Kaithottam, the garden planner that can say no

Field notes

Kaithottam models a garden’s usable season from ten years of daily temperatures at the gardener’s coordinates, then compares crop requirements with available frost-free days and accumulated heat. Its examples distinguish LaSalle, Ontario, at 1,752 growing degree days from Bruce Peninsula at 1,023, and mark ash gourd as unavailable where only about 1,523 degree days remain. The stated crop library contains 54 entries, including Tamil and Hindi names for 40 Indian vegetables.