Community garden waitlist software: fair, transparent, automatic
Stop reconciling waitlist spreadsheets and answering “where am I on the list?” emails. PlotBase keeps the queue in order and fills open plots in clicks.
The problem
Waitlist spreadsheets break in predictable ways
Every garden coordinator knows the failure modes: two versions of the list in different inboxes, sign-ups on paper at an event that never make it into the sheet, applicants who moved away two years ago still holding a spot, and no good answer when someone asks why the person below them got a plot first. A waitlist is the garden’s promise of fairness, and a spreadsheet makes that promise hard to keep.
How it works
From application to assigned plot, without the busywork
1. Applicants join through your form
Share one link. Gardeners apply through a form you design: contact info, plot preferences, rules acknowledgment, and a digital signature on your waiver. Every application lands in the queue automatically, timestamped and complete.
2. The queue keeps itself in order
The waitlist is a single source of truth, ordered and current. No duplicate entries, no lost sign-ups, no version conflicts between the coordinator’s laptop and the clipboard at the garden.
3. Open plots go to the next in line
When a gardener gives up their plot, you see the opening on your garden map and offer it to the next applicant in a couple of clicks. The paperwork is already done: they signed the waiver when they applied.
4. Everyone stays informed
Message applicants and gardeners from inside PlotBase: season openings, workdays, renewal reminders. No exporting addresses into a mail merge.
For the longer story of why garden spreadsheets collapse under their own weight, read Ditch the Spreadsheets.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move my existing waitlist over?
Yes, and it's easier than starting from scratch. Bring your spreadsheet and we'll walk you through getting applicants into PlotBase with sign-up order preserved.
Can applicants see where they are on the list?
You stay in control of what's visible. Applicants get confirmation when they join, and you can tell anyone their position in seconds instead of digging through a spreadsheet.
What about waivers and garden rules?
Waivers and rules acknowledgments are built into the application form, with digital signatures collected at sign-up, before a plot is ever assigned.
Does it work for gardens with multiple locations?
Yes. Each garden has its own waitlist and map, and one organizer account can run all of them.
Give applicants a waitlist they can trust
One link to apply, one queue, and open plots filled in clicks.
Start managing your garden