Today’s column features AI tools to identify plant diseases, garden pests and weeds; monitor climate and soil; and optimize plant care. These are available for download for cellphone use. Some require a monthly or annual fee, which could be worthwhile for those needing frequent assistance in successful gardening.

This column complements recent columns featuring two forms of artificial intelligence useful in the garden.

One of these forms includes broadly used tools: generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). This category produces new content based on existing information. It can generate text, images, music or video.

GenAI requires prompt engineering skills to address a specific interest. For example, in response to a well-crafted prompt describing a desired garden landscape plan, GenAI will produce a plan that the gardener can regard as a first draft or write a new prompt to refine the plan as needed. GenAI tools are accessible from ChatGPT, Google Gemini (formerly Bard) and other applications.

The second form of AI tools described in a recent column is plant identification tools. These tools identify the plant in your photos by matching it to large databases of plant images.

Today’s image gallery again includes images of relatively unfamiliar plants, with captions hinting to identify them. We invite readers to identify these plants based on experience or research without an AI plant ID tool. We identify the plants at the end of this column (no peeking!).

Readers can also use a plant ID tool to identify a plant seen in one’s own garden or elsewhere. These tools are easy to use and a bit of practice can be helpful.

The use of plant ID tools requires a clear photo of the plant to be identified. In this case, prompt engineering means taking a close-up photo of the plant’s blossom, leaves or both. Cell phone cameras produce photos with good focus, while the photographer carefully selects good composition and indirect lighting. (Strong direct sunlight can produce shadows and wash out image details and should be avoided.)

Let’s proceed to today’s topic.

AI tools for plant disease diagnosis and general assistance

These are not all such AI-based tools that are available currently, and gardeners surely will discover more tools in the future. Gardening benefits from the information age!

AgroAI. An AI-powered solution to assist farmers in making smart decisions about their crops, weather and plant health. Designed for agricultural use, but applicable for home gardens. Free.

Flower Care. This tool “speaks for plant” and accurately delivers cultivation information for greenery and flowers in the home, including current moisture and sunlight needs. Free.

iNaturalist (inaturalist.org) Gathers plant observations in natural settings while walking or gardening by using AI and massive community-driven biodiversity datasets, where users contribute plant and animal observations. This is a nonprofit project that supports gardeners’ contributions to the information about biodiversity. Free.

Leaf Doctor. Examines leaves and performs quantitative assessments for plant disease. This tool uses four colors on the leaf surface to represent healthy tissue. Analyzes leaf spots, discoloration and other symptoms, assesses the severity of disease and suggests treatment. Developed by University of Hawaii assistant professor Sarah Pethybridge. Free.

Parrot Flower Power. Includes a plant database for information on specific plants, supports secure registration of plants in your garden and recommends several categories of plants that are appropriate now for your location: indoor and outdoor plants, flowering plants, fruits and vegetables, bushes, decorative leafy plants, cactus and succulents, etc. Free.

Planta. Provides plant disease diagnostic, plant care guide, watering schedule, light meter, fertilizer schedule and plant identification. Fee: $7.99 per month.

Plantix. Diagnoses plant problems and diseases, and provides plant identification and plant care, including solutions to restore plant health. Covers over 30 major crops and offers solutions tailored to specific regional areas. Fees: $6.99 weekly, $14.99 monthly, $39.99 yearly.

Plantum. Provides care schedule for plants and plant identification, drawing from a database of 400,000 plant species. After a free trial, requires fees of $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.

PlantVillage Nuru. Uses AI to scan plant leaves and detect diseases like rust, mildew and viral infections. Works offline, which is helpful in remote locales. Developed by Penn State University to help small farmers. Free.

Plantyx. Identifies and diagnoses plant health issues as well as care recommendations. Offers a three-day free trial then requires fees of $6.99 per week.

Seed to Spoon. Provides growing guides, weather recommendations, critter identification and treatment, plant identification, etc. Offers a free seven-day trial, then $4.99 per month or $46.99 per year.

WatchFlower. A plant monitoring application that reads and plots data from compatible Bluetooth sensors. It also works great with a couple of Bluetooth thermometers and air quality monitoring sensors. This is an open-source software. Fee: $1.99.

This week in the garden

Try some of this week’s garden-related AI tools. They could be helpful in knowing more about your plants and growing them with success.

Mark your calendars

Two local plant sales will be held on April 12, hosted by the Monterey Bay Dahlia Society and the Santa Cruz Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Next week’s column will provide related information with enough time to plan additions for your garden.

Revealed names of unidentified plants

a. Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos hybrid ‘regal velvet’). This hybrid of Australia’s A. flavidus and A. manglesii, bearing small red and green flowers in spring. Attracts hummingbirds.

b. Purple vine lilac (Hardenbergia violacea ‘happy wanderer’). This plant’s twining stems reach 12-16 feet. Its oblong leaves clothe the stems and pinkish-purple flowers with a chartreuse spot in center cascade in the winter to early spring.

c. Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea). In early summer, flowering stems rise to 20 inches tall with terminal umbels of sweetly fragrant lilac-pink flowers. Flowering continues throughout the summer into fall.

d. Purple owl’s clover (Castilleja exserta). This California native plant has shaggy pink-purple or lavender flower clusters. The thin, erect leaves are usually tipped with the same color, giving the flower cluster the appearance of a paintbrush.

e. Silktassel (Garrya elliptica ‘james roof’). This large shrub or small tree, a California native, produces showy flower tassels up to 12 inches in length. It is ideally suited to California’s coast, its natural environment.

Enjoy your garden!

Tom Karwin is a past president of Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the Monterey Bay Iris Society, a past president and lifetime member of the Monterey Bay Area Cactus and Succulent Society and a Lifetime UC Master Gardener (certified 1999-2009). He is now a board member of the Santa Cruz Hostel Society and active with the Pacific Horticultural Society. For garden coaching info and an archive of previous On Gardening columns, visit ongardening.com.