Every grower has been there. You search for the right NPK ratio for your tomatoes at flowering stage and get five different answers from five different sources. One forum says 5-10-10. A blog says 3-5-8. A product label says something else entirely. None of them cite a source.
We kept running into this problem. Reliable, structured growing data, the kind backed by actual research, was scattered across academic papers, extension service PDFs, and product spec sheets. There was no single place that pulled it all together in a way that was useful for a grower standing in front of their plants.
So we built Truleaf.org.
What we set out to solve
The core idea was simple: a plant database where every data point traces back to a source. Not opinions. Not marketing copy from fertiliser brands. Actual nutrition-by-growth-stage data, sourced from peer-reviewed research and agricultural extension services.
We started with the plants that home growers care about most. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs. For each one, we mapped out the full nutrient profile across growth stages, from germination through harvest. What does a tomato plant actually need during flowering? We went and found the answer in the literature, then made it accessible.
Built for growers, by growers
Truleaf.org started as a side project. A few of us who grow at home, some in hydroponics, some in soil, wanted better tools. We built the database for ourselves first. Then we shared it.
The response surprised us. Within weeks, growers from different countries started using it. They sent feedback. They asked for more plants, more languages, more features. That feedback shaped everything that came after.
What makes it different
Three things, from the beginning:
Source-backed data. Every nutrient recommendation, every growing parameter, every pest management note links back to where it came from. If we can't source it, we don't publish it.
Growth-stage specificity. Most resources give you one NPK ratio for a plant's entire life. That's not how plants work. Nutrient needs change dramatically from seedling to flowering to fruiting. Truleaf.org maps that progression.
Free and open. Truleaf.org is community-funded. No paywalls, no premium tiers for basic growing data. Growers support the platform through donations, and we keep the data accessible to everyone.
What came next
That first version of the database was just the start. Over the following months, we added more plants, more languages, and new tools. But the mission stayed the same: make science-backed growing information accessible to anyone who grows.
We also started noticing something unexpected. Researchers and R&D teams in agriculture were using the platform too. Not just home growers. That opened a door we hadn't planned for, but one we were ready to walk through.
More on that in future posts.
Try it
If you grow anything, from a windowsill herb garden to a commercial greenhouse, Truleaf.org was built for you. Browse the database, look up your plants, and see the data for yourself.