About itu
It started with my children.
Now I want to help others grow.
I started gardening for my children. I wanted us to share something we could do and learn together to get our hands in the soil, understand where our food comes from, and discover what it takes to help things grow. Concern about climate change was part of that too: I wanted to give them a practical way to care for the world they’re growing up in. Now I want to give others the confidence to start growing food and experience that connection for themselves.
I wanted to grow food.
I needed to know what to do next.
Itu began with a problem I kept running into myself: gardening information was everywhere, but the answer I needed was surprisingly hard to find.
What could I sow now, where I lived? Was it too early to plant outside? Was something wrong with my seedlings? When would a crop be ready, and what could I plant in its place?
I wanted guidance that made sense for my garden, my growing conditions, and the time of year. Something that helped me take the next step without spending hours searching and still wondering whether I’d got it right.
That’s what I’m building with itu: a companion that helps you know what to do next, from your first seeds to harvesting, cooking, preserving and growing again.
My hope is that it gives you the confidence to begin, learn as you go, and keep growing. Whether you’re sharing it with your children or doing something for yourself, you deserve to enjoy the experience.
Why itu?
In Finnish, itu means “sprout”: the first small sign of growth. I chose it because every vegetable garden begins small, and confidence can grow the same way.
I want itu to be a companion through that process: helping you understand your garden, know what to do next, and learn as you grow. From the first seed to something you can share at the table, you should feel supported along the way.
The right information.
At the right time.
Plan & sow
Know what suits your space, location, season and goals, and what you can sow now.
Grow & diagnose
Ask a question or send a photo when something looks wrong, and get help working out what to do.
Harvest & use
Understand when crops are ready, then find practical ways to eat, store and preserve them.
Replant & repeat
Know what to plant in the space next, save seed where it makes sense and begin again.
Built for gardens—and seasons—that keep changing
Gardening calendars based on fixed dates are becoming less reliable as the climate changes. itu is being designed to combine your location and garden with crop knowledge, historical weather and predicted conditions. The aim is to give you useful, local estimates for sowing, harvesting and frost windows then improve those recommendations with what actually happens in gardens like yours.
It is not about pretending the weather can be known perfectly. It is about making better-informed decisions and delivering them when they are most useful.
Help me build the garden companion we wish existed.
Join the beta for early access and help shape itu around the questions, frustrations and real decisions gardeners face.
