight, pause, reset, loop, or change transition behaviour. Seasonal shortcuts jump to 21 December and 21 June.

The shade model is indicative. It uses stored plant dimensions, seasonal leaf assumptions, raised drawing objects, and sampled daylight. It does not include terrain, neighbouring vegetation, buildings outside the plan, pruning, unusual crown forms, or every local obstruction. Confirm critical light conditions through site observation across seasons.

Use the harvest calendar

Open Harvest to work with harvest periods for plants currently in the plan.

Use the sidebar to:

filter by plant layer or harvest month;
show only plants with harvest data;
sort by layer, name, harvest start, or harvest end;
include or exclude planting zones and personalised plants;
choose one full calendar or separate calendars by layer.

Select Open full harvest calendar to replace the map viewport with the calendar. Each month is divided into first-half and second-half periods. Use Back to planting map to return.

To visualise harvest timing on the map, choose a full-year timeline, season overview, or individual month and select Show harvest periods on map. The full-year timeline can be dragged through the year, while month controls move between harvest periods.

Harvest dates are reference data, not fixed promises. Cultivar, climate, weather, pruning, crop load, plant age, and management can shift the actual period.

Review the inventory

Open Inventory to see a grouped list of plants, zones, paths, and drawings. Search the list, show or hide plant and zone categories, and turn inventory numbers on or off. Selecting an item in the inventory locates and highlights it on the map.

The CSV export includes type, number, name, quantity, trunk form where relevant, and available details such as dimensions or area. It exports the complete inventory of plants, zones, paths, and drawings, regardless of the current search term or category visibility. A zone remains an area entry with an estimate; it is not silently converted into an exact purchase quantity.

Record implementation and collaborate

Mark plants as planted

When implementation tracking is available, select an individual plant and open Plant info. Turn on Plant is planted, then record the planting date, nursery, and notes. Mark Existing planting for a plant that was already on site before this design so that supported outputs can treat it differently.

Open Execution > Planted to search and sort the implementation list by date or name and to export it as CSV. The Dim existing plants setting can make existing vegetation less prominent while designing. Turning Plant is planted off also clears its planting date, notes, and existing-plant status, so use that action carefully.

Add plan notes

Save the plan before starting a collaborative annotation workflow. In Execution > Notes:

Move the map so the crosshair or map centre is at the intended location.
Select Place an annotation.
Enter the note and choose Comment, Warning, Problem, Success, or Todo.
Add the annotation.

Use category filters to focus the list, reset filters to show everything, and use the visibility control to hide or show markers without deleting them. An annotation can be located from the list, hidden, replied to, or deleted according to the available permissions.

When a share link allows annotations, visitors can add feedback without changing plants, paths, drawings, or other design content. Annotations belong to the plan, so feedback received through different active links for the same plan appears together. Notes and replies can be reviewed through the plan's sharing workflow.

Save, manage, and recover plans

Saving early is important because autosave, version history, sharing, 3D, annotations, and backup actions depend on a saved plan.

Create the first save

Select Save version. For an unsaved canvas, enter a plan name and create a new plan. Use a name that distinguishes the design from alternatives, for example “Initial concept”, “Orchard spacing option”, or “Phase 1”.

After the first save, Save version updates the current plan and creates a permanent version when the content changed. If nothing changed, the planner reports that the current version is already up to date.

Use the pencil beside the current plan name to rename it. Renaming changes the label; it does not create a separate alternative.

Use Plan hub

Open Plan hub for all plan-management actions:

Overview saves the current plan, saves it as a separate plan, or starts a new canvas.
Plans opens, renames, or deletes plans belonging to this project.
Version history shows saved versions and their generated change lists.
Preferences controls autosave, checkpoints, and inactive-session timing.

Use Save as new plan before exploring a substantially different design direction. Start new plan clears the working canvas, so save anything you may need before confirming. Deleting a plan also deletes its complete version history and cannot be undone through the planner.

Understand autosave and versions

Autosave starts only after the plan has been saved once.

An autosave updates the working plan after the selected period of inactivity without creating a permanent version every time.
An automatic checkpoint creates a permanent version at the selected interval while an editing session remains active.
An inactive-session timeout determines when later editing begins a new autosave session.
A manual save through Save version always attempts to create a permanent version when meaningful content changed.

The status in Plan hub reports whether autosave is ready, saving, paused, or waiting for an initial plan save. Autosave reduces risk but is not a reason to skip manual milestones.

Saved design content includes the plan elements and their plan-specific data. The current map centre, zoom level, and most temporary display or sun-analysis settings are workspace preferences rather than versioned design content, so they may not reopen exactly as shown during the previous session.

Restore an earlier version

In Version history, review the date, source, user, and change list for each version. Select Restore this version to make an earlier design current.

