FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Garden & Plant Journal?
Garden & Plant Journal is a Windows desktop application for tracking indoor and outdoor plants, planning seasonal gardens, logging observations, and accessing care guides. Garden & Plant Journal includes a built-in reference library of 132 common plants with care instructions, light requirements, and watering schedules. Garden & Plant Journal stores all data locally using SQLite with no cloud or internet required.
How much does Garden & Plant Journal cost?
Garden & Plant Journal costs $19 as a one-time purchase from AppKatz Software. The $19 covers a permanent license, unlimited plant entries, the full 132-plant reference library, seasonal planning tools, and the journal log. Garden & Plant Journal charges no monthly subscription, no per-plant fee, no per-photo fee, and no annual renewal.
Is there a free trial of Garden & Plant Journal?
Yes. Garden & Plant Journal offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. The trial activates unlimited plant tracking, the 132-plant reference library, seasonal planner, journal log, and watering and feeding task management. After 14 days, the user can purchase a $19 lifetime license or stop using Garden & Plant Journal with no charge.
How is Garden & Plant Journal different from PlantNet or Planta?
PlantNet is free but stores observations in the cloud and is identification-focused. Planta charges $35.99 per year as a subscription. Garden & Plant Journal costs $19 once. Garden & Plant Journal runs offline on Windows PCs and focuses on long-term garden management (seasonal planning, journaling, and care scheduling) rather than mobile-first plant identification.
Is Garden & Plant Journal safe to install on Windows?
Yes. Garden & Plant Journal ships as a code-signed Windows installer verified by DigiCert. The DigiCert signature confirms that AppKatz Software (operated by LaunchWizard, LLC) published the installer and that the file has not been altered. Code-signed installers do not trigger Windows SmartScreen warnings. Garden & Plant Journal stores all data locally with no telemetry.
Does Garden & Plant Journal work offline?
Yes. Garden & Plant Journal runs 100% offline. Garden & Plant Journal uses a local SQLite database stored on the user's Windows PC. The 132-plant reference library is bundled with the installation and requires no internet lookup. Garden & Plant Journal needs internet only for the initial download of the installer file.
How many plants are in the Garden & Plant Journal reference library?
Garden & Plant Journal includes a built-in reference library of 132 common indoor and outdoor plants. Each entry covers care tips, light requirements, watering frequency, feeding schedule, and pruning guidance. The user can also add custom plants outside the 132 included entries with full notes and care schedules of their own design.
Will Garden & Plant Journal work on Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Yes. Garden & Plant Journal is built and tested for Windows 10 (version 1809 and later) and Windows 11. Garden & Plant Journal uses standard .NET runtimes that ship with both operating systems. The installer does not modify system files, does not require administrator privileges to run after installation, and does not change Windows Registry settings outside the application folder.
