Support & FAQ
Answers to the most common questions about Permaplans — from the first plant to export. For everything else: ask the assistant or write to us.
Nothing found — ask the assistant below.
Getting started
Do I have to sign up to try Permaplans?
No. You start as a guest without an account and can switch to a full account later with one tap — everything you created is kept. In the browser you can even look at a real garden without installing anything.
Which devices does Permaplans run on?
iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux and in the browser. One account, every device, automatic sync. The core features also work offline; changes sync later.
How do I create my first garden?
Tap "Gardens" at the bottom, then "Create new garden". The wizard asks for the location and derives climate zone, frost risk, precipitation, heat sum, soil indicators, slope and aspect — nothing to look up.
Where do I find which function in the app?
In the app under Help & settings → "Where do I find what?" every screen is listed with all its buttons. The assistant on this page reads the same map, so you can simply ask it.
Which languages is the app available in?
Thirteen: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Danish, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Turkish. The plant encyclopedia is translated as well.
Plants & search
How do I add plants to my garden?
Five ways: via the search with garden filters, by name, by photo identification, by voice or from a table. In the garden under Plants tap "Add plants" and pick the way.
How does plant identification by photo work?
You photograph the plant, the app compares the image via the PlantNet service and suggests species. A sharp photo of leaf, flower or fruit gives the best results. You can add the identified species straight to your garden.
How many plants does Permaplans know?
More than 1,100 species with over 200 attributes — site, growth, harvest, yield, nutrition, propagation, uses, toxicity level — plus over 1,000 cultivars. The focus is on woody and perennial food plants for food forests, orchards and agroforestry. If a species is missing you can suggest it or create it with the AI.
What do "edible" and "medicinal" mean?
They come from literature and field reports and state whether plant parts are traditionally eaten or used medicinally. Please inform yourself further before consuming or applying anything — the app does not replace expert advice.
What does "layer" mean for a plant?
In a food forest plants stand in storeys: canopy, tree, shrub, herb and ground-cover layer, plus climbers. The app shows which layers are occupied in your garden and where there is still room above or below.
Can I compare fruit cultivars?
Yes. The cultivar finder compares more than 1,000 cultivars by bloom time, pollinators, ripening, storage and disease susceptibility and shows which suits your site and your existing pollinators.
Garden & map
How accurate is the garden map?
The map sits on real coordinates. Backgrounds are satellite imagery, street map and, for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, official aerial imagery at 10 to 30 cm resolution. Every plant is drawn at its mature size; spacing conflicts show immediately.
Can I see what my garden looks like in ten years?
Yes. The future slider grows trees and shrubs on the map — 1, 5, 10 or 20 years. In the 2.5D view you can also walk through the garden in space.
Can I create several gardens?
Yes — home garden, community garden, food forest, orchard or client project, each with its own site, type and level. How many gardens your plan includes is listed on the pricing page.
Can I move plants between gardens?
Not yet. Transferring to another garden — completely or as a copy with new age and area — is planned and will be announced in the changelog.
Can I use my own aerial photo?
Yes. You place a drone photo as an overlay on the map and fit it to the property. This feature is included from the Starter plan.
Can I share my garden with others?
In two ways: invite others by link or code to work on the same garden together. Or publish it as a profile page with map, species and events — you decide what is visible.
Yield & analysis
How is the yield calculated?
From the plant's area or age and species data such as yield per square metre. These figures come from commercial growing, because only there they are recorded statistically — they can therefore be higher than yours. From this the app derives annual yield, calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates.
Can I see how much of my diet the garden covers?
Yes. The self-sufficiency analysis projects yield and nutrients over the years and shows the share of your needs — today, in five and in twenty years. Plus panels for money, firewood, forage for bees and occupied area.
Can I export my plan?
Yes: as a PDF planting plan and as GeoJSON, DXF for CAD, KMZ for Google Earth and CSV. A simple PDF export is included from Starter, the full export with all formats from Premium.
Plans & purchase
What can I use for free?
The plant encyclopedia with all filters, one garden with map and plants, the community and the games. The Starter, Premium and Business plans unlock more gardens, exports, drone imagery and client management.
Subscription or one-time purchase?
Both. Every plan is available as an annual subscription or as a one-time lifetime purchase. On the phone you buy via the App Store or Google Play, on the computer via the website.
What are Pacham?
The in-app currency. You earn it by playing, completing tasks and referring friends and spend it on AI features or redeem it in the coupon shop. It keeps AI features from being abused — in normal use you will not notice it.
What does the Business plan offer planners and nurseries?
Client management with client gardens, log and project status, a dense professional interface for many projects, all exports for client deliverables and, for nurseries, linking your own shop catalogue to the encyclopedia.
Data & privacy
Where is my data stored?
In a database in Frankfurt. Through your account it is available on all devices. Your gardens are private unless you publish them, and you can export them at any time.
Does the app work without internet?
Yes. The encyclopedia, your gardens and the map cache live on the device. Changes made without signal are stored and synced later. Only features that need a service — photo identification, AI, community — wait for the connection.
How do I delete my account?
In the app under Help & settings. The account and all data are deleted. If you want to keep something, export it first.
Installation & support
Windows warns during installation — is that normal?
Yes. The SmartScreen filter warns about programs it has rarely seen. Click "More info" and then "Run anyway". The file comes straight from us and is verified when downloading.
How do I get the latest version?
On the phone via the store. On the computer the app tells you itself when an update is available; under Help & settings → Updates you can also check manually. What changed is in the changelog.
I found a bug or have an idea — where does it go?
In the app under Help & settings: "Report a bug" sends us the report directly; wishes go under Community → Feature requests, where you prioritise them with points. We read everything.
I made a video course on permaculture — can I offer it in the app?
Gladly. The Learn area is meant as a platform for courses on gardening, permaculture and agroforestry. Get in touch from the app via Help & settings → Contact.
Does the app replace expert advice?
No. Permaplans supports planning and care. Consuming or using plants is at your own risk; when in doubt, ask a professional.
Still stuck? In the app under Help & settings → Contact you reach us directly, no spam form.