diff --git a/app/models/planting.rb b/app/models/planting.rb
index 14e9017cb..8ebc483f8 100644
--- a/app/models/planting.rb
+++ b/app/models/planting.rb
@@ -109,6 +109,26 @@ class Planting < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
   end
 
+  def planted?(current_date = Date.today)
+    planted_at.present? && current_date.to_date >= planted_at
+  end
+
+  def percentage_grown(current_date = Date.today)
+    return nil unless days_before_maturity && planted?(current_date)
+
+    days = (current_date.to_date - planted_at.to_date).to_i
+
+    return 0 if current_date < planted_at
+    return 100 if days > days_before_maturity
+    percent = (days/days_before_maturity*100).to_i
+
+    if percent >= 100
+      percent = 100
+    end
+
+    percent
+  end
+
   # return a list of interesting plantings, for the homepage etc.
   # we can't do this via a scope (as far as we know) so sadly we have to
   # do it this way.
diff --git a/app/views/plantings/_planting_progress.html.haml b/app/views/plantings/_planting_progress.html.haml
index eea698c82..a9c851709 100644
--- a/app/views/plantings/_planting_progress.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/plantings/_planting_progress.html.haml
@@ -1,14 +1,10 @@
-- if (planting.planted_at.nil? || DateTime.now.to_date < planting.planted_at)
+- if !planting.planted?
 	= "Progress: 0% - not planted yet"
-	= render partial: "plantings/progress_bar", locals: {status: "warning", progress: "100%"}
 - elsif planting.finished?
 	= "Progress: 100%"
 	= render partial: "plantings/progress_bar", locals: {status: "success", progress: "100%"}
 - elsif planting.days_before_maturity.nil?
-	= "Progress: 0% - Days before maturity unknown"
-	= render partial: "plantings/progress_bar", locals: {status: "danger", progress: "100%"}
+	= "Progress: Not calculated, days before maturity unknown"
 - else
-	- if (percent = (((DateTime.now - planting.planted_at)/planting.days_before_maturity*100).to_i)) >= 100
-		- percent = 100
-	= "Progress: #{percent}%"
-	= render partial: "plantings/progress_bar", locals: {status: "success", progress: "#{percent}%"}
\ No newline at end of file
+	= "Progress: #{planting.percentage_grown}%"
+	= render partial: "plantings/progress_bar", locals: {status: "success", progress: "#{planting.percentage_grown}%"}
diff --git a/app/views/plantings/_thumbnail.html.haml b/app/views/plantings/_thumbnail.html.haml
index 9790cb127..df62f7a9c 100644
--- a/app/views/plantings/_thumbnail.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/plantings/_thumbnail.html.haml
@@ -38,4 +38,4 @@
       %dd= "#{display_days_before_maturity(planting)}"
 
   .col-xs-9.col-md-8
-    = render partial: 'plantings/planting_progress', locals: {:planting => planting}
\ No newline at end of file
+    = render partial: 'plantings/planting_progress', locals: {planting: planting}
diff --git a/spec/features/plantings/planting_a_crop_spec.rb b/spec/features/plantings/planting_a_crop_spec.rb
index 753bbe457..fc255d313 100644
--- a/spec/features/plantings/planting_a_crop_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/plantings/planting_a_crop_spec.rb
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ feature "Planting a crop", :js do
     end
 
     expect(page).to have_content "Planting was successfully created"
-    expect(page).to have_content "Progress: 0% - Days before maturity unknown"
+    expect(page).to have_content "Progress: Not calculated, days before maturity unknown"
   end
 
   scenario "Clicking link to owner's profile" do
@@ -53,16 +53,19 @@ feature "Planting a crop", :js do
 
   describe "Progress bar status on planting creation" do
     before do
-      DateTime.stub(:now) { DateTime.new(2015, 10, 20, 10, 34) }
       login_as member
       visit new_planting_path
+
+      @a_past_date = 15.days.ago.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
+      @right_now = Date.today.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
+      @a_future_date = 1.years.from_now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
     end
 
     it "should show that it is not planted yet" do
       fill_autocomplete "crop", with: "mai"
       select_from_autocomplete "maize"
       within "form#new_planting" do
-        fill_in "When", with: "2015-12-15"
+        fill_in "When", with: @a_future_date
         fill_in "How many?", with: 42
         select "cutting", from: "Planted from:"
         select "semi-shade", from: "Sun or shade?"
@@ -78,7 +81,7 @@ feature "Planting a crop", :js do
       fill_autocomplete "crop", with: "mai"
       select_from_autocomplete "maize"
       within "form#new_planting" do
-        fill_in "When", with: "2015-9-15"
+        fill_in "When", with: @a_past_date
         fill_in "How many?", with: 42
         select "cutting", from: "Planted from:"
         select "semi-shade", from: "Sun or shade?"
@@ -87,7 +90,7 @@ feature "Planting a crop", :js do
       end
 
       expect(page).to have_content "Planting was successfully created"
-      expect(page).to have_content "Progress: 0% - Days before maturity unknown"
+      expect(page).to have_content "Progress: Not calculated, days before maturity unknown"
       expect(page).to have_content "Days until maturity: unknown"
     end
 
