Table of contents
Welcome to the Free Allotment Planner
Looking for a free allotment planner UK gardeners can rely on? This interactive vegetable garden planner UK helps you design raised beds, plan layouts, and organise companion planting combinations with ease. Built around the square foot gardening method, it’s made for real UK growing conditions — no logins, no subscriptions, and no hidden catches. Whether you’re planning your first patch or refining your existing space, this tool keeps your growing simple, visual, and efficient.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Watch the short tutorial to see how to set up your grid, drag and drop plants, and check companion planting chart UK combinations. It’s quick, intuitive, and completely free — ideal for both new growers and experienced allotment holders.
Plan the Perfect UK Plot – For Free
Tired of complicated or expensive garden planner software that doesn’t suit UK growers? This FREE online garden planner was built specifically for allotments, raised beds, and square foot gardening layouts. Whether you’re new to growing or have years of experience, it helps you plan smarter, save space, and grow healthier crops.
Unlike tools that hide features behind subscriptions, this is a free allotment planner UK gardeners can count on. It’s tuned for local veg varieties, common allotment layouts, and proven companion planting guide UK information.
Many so‑called garden planner apps claim to be free but block key features behind paywalls. This allotment layout planner was built differently — made by UK growers for UK conditions. From crop rotation to spacing, every detail is tuned for real gardens. Think of it as your digital planting notebook and garden planner app UK in one.
What You Can Do with This Free Garden Planner
- Create custom layouts using the square foot garden planner UK method.
- Get instant companion planting feedback with the built-in companion planting app
- Plan anywhere — works on desktop, tablet, or mobile
- Start immediately — no sign-up, no tracking, no hidden catches (Revenue comes from Ads)
This isn’t another generic tool. It’s a genuine GrowVeg alternative, combining the ease of square foot gardening with allotment‑focused features — built by and for real UK growers. For more about lunar phases, zodiac signs, and the best planting days, explore the Biodynamic Planting Calendar for UK and US growers.
Vote for the Next Features
We’re shaping the future of the Square Foot Allotment Planner together. Have your say by joining our Facebook group poll and voting on which features to build next. Your feedback directly guides development.
Walkthrough: How to Use the Allotment Planner
Getting started is simple. This step‑by‑step guide shows how to set up your layout, place vegetables, and make the most of the built‑in square foot gardening planner UK features.
1: Select Your Plot Size
Use the width and height controls to match your growing space. Each square equals one square foot. Whether you’re working with a compact raised bed or a full‑sized allotment, the grid adapts easily.
Tip: To reset, use Clear Veg to wipe your plot or Generate Grid to rebuild it.
2: Choose Your Vegetables
Browse the dropdown menu to explore everything from leafy greens to root crops. Drag an icon onto the grid to place it in your plan.
- Desktop: Click, hold, and drag the veg icon into position.
- Mobile/tablet: Tap, hold, then drag to place.
- To duplicate a crop, hold Shift and drag. To remove one, right‑click (desktop) or double‑tap (mobile).
3: Use Built‑In Companion Planting Feedback
As you design your layout, the app automatically checks your grid:
- Green border = good neighbours (grow well together).
- Red border = poor companions (avoid planting together).
- Yellow border = mixed results (some benefits, some drawbacks).
Hover on desktop or tap on mobile for detailed companion planting guide UK tips, which also export with your PDF plan. (Coming soon)
4: Adjust and Arrange
Refine your design as you go:
- Hold Shift and drag to copy crops.
- Drop a new veg over an existing one to replace it.
- Right‑click or double‑tap to delete.
This flexibility makes it easy to test layouts, rotate crops, and fine‑tune your allotment planning tool setup.
5: Export Your Layout (PNG or PDF)
You can quickly save your finished allotment plan as a PNG image or PDF to view on your phone or print before heading to the plot.
- Click Export in the top-right of the planner.
- Choose PNG (simple image) or PDF (print-ready).
- Your file will download instantly to your device.
- Open it on mobile, or print it for easy reference at the allotment.
With your layout saved, you’ll always have a clear guide with you while planting.
Tool Controls (Desktop & Mobile)
- Right‑click: remove a crop (desktop).
- Double‑tap: remove a crop (mobile/tablet).
- Shift to copy: hold shift and drag a placed crop.
- Eraser tool: press clear to remove all crops.
- Hover for tooltips: hover over icons for extra info.
Ready to Plan Your Plot?
Open the free allotment planner UK now and start building your layout. Whether you’re on a tablet at the plot or a laptop at home, this square foot garden planner UK makes it easy to experiment with crops, check companion planting chart UK ideas, and design a productive space that fits your growing goals.
Follow these steps and you’ll have a productive, well‑organised plot using one of the best free vegetable garden planners UK growers can access today. If you’re new to growing, you can apply for an allotment through Gov.uk.
Why Use This Planner?
With so many garden planner apps UK available, it’s fair to ask why this one stands out. Here’s what makes it the best free allotment planner app UK growers can depend on:
Key Benefits
- Always free — no trials, upsells, or hidden costs.
- Designed for allotments — built for raised beds and real UK veg.
- Square foot gardening planner built in for simple, efficient layouts.
- Companion planting guide UK included automatically.
- Works seamlessly on all devices — desktop, tablet, and mobile.
- No login, no tracking, no data collection — ever.
Built by a Gardener, Improved Continuously
This isn’t a corporate product with slow release cycles. It’s made in‑house me – Fred, so updates roll out fast — often in direct response to feedback. With no big budgets or red tape, this allotment planning tool improves every season.