Restoring does not erase later history. It creates a new version based on the selected earlier point, so you can still return to work created afterward.

Leave the planner safely

The planner warns when it detects unsaved changes. Choose to save before leaving whenever the current work matters, and wait for confirmation. Browser crashes, network failures, expired sessions, or blocked requests can still interrupt a save.

Open Execution > Output. Save the current plan immediately before creating an output so that tools based on the saved record use the latest design.

Export a technical drawing

Select Export PDF to open the technical-drawing workspace. The export supports PDF for printing and SVG for digital editing.

Configure:

a built-in or saved custom export preset;
PDF or SVG format;
A4 through A0 paper size and portrait or landscape orientation;
automatic or custom scale;
optional multi-page tiling, overlap, crop marks, and alignment marks;
plant numbers and names;
plants, plant outlines, zones, paths, grid, contours, spacing circles, drawings, structure templates, and ground-control markers;
title and project information, north arrow, dimensions, scale bar, and plant schedule.

Review the live preview, refresh it after significant setting changes, and then select Export. When using a custom scale, confirm that the whole required plan still fits the chosen paper and drawing area. Custom export presets are stored in the current browser, so they may not appear on another device or in a cleared browser profile.

Export to and connect QGIS

Select Download GeoPackage to export the current saved plan as spatial layers for QGIS. Select QGIS connection to create or revoke a device token for a compatible client. Save the plan immediately before either workflow so the exported or synchronized data uses the intended version.

The GeoPackage contains editable and reference-only layers. Connected changes are previewed and validated before an atomic push creates a new plan revision. See QGIS Integration for token security, layer permissions, synchronization, conflict handling, and troubleshooting.

Open the 3D view

Select Open 3D view to inspect the saved plan in three dimensions. The action requires a saved plan. Save again after changing plant dimensions, colours, crown properties, drawings, or generated layers so the 3D view receives the latest data.

The 3D result is a design visualisation based on stored properties. It is not a prediction of exact plant growth or architecture.

Select Share plan to create a view-only link. Give the link an optional name and description, and optionally email it to a recipient.

Privacy and collaboration controls include:

Hide exact location, which removes the background map for visitors while leaving the shared design geometry visible;
Allow annotations, which lets visitors add notes and replies without editing the design.

Anyone who receives an active link may be able to open it, so treat the URL as shareable access. The sharing panel lists active links for the project, not only the plan currently open, and lets you copy, edit, or deactivate them. Manage all opens the cross-project sharing dashboard.

Create a purchase list

Select Create purchase list, enter a version name, and add optional procurement notes. The purchase list is linked to the saved design: each individual marker contributes one to the grouped plant-or-cultivar quantity, while markers identified as existing plants are excluded. Supplier choices, prices, references, and notes can be managed without losing the link to plan quantities.

Save the plan before creating or refreshing the list. A planting zone remains one plan object and is counted as one list item rather than using its estimated capacity. Because the dynamic list resynchronises from saved markers whenever it opens, a manually entered replacement zone quantity will not persist. Represent exact plants with markers, calculate zone requirements outside this dynamic list, or use a recipe-based list when quantities must remain manually controlled. See Procurement for supplier records, saved prices, versions, synchronization, printing, and export.

Download and restore a backup

Select Download backup to save an encrypted .agroforest backup of the saved plan, its project context, annotations, and linked recipe information supported by the backup format. Format 2.2 also carries the account's My Plants library and personal-plant recipe links. It uses stable user:<uuid> references and embedded placement snapshots, so the plan does not lose a personal plant when its live library definition is archived later. Store the file somewhere separate from the browser and application; it contains private account content even though it is encrypted.

To restore it, return to Projects, select Import Backup, validate the file, review its metadata, optionally change the plan name, and confirm the import. The importer reuses matching owned My Plants entries, rewrites plan and recipe references to the actual restored UUID, and keeps archived entries archived. It rejects cross-account UUID collisions and any active-library restore that exceeds the current allowance before saving partial data. Owner-bound format 2.1 backups remain supported. Do not edit the backup file manually; a changed or damaged encrypted payload cannot be imported.

Work on touchscreens and with the keyboard

The planner supports touch input, but a larger screen and precise pointing device are recommended for complex paths, small polygons, overlapping plants, and technical exports.

On a phone or tablet:

use the header sidebar control to open and close the tools;
pinch to zoom and drag to pan when no drawing mode is active;
select an element before attempting to move or edit it;
close a modal or finish the current mode before returning to map gestures.