@@ -95,25 +98,25 @@ feature "Planting a crop", :js do
       fill_autocomplete "crop", with: "mai"
       select_from_autocomplete "maize"
       within "form#new_planting" do
-        fill_in "When", with: "2015-10-15"
+        fill_in "When", with: @right_now
         fill_in "How many?", with: 42
         select "cutting", from: "Planted from:"
         select "semi-shade", from: "Sun or shade?"
         fill_in "Tell us more about it", with: "It's rad."
-        fill_in "Finished date", with: "2015-10-30"
+        fill_in "Finished date", with: @a_future_date
         click_button "Save"
       end
 
       expect(page).to have_content "Planting was successfully created"
       expect(page).to_not have_content "Progress: 0% - not planted yet"
-      expect(page).to_not have_content "Progress: 0% - Days before maturity unknown"
+      expect(page).to_not have_content "Progress: Not calculated, days before maturity unknown"
     end
 
     it "should show that planting is 100% complete (no date specified)" do
       fill_autocomplete "crop", with: "mai"
       select_from_autocomplete "maize"
       within "form#new_planting" do
-        fill_in "When", with: "2015-10-15"
+        fill_in "When", with: @right_now
         fill_in "How many?", with: 42
         select "cutting", from: "Planted from:"
         select "semi-shade", from: "Sun or shade?"
@@ -132,12 +135,12 @@ feature "Planting a crop", :js do
       fill_autocomplete "crop", with: "mai"
       select_from_autocomplete "maize"
       within "form#new_planting" do
-        fill_in "When", with: "2015-10-15"
+        fill_in "When", with: @a_past_date
         fill_in "How many?", with: 42
         select "cutting", from: "Planted from:"
         select "semi-shade", from: "Sun or shade?"
         fill_in "Tell us more about it", with: "It's rad."
-        fill_in "Finished date", with: "2015-10-19"
+        fill_in "Finished date", with: @right_now
         click_button "Save"
       end
 
@@ -169,13 +172,13 @@ feature "Planting a crop", :js do
 
   scenario "Editing a planting to fill in the finished date" do
     visit planting_path(planting)
-    expect(page).to have_content "Progress: 0% - Days before maturity unknown"
+    expect(page).to have_content "Progress: Not calculated, days before maturity unknown"
     click_link "Edit"
     check "finished"
     fill_in "Finished date", with: "2015-06-25"
     click_button "Save"
     expect(page).to have_content "Planting was successfully updated"
-    expect(page).to_not have_content "Progress: 0% - Days before maturity unknown"
+    expect(page).to_not have_content "Progress: Not calculated, days before maturity unknown"
   end
 
   scenario "Marking a planting as finished" do
diff --git a/spec/models/planting_spec.rb b/spec/models/planting_spec.rb
index 659636c5e..dfccd8352 100644
--- a/spec/models/planting_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/planting_spec.rb
@@ -37,16 +37,62 @@ describe Planting do
     Planting.first.should eq @planting2
   end
 
+  describe '#planted?' do
+    it "should be false for future plantings"
+    it "should be false for never planted"
+    it "should be false for future plantings"
+  end
+
+  describe '#percentage_grown' do
+    it 'should not be more than 100%' do
+      @planting = FactoryGirl.build(:planting, days_before_maturity: 1, planted_at: 1.day.ago)
+
+      now_later_than_planting = 2.days.from_now
+
+      @planting.percentage_grown(now_later_than_planting).should be 100
+    end
+
+    it 'should not be less than 0%' do
+      @planting = FactoryGirl.build(:planting, days_before_maturity: 1, planted_at: 1.day.ago)
+
+      now_earlier_than_planting = 2.days.ago
+
+      @planting.percentage_grown(now_earlier_than_planting).should be nil
+    end
+
+    it 'should reflect the current growth' do
+      @planting = FactoryGirl.build(:planting, days_before_maturity: 10, planted_at: 4.days.ago)
+
+      @planting.percentage_grown(Date.today).should be 40
+    end
+
+    it 'should not be calculated for unplanted plantings' do
+      @planting = FactoryGirl.build(:planting, planted_at: nil)
+
+      @planting.planted?.should be false
+      @planting.percentage_grown.should be nil
+    end
+
+    it 'should not be calculated for plantings with an unknown days before maturity' do
+      @planting = FactoryGirl.build(:planting, days_before_maturity: nil)
+
+      @planting.percentage_grown.should be nil    
+    end
+  end
+
   context 'delegation' do
     it 'system name' do
       planting.crop_name.should eq planting.crop.name
     end
+
     it 'wikipedia url' do
       planting.crop_en_wikipedia_url.should eq planting.crop.en_wikipedia_url
     end
+
     it 'default scientific name' do
       planting.crop_default_scientific_name.should eq planting.crop.default_scientific_name
     end
+
     it 'plantings count' do
       planting.crop_plantings_count.should eq planting.crop.plantings_count
     end
@@ -267,13 +313,11 @@ describe Planting do
         @f = FactoryGirl.build(:planting, :planted_at => '2013-01-01', :finished_at => nil)
         @f.should be_valid
       end
+
       it 'allows just the finished date' do
         @f = FactoryGirl.build(:planting, :finished_at => '2013-01-01', :planted_at => nil)
         @f.should be_valid
       end
-
     end
-
   end
-
-end
+end
\ No newline at end of file