Do you keep a diary?

[Alison]

I have a couple of spreadsheets. One lists all my seeds, what variety, what plant family etc, how many seeds I have, how many I sow and when and how many seedlings come through. I then record when things are transplanted, thinned, planted out, flower, crop etc etc and find it very useful if not essential to me. I also have a series of 12 diagrams of my plot which I've filled in each month to show what is in each bed which will help me in future years. These are both backed up by photos and various other notes. Have not been very good on recording harvest volumes (only for main crop spuds) but do make a note of whether the crop is good, bad or about right.

[piskieinboots]

Do you keep a gardeners diary?

No

I tried using a spreadsheet but for me it took the fun out of gardening* and made it too much like my work - I now 'go commando', nothing written, nothing recorded, nothing trackable. It wouldn't suit most but I like the maverick approach

*gardening is my hobby, I don't do it to save money, although I appreciate that part of it

[bluemoon]

No

I tried using a spreadsheet but for me it took the fun out of gardening* and made it too much like my work - I now 'go commando', nothing written, nothing recorded, nothing trackable. It wouldn't suit most but I like the maverick approach

*gardening is my hobby, I don't do it to save money, although I appreciate that part of it

That's my way too. I have this dream of a beautiful book full of planting dates, weather conditions, how many eggs I collected, photos and drawings, sort of a cross between a blog and 'The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady'...it's just never going to happen.

[Lottieval]

Since I got my lottie 3 years ago I've tried to keep an account of what and when I sow and plant. I also keep a rotation chart for the 14 beds I have created, this helps when deciding what goes where for next year. I also tend to put in comments on the weather and growing conditions. I hadn't thought of recording quantities at harvest time, though this might be an idea for next year. Sometimes I forget and have to make an approximation but on the whole I find it useful.

[Bren In Pots]

Most I do is scribble the date on the back of the packet when I've set the seeds.

[coreopsis]

No,I don't but this is my 1st year growing veg just myself so I know what's good,what's rubbish,what I can't be bothered,what's a waste of space and what I'm still determined to grow (again...)

[Redpepper]

My 1st year of growing veg too so decided to keep some files on the pooter of what's been grown and any experiences

[rustylady]

I used to keep it all on the poota. Then my hard drive went bang and I lost it.

Me too!! I had a lovely system for recording temperatures and rainfall (graphs and all). However I do note these in an ordinary diary as well, and keep promising myself I will set it all up again on the new computer (AND DO BACK-UPS). At least everything is still on paper. Sowing and harvesting dates too.

[bobleponge]

Must say that Hazel's spreadsheet is a winner, I still use it as a basis for my garden every year.
I tend to do all my updating etc when I'm at work, and do all my plans and dreams etc too.
Then get home and forget to look at it all and plant whatever I can chuck in.
I am getting better though.

[BarleySugar]

DD bought me a lovely gardening diary for Christmas, and I kept it up to date until about June, when it went missing Goodness knows where it is, now I've started another, but I could really do with finding the original. I do blog, which gives me approximate times, but I don't write all the info there. I find it easier to note stuff down when I think of it or do it, thne write up on the puter when I get round to it.

[BumbleB]

Some good ideas here. I need to find a system that I will keep to and can't decide if PC or paper would be better. I have seen for sale a 'Birthday Diary' that is sectioned for the months of the year and has a compartment with each month with enclosed birthday cards. I was thinking of adapting this and putting seed pkts in the compartments.

A spreadsheet works very well for harvest amounts as OH usually weighs the harvest and updates as I bring in the harvest daily.

Overall, the most ideal growers diary still needs to be invented.

[piskieinboots]

Overall, the most ideal growers diary still needs to be invented.

indeed - it's called a PA

[Hazel at the Hill]

indeed - it's called a PA

Yeah - but as mine won't do the ironing, I can't see her updating the allotment files - this despite her job description as 'doing anything that Hazel doesn't want to do'

[Alison]

Ah but it's fun thinking about and planning stuff for the lottie where as ironing is a pointless activity which I've done once in the past 18 months!

[SarzWix]

I've got about 3 'allotment diary' type things, not sure where any of them are I usually start off by noting down when I've sown things at the beginning of the year, and then don't look at it again! Luckily, I have a pretty good memory