Useful keyboard controls include:

Context	Controls
Temporary plant position	Esc cancels placement
Selected individual plant	Arrow keys move; Shift + arrow moves farther; Delete or Backspace requests removal
Measurement	Enter finishes; Backspace removes the last point; Esc cancels
Structure template	Arrow keys move; `+` / `-` scale; `[` / `]` rotate
Path drawing	Double-click finishes; use the visible undo and redo controls for points

Keyboard shortcuts are context-sensitive. Click the map before using them and confirm which element or mode is active. Avoid using movement or deletion keys in a text field while a plant remains selected. Always read the active tool's on-screen instructions, because drawing modes can use keys differently.

Accuracy and interpretation

Use the following rules when turning a plan into field work:

Boundary and imagery: confirm important coordinates and dimensions independently. Aerial imagery and map layers can be offset.
Orthomaps: accuracy depends on the original flight, ground control, processing, coordinate reference system, and GeoTIFF georeferencing.
Imported buildings: OpenStreetMap footprints and heights require verification.
Plant sizes: database, cultivar, generated, and edited dimensions are planning assumptions. Growth depends on genetics, climate, soil, water, pruning, competition, and age.
Spacing: circles and generator constraints help compare layouts but do not account for every root system, access requirement, disease risk, or management regime.
Plant zones: quantity estimates simplify spacing and packing. Produce a final planting schedule from the actual specification.
Terrain: generated contours show broad patterns and are not survey-grade levels.
Sun and shade: the model excludes terrain and off-plan obstructions and simplifies seasonal plant form.
Harvest: recorded periods are approximate and location-dependent.
Path checks: warnings identify geometric conflicts, not construction compliance.
Ground control: triangulation is only as good as the reference positions and field measurements.

Record the source and date of critical measurements in project descriptions, drawing descriptions, or plan notes.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
The map opens at the wrong place	Confirm the project location and first polygon boundary, then use Fit plan.
No plants appear in the list	Select a linked recipe, open Manage recipes, change the search mode, clear the search term, or reset filters.
A plant, zone, or row cannot be placed	Keep it inside the project boundary and finish or cancel any other active drawing, measurement, brush, or placement mode.
The generator is not ready	Add a valid boundary and linked standard recipe, refresh readiness, create or select a generated layer, and choose its recipe.
The generator places fewer plants than requested	Enlarge the painted area, lower the count or cover target, use a nearer design horizon, change density, or review existing-plant and height constraints.
An orthomap is rejected	Use a valid georeferenced `.tif` or `.tiff` within the displayed size limit. Keep the tab open during tile processing.
Combined or Orthomap view looks blank	Confirm that an imported layer finished processing, is visible in the layer list, and has sufficient opacity.
Building outlines or heights are wrong	Edit the imported drawing using current imagery or measured values; imported data is only a starting point.
Contours do not appear	Turn on the elevation display, wait for elevation data, and choose an interval suitable for the site's elevation range.
Shadows or the heatmap look empty	Choose a daylight time, turn shadows or the heatmap on, confirm plant and drawing heights, and rerun the analysis.
Notes are missing	Open a saved plan, show annotations, reset category filters, and check whether the active share link allows annotations.
3D, sharing, purchase list, backup, or an export is disabled	Save the plan first and check whether the feature is included in your current access.
GeoPackage download or QGIS connection is unavailable	Save the plan and review whether QGIS interoperability is included in the active account access.
QGIS reports a read-only layer or revision conflict	Edit only supported layers. For a revision conflict, download the current plan and deliberately reapply the required edits. See QGIS Integration.
Recent changes are not in an output	Return to the planner, select Save version, wait for success, and recreate or reopen the output.
The planner becomes slow	Hide shadows, shade heatmaps, contours, labels, or other dense overlays while editing; close unused previews and work at an appropriate zoom.
You need an earlier design	Open Plan hub > Version history and restore the required version.

If a repeatable error remains after reloading the saved plan, contact support with the project name, plan name, browser, the tool being used, and the exact message shown.

Recommended end-to-end workflow

For a larger design, this order keeps dependencies clear and creates useful recovery points:

Verify the project location, boundary, and site information.
Link the required planting recipes.
Create and name a new planting plan, then save its first version.
Choose the best base map and import an orthomap if available.
Add or import buildings and other fixed map objects.
Draw paths and place structure templates.
Measure critical beds, routes, setbacks, and growing areas.
Add existing vegetation and mark it as existing where supported.
Place individual plants, rows, and zones, or create generated planting layers.
Refine plan-specific dimensions and inspect spacing.
Review terrain, sun, shade, harvest periods, and inventory.
Add implementation notes and ground-control references.
Save a named version and review its change list.
Create the technical drawing, QGIS GeoPackage, 3D view, share link, purchase list, or backup required for the next project stage.
Verify all critical design information on site before implementation.

Continue with QGIS Integration for spatial exchange and synchronization, or Procurement to manage suppliers and purchase-list versions. Return to Getting Started for the wider application workflow, or review Plans and Feature Access when an advanced planner tool is locked.