Record Keeping

rapidan · June 6, 2014

Hello, I was wondering what everyone uses that keeps records for things such as sow date, transplant date, type, name, etc

I thought maybe a spreadsheet and was gonna see if anyone has something along those lines they wouldn't mind sharing?

If you go the ol pencil and paper route I'd be interested in that as well.

Thanks!

Brandon558 · June 6, 2014

I was thinking about this the other day and am also interested in hearing the ideas.

kath · June 6, 2014

Here are some ideas from old threads:

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22816

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22084

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=7254

heirloomtomaguy · June 7, 2014

I use a spiral notepad and pencil and 1 page is dedicated for each plant. I record sow date, transplant date, date of first fruit set , dates of every ripe tomato picked, and notes about plant growth. I also have a specific page for all of my spray schedules. Im strictly organic so i spray far less insecticides or fungicides, usually only when they need it. I do foliar spray and i write down the mixtures i use and how often i spray. At the end of the season i write down the total tomato total for each plant along with the date i yank the plant. More recorded info is always better for future reference. It sounds like alot but its not to bad. I had sweet lea currents last year and ended up guestamating how many i picked each time. Way to many to count.

MrBig46 · June 7, 2014

Kath thank you for the link. I really like the table of Ruth_10.
Vladimír

rapidan · June 7, 2014

Great info, thank's for taking taking the time to find it! I searched before I posted the question, but I guess my search terms were not right

heirloomtomaguy I'm thinkin I might go your route heh.

feldon30 · June 7, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by rapidan

Hello, I was wondering what everyone uses that keeps records for things such as sow date, transplant date, type, name, etc

I take lots of photos and then can refer back to the date I took them to see when I did something.

JJJessee · June 7, 2014

I'm working on this very project right now and like the ideas I'm seeing here.
This is my second year growing from seed. Last year I focused on peppers. This year I added tomatoes. I've used a spreadsheet similar to Doug's and it has kept me on track this year.
I thought I might flesh it out into a full-fledge Access database, but I'm pretty rusty in that department at the moment. The data structure is coming along, but my focus has been just getting my seeds stored in order. I purchased 410 1oz pill vials that should handle most small seed, and I don't do much with beans and corn.

The database's first task will be just to make labels for the vials.

Like Feldon, I find photos to be very helpful in documentation for making filed notes.

joseph · June 7, 2014

The longer I garden the fewer records I keep. For me record keeping takes too much time and produces too little return on investment. These days I pretty much wing it other than to put label on any collected seeds which contain a name or description of how the plant grew (if needed) and the year harvested.

Photographs are my most useful types of records.

This is my most typical type of record-keeping.

Chucker · June 8, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJJessee

I'm working on this very project right now and like the ideas I'm seeing here.
This is my second year growing from seed. Last year I focused on peppers. This year I added tomatoes. I've used a spreadsheet similar to Doug's and it has kept me on track this year.
I thought I might flesh it out into a full-fledge Access database, but I'm pretty rusty in that department at the moment. The data structure is coming along, but my focus has been just getting my seeds stored in order. I purchased 410 1oz pill vials that should handle most small seed, and I don't do much with beans and corn.

The database's first task will be just to make labels for the vials.

Like Feldon, I find photos to be very helpful in documentation for making filed notes.

I write a lot of software - some of it at work, some of it for fun, mostly in python. Python works great with SQLite, which is a free (public domain) database system.

I've been thinking for a while now about writing some record keeping software that would let me store yearly data on each of my plants, allow storage of pictures, possibly include some sort of family tree for crosses, stuff like that.

Anyway, if I get motivated and ever get started on it, I will share it, possibly make it open source on github so we can all access/modify it.

newatthiskat · June 8, 2014

Every year I start with a speadsheet of what seeds I have and then what seeds I planted and then what came up but then I lose intrest. Pictures are what I am now using to record things. I put a new folder with the date when I take them. I am behind on pictures as well as everything else now.

PaulF · June 8, 2014

My response is in the Kath link #7254 from 2007, but it is still basically the same. I am on my 4th spiral notebook since 2002 and rather than the 20-24 plants I have expanded the garden so now there are 35 plants/year. My notebook remains in the garage most of the time but there is a rural style mailbox at the garden so notes can be made and the book kept dry and close.

While there is all winter to transcribe everything to computer records, I just don't and go back to hand written records for future plans and historical reference. I would have a difficult time without the journals and records.

JJJessee · June 9, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chucker

I write a lot of software - some of it at work, some of it for fun, mostly in python. Python works great with SQLite, which is a free (public domain) database system.

I've been thinking for a while now about writing some record keeping software that would let me store yearly data on each of my plants, allow storage of pictures, possibly include some sort of family tree for crosses, stuff like that.

