Plant Base FAQ

It is not a design application so - no, but it can help to select plants for a planting plan. Plant Base as a useful tool alongside your chosen design method, whether on paper or computer.
Yes, our software license allows use on multiple computers within a household or organisation. The same licence code will even work on different types of computer such as Windows and Macs.
No problem! You can get an automated email reminder of your code by making a request from this web page in our support section. Alternatively, simply send us an email and we will find it for you.
No, everything is done through the Plant Base program's user interface. Technical knowledge of databases is not required.

There are a couple of ways to to this, the best method is to:

  • first create a Plant Base Extract file.
  • then update from the download install file or CD in the normal way.
  • finally, Import your custom data back from the Extract file.

More detailed information about upgrading Plant Base can be found here.

You can simply copy the database files from one machine to another, replacing the database on the target system.

But if the destination machine also has custom information that you wish to keep, for example Plant Lists, then use the Import function instead:

  1. Create a Plant Base Extract file on the first machine.
  2. Copy it over to the second machine, either over a network or by removable USB key-drive or similar.
  3. Then on the second machine run the Import function, selecting the Extract file and any appropriate options.

Simple - though we love taking plant photographs, there are severe time and opportunity limits. Most of the pictures in Plant Base are own, plus some from kind contributors. We always respect copyright rules and avoid using any of uncertain origin. More are being added continuously, but you can also include your own from photos you have taken or from other sources that allow personal use - see How to add pictures.

No, sorry, the record fields are fixed because it would be simply too difficult and time consuming to support the product if we allowed user-definable data fields. However, there are already 45 fields in the main plant records that cover most people needs. Some of these are free text note fields, in which you can enter anything you wish.

While Plant Base in not running, use your File Manager (e.g. Windows Explorer) to to move or copy one or more of the database files to another location - a different folder or disk. When you start up Plant Base, it may complain that it cannot open a file - select the new file path with the open dialog and click the Continue button. If the original files are still in place, open the Change/re-open dialog from the "File" menu. You can check the correct files are open in the Help | About display.

Use the PlantSelector screen to filter the plants that you want. The main plant tabs have a "Selected" toggle button to only show those plants.

You may also wish to create your own custom database copy, with only the plant records that you are interested in. It's quite easy to do - see: How to create a custom content database

See the Glossary section of the Help.

That may be correct. Plant pictures are each shown in a separate window and usually remain open until you wish to close them. So pictures for several different plant varieties can be on screen at one time. Useful if you want to compare them. To close all the pictures quickly, use the Window menu item "Close All Pictures". However you can also close picture windows automatically when you move to a new plant. This is controlled by a program configuration option. Open the config screen, click the pictures tab and check or uncheck the box.

Not directly, but Yes! Although individual plant data sheets, Plant Lists or pictures can be printed directly, printed output is otherwise quite limited. For more customised output there is a function to create reports in simple HTML format, which are saved as Disk files. This output file may be further modified using another application, such as word processing, to make a personalised printable report.

No, sorry! We do not supply the database or any form of data extract for external use. The database format is designed only for access via the Plant Base software programs. Our own free web database uses a special reduced and simplified conversion, but also not available for outside use.