To learn more about me and what The Backyard Farmer is all about, you can find more info right here!
A Retro‑Inspired Look
The planner uses pixel art inspired by cozy games like Stardew Valley. It keeps things approachable and fun while delivering accurate layouts and reliable growing advice. It’s a small detail that makes the companion planting app feel distinctive, memorable, and enjoyable to use.
Companion Planting Chart UK: How to Use It
The built‑in companion planting chart UK makes it easy to see which vegetables grow best together — no need to memorise lists. Green borders show good companions, red borders show poor neighbours, and yellow indicates mixed results. Whether you’re pairing carrots with onions or tomatoes with basil, the chart adapts to real UK growing conditions. It’s one of the most practical features of this vegetable plot planner.
GrowVeg Alternative: How This Planner Compares
Many websites promote a “free” garden planner but simply redirect to GrowVeg’s paid app — including some allotment and gardening sites. This tool is different. It’s a GrowVeg alternative built independently for UK gardeners, with no logins or upsells. Every feature — from companion planting guidance to printable PDFs — is genuinely free to use. It’s the straightforward, privacy‑friendly option for anyone who wants to plan a plot without pop‑ups or paywalls.
Key Differences
- Free to use: no subscriptions, upsells, or hidden charges.
- No login required: start planning instantly.
- UK allotment layouts supported: designed to match real UK plots.
- Built‑in companion planting: always included, never an add‑on.
- Privacy‑first design: no tracking or data collection.
- Export to PDF: create clean, printable allotment plans in seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most common queries about the free allotment planner UK and how to make the most of it. This section also works as a quick companion planting guide UK for growers looking for clear answers.
Is this planner really free?
Yes — completely free. There are no subscriptions, hidden extras, or sign‑ups. Just open the allotment planning tool and start designing your plot.
Absolutely. The grid is flexible, so you can set it up for small raised beds or scale it right up to a full UK allotment. It’s ideal for both beginners and experienced growers.
Yes. The built‑in companion planting app highlights good and bad pairings automatically, using coloured borders for quick feedback.
Yes. Many planners online simply use the GrowVeg tool under another name. This is an independent garden planner app UK gardeners can use for free, designed specifically for allotments and square‑foot gardening. It doesn’t require an account, and all features are included from the start.
Coming very soon!
For a full seasonal overview, explore our Vegetable Planting Calendar to plan sowing and harvest times throughout the year.
Changelog and Roadmap
This online garden planner free tool continues to evolve thanks to feedback from growers like you. Here’s how it’s grown and what’s coming next:
Spotted a bug or got an idea? Drop us a note at planner@backyard-farmer.com — we’d love to hear from you. This online garden planner free tool will keep expanding over time — helping you plan, rotate, and improve your growing space season after season. Whether you’re managing a small raised bed or a large site, it’s the perfect allotment layout planner for UK growers.
(Jan 2024) Rev 1.0 – Initial Release
- Launched the first version with core grid-based planning.
- Added initial vegetable options.
(May 2024) Rev 1.2
- Added PDF export for printable layouts.
- Introduced full-screen mode.
- Improved mobile usability & touch support.
- Expanded guide and layout handling tools.
(Jan 2025) Rev 2.0
- Introduced the new retro pixel-art UI design.
- Expanded the full veg library, including companion-planting rules.
- Added PDF export with companion-planting reference panel.
- Improved mobile drag-and-drop interactions.
- Added fruit tree layout support (spacing + category options).
(Nov 2025) Rev 2.1 – Export & Visual Refresh
- Added Export to PNG for clean single-image garden layouts.
- Improved PDF export boundaries, cropping, and output quality.
- Improved visual clarity for grids, icons, and tool panels.
- Fixed several sprite alignment issues.
- Improved category sorting and bottom-menu rendering.
(Nov 2025) Rev 2.1.1 – Icon & Year-State Fixes
- Fixed Next Year / This Year state switching bug where changes weren’t saved properly.
- Fixed Squash Family icons still pulling in legacy sprites on the grid.
- Updated all squash icons
- Synced veg menu + grid tile renderer to the same icon source
- Cleaned up internal crop ID and icon mapping.
- Minor stability improvements around drag-placement.
(Dec 2025) Rev 2.2 – Cosmetic Enhancements (Work In Progress)
These are optional visual extras, not affecting core planning logic:
- Added Secret Chicken Companion (pixel-art cosmetic sprite; walks occasionally along the bottom UI).
- Added support for decorative sprite layers (future gnomes, stepping stones, etc.).
- Added internal support for seasonal themes (not yet exposed in UI).
Transparency: How It’s Funded
This planner stays free thanks to simple, on‑page adverts. There are no subscriptions, no upsells, and no sign‑ups. We don’t sell your data, and we keep things lean so you can focus on growing, not logging in. That’s it — a straightforward, ad‑supported tool for UK allotment growers.
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | This Planner | GrowVeg | Other Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free to use | Yes | No (subscription) | Varies |
| UK allotment layouts | Yes | Partial | Rare |
| Requires login | No | Yes | Usually |
| Built‑in companion planting | Yes | Limited / add‑on | No |
| Privacy‑respecting | Yes | Mixed | Mixed |
| Export to PDF | Yes | Yes | Sometimes |
More FREE Interactive Gardening Tools
Biodynamic Planting Calendar — best sowing days by moon phase for UK growers.
UK Vegetable Planting Calendar — plan sowing and harvesting across the season.
What to Plant in Autumn & Winter — quick guide for cooler‑season crops.