Anyway, if I get motivated and ever get started on it, I will share it, possibly make it open source on github so we can all access/modify it.

I'd love to see it!

My son got me kind of interested in Python and I read a little of it, but I haven't pursued it. Spreadsheeting kept me happy for a while, but it gets cumbersome as the data set and structure grows and grows.

For plant breeders, wouldn't it be neat to scan a plant's label with a Quick Code and pull up it's family tree with photos (with a smartphone in the garden of course)?

daninpd · June 9, 2014

I have two ruler and ballpoint maps, one of my 5X10 Jiffy mini greenhouses and one of my 25 plant tomato garden. I keep track of germination and plants I have available to plant out with copies of the first, and use the garden map for an annual tracker including what I grow on the deck with copies of the second.

Not a perfect system, but it usually works. This year, when I was about to report germination results to Dr Carolyn for seeds received in her seed offer, mini greenhouse records were nowhere to be found. So germination record was from memory.

Make copies and store separately instead of the "dining table filing system".

June 6, 2014	#1
rapidan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Virginia Posts: 4	Record Keeping Hello, I was wondering what everyone uses that keeps records for things such as sow date, transplant date, type, name, etc I thought maybe a spreadsheet and was gonna see if anyone has something along those lines they wouldn't mind sharing? If you go the ol pencil and paper route I'd be interested in that as well. Thanks!

June 7, 2014	#4
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	I use a spiral notepad and pencil and 1 page is dedicated for each plant. I record sow date, transplant date, date of first fruit set , dates of every ripe tomato picked, and notes about plant growth. I also have a specific page for all of my spray schedules. Im strictly organic so i spray far less insecticides or fungicides, usually only when they need it. I do foliar spray and i write down the mixtures i use and how often i spray. At the end of the season i write down the total tomato total for each plant along with the date i yank the plant. More recorded info is always better for future reference. It sounds like alot but its not to bad. I had sweet lea currents last year and ended up guestamating how many i picked each time. Way to many to count. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

June 7, 2014	#8
JJJessee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Abingdon, Va Posts: 184	I'm working on this very project right now and like the ideas I'm seeing here. This is my second year growing from seed. Last year I focused on peppers. This year I added tomatoes. I've used a spreadsheet similar to Doug's and it has kept me on track this year. I thought I might flesh it out into a full-fledge Access database, but I'm pretty rusty in that department at the moment. The data structure is coming along, but my focus has been just getting my seeds stored in order. I purchased 410 1oz pill vials that should handle most small seed, and I don't do much with beans and corn. The database's first task will be just to make labels for the vials. Like Feldon, I find photos to be very helpful in documentation for making filed notes. Last edited by JJJessee; June 7, 2014 at 11:44 AM.

June 7, 2014	#9
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	The longer I garden the fewer records I keep. For me record keeping takes too much time and produces too little return on investment. These days I pretty much wing it other than to put label on any collected seeds which contain a name or description of how the plant grew (if needed) and the year harvested. Photographs are my most useful types of records. This is my most typical type of record-keeping. Last edited by joseph; June 7, 2014 at 10:34 PM.

June 8, 2014	#12
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	My response is in the Kath link #7254 from 2007, but it is still basically the same. I am on my 4th spiral notebook since 2002 and rather than the 20-24 plants I have expanded the garden so now there are 35 plants/year. My notebook remains in the garage most of the time but there is a rural style mailbox at the garden so notes can be made and the book kept dry and close. While there is all winter to transcribe everything to computer records, I just don't and go back to hand written records for future plans and historical reference. I would have a difficult time without the journals and records. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

June 6, 2014	#2
Brandon558 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Hampstead,NC Posts: 64	I was thinking about this the other day and am also interested in hearing the ideas.

June 6, 2014	#3
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Here are some ideas from old threads: http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22816 http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22084 http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=7254

June 7, 2014	#5
MrBig46 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Czech republic Posts: 2,541	Kath thank you for the link. I really like the table of Ruth_10. Vladimír

June 8, 2014	#11
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	Every year I start with a speadsheet of what seeds I have and then what seeds I planted and then what came up but then I lose intrest. Pictures are what I am now using to record things. I put a new folder with the date when I take them. I am behind on pictures as well as everything else now.

June 9, 2014	#14
daninpd Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Prunedale, CA Posts: 134	I have two ruler and ballpoint maps, one of my 5X10 Jiffy mini greenhouses and one of my 25 plant tomato garden. I keep track of germination and plants I have available to plant out with copies of the first, and use the garden map for an annual tracker including what I grow on the deck with copies of the second. Not a perfect system, but it usually works. This year, when I was about to report germination results to Dr Carolyn for seeds received in her seed offer, mini greenhouse records were nowhere to be found. So germination record was from memory. Make copies and store separately instead of the "dining table filing system".