Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Veggie Exchange.
Getting started
What is Veggie Exchange?
It’s a small online community where hobby gardeners track their plants and share seedlings with each other. Think of it as a garden journal plus a friendly bulletin board for the gardeners around you.
Who is it for?
Anyone who grows plants for fun, from a balcony of pots to a backyard full of trays. Some people just keep a journal, some pick up plants from local growers, and some grow extras to share. See Features for what each group gets.
Should I use the app or the website?
Gardeners and shoppers: use the iPhone app. Growers running a farm: plan on the website, where all the farm tools are, and use the app (or the website on your phone) out in the garden. Your account works on both. On Android, use the website.
| I want to… | iPhone app | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Follow farms and growers, read and post to the community feed | âś… Best | âś… |
| Browse a farm's store, reserve plants, pick a pickup time | âś… Best | âś… |
| Keep your own garden journal (My Garden) and log care and harvests | âś… Best | âś… |
| Scan a plant's QR tag | âś… | With your phone's camera |
| Notifications | Push | |
| Run a farm: seed inventory, trays, germination, pots, labels, garden beds | — | ✅ Only here |
| Sell or share: offerings, pickup windows, orders, the paid/unpaid ledger | — | ✅ Only here |
| Farm members, email announcements, season analytics | Personal harvest analytics | âś… Farm-wide |
Do I need a farm to use Veggie Exchange?
No. My Garden tracks any plant you’re growing, and you can reserve plants from other growers without one. A farm is for people who start seeds in trays, print labels, or share and sell plants.
Who needs a farm, and how do I start one?
✅ Create a farm if you…
- start seeds in trays and want to track germination and potting
- grow extra seedlings to share or sell to neighbors, with pickup times
- want to print QR labels for your pots
- want to manage garden beds, treatments and season analytics for a growing operation
- run a community garden, school garden or plant swap and want one shared place for it
📱 You don’t need a farm if you…
- just want to track your own plants → use My Garden (in the iPhone app or here on the web). Add any plant and log watering, problems and harvests.
- want to get seedlings from a grower → find them in Discover, follow them, reserve plants in their store and pick a pickup time. Best in the iPhone app.
- help someone else grow (a household member or helper) → ask the farm owner to invite you as a member or farmer instead of creating your own farm.
- want to post photos and follow other gardeners → that's the community feed, with no farm needed.
Anyone can create one from the dashboard on the website. It’s private until you make it public.
Is it free?
Yes. Veggie Exchange is free to use and never touches money. No ads, no upsells, no third-party tracking.
Getting plants
How do I get plants from a farm?
Find a farm in Discover and open its store. Add plants to your cart; they’re held for you while they’re in it. At checkout, pick a pickup window, then collect your plants at that time. Your orders show on your dashboard and under My Orders on the farm’s page.
Do growers charge for plants?
Some do. Many growers share plants for free; some ask a small price to cover seed and soil. Each plant in a farm’s store shows its price or “Free” before you reserve it.
How do I pay?
You pay the grower directly, for example in cash or by Venmo at pickup. The farm’s payment instructions appear on your order confirmation and under My Orders on the farm’s page. Veggie Exchange doesn’t collect or hold payment and can’t issue refunds, so settle any questions with the grower.
What's a pickup window? Can I change mine?
A pickup window is a time slot the grower sets for collecting plants. You can change yours: open the order under My Orders on the farm’s page (in the iOS app, Profile › Orders) and pick another window that still has room. You can cancel items there too.
The plant I got isn't what the label said.
Open the plant’s page and use “Wrong plant? Report it”. The grower can correct the variety, and your plant’s page will show the right one without a new label.
Growing & tracking
How do I tag a plant in a post?
When creating a post, scan the plant’s QR code (mobile) or pick it from your list (web). The plant appears as a tag pill on the post; anyone can tap it to see the plant’s history.
What are badges?
Badges are small awards you earn for things like sowing, harvesting and posting. There are 39 of them. They show on your profile, and the iPhone app celebrates when you unlock one.
What is AI check, and why don't I see it?
AI check looks at a photo of a struggling plant and suggests what might be wrong, which you can then log as a problem. It’s invite-only for now, it’s only in the iPhone app, and each invited account has a monthly allowance. Treat it as a suggestion, not professional advice. You can always log a problem by hand.
Will my photo’s location be shared when I post?
No. Our web and iOS apps strip the EXIF metadata (including GPS coordinates) from photos when they’re uploaded. Your phone may warn you that the original includes location, but the image we store and display does not. The one exception: GIFs uploaded on the website are stored as uploaded. The iOS app converts every photo. See the Privacy Policy for details.
Community & safety
How do I follow another gardener?
Visit their profile or a farm page and tap Follow. Their posts and plant updates start showing up in your feed. On the website, you need to sign in to see someone’s profile.
What's the difference between a member and a follower?
Members are a farm’s household or team: the owner or a farmer invites them, and they can help run the farm. Followers are anyone who wants the farm’s updates in their feed and its email announcements.
How do I block or report someone?
Use the ⋯ menu on a post, a comment or a profile to report it or block the person. You can see and undo blocks in Settings → Blocked users, on the website or in the app (Profile → Settings).
App & account
How do I control notifications?
- Push notifications: in the iPhone app, Profile → Settings → Notifications.
- Email digest and which events notify you: on the website, Settings → Notifications.
- Farm announcements: each farm you follow has its own email setting, in the menu on its Follow button.
- Every announcement and digest email has a one-click unsubscribe link.
How do I delete my account?
Go to Account Settings on the website and use the Delete Account section, or in the iOS app go to Profile → Settings → Edit profile → Delete account. This removes your profile, photos, posts, plant records and orders from Veggie Exchange. If you own a farm, delete it first; deletion is blocked until you do.
Is there an Android app?
Not yet. The iPhone app is on the App Store, but Android isn’t on the near-term roadmap. The website works well on Android phones.
How do I get support?
Visit the Support page or email support@veggie-exchange.com. This is a side project, so we aim to reply within a few days.