How do you organise your seeds and plot info?

[buzzingtalk]

I currently have my seeds in a box in no sort of order (but I don't have loads) but wondered how other people sort them? Also, do you write down what you are growing and any info you need to know? I was wondering this as some of my plants need pruning in autumn and some in spring, so its not so easy to remember.

[Alison]

There's been a few threads on this in the past - you MIGHT be able to find them via the search engine . Personally I have a pretty comprehensive spread sheet for my annual stuff which I use from year to year which records when I'm due to sow, when I acutually do it, transplant, plant out, crop etc etc and any comments on harvest etc. I don't do anything similar for my permanent stuff as I've never felt I need to (much less to remember ).

Re seeds, I keep mine in three tins. Tin 1 is for stuff to be sown direct (carrots, parsnips, spring onions, swede and turnips), Tin 2 is for everything else and Tin 3 is for things I need to sow in the next week or two. Once sown they go back to Tin 2. Works really well for me. Salad stuffs tend to spend all summer in Tin 3 but other things, eg brassicas, are only there briefly if you see what I mean.

[stella]

I keep them in a box flowers and veg seperated and look through now and again to see if I should be doing anything

[buzzingtalk]

Nice. The seeds I think I can manage as I can only grow stuff in containers so am very limited in buying seeds. But I need to find a good way to record when to do what, all of my stuff is in pots and lots of it needs care and attention and its hard to remember it all.

[Two_Sheds]

I need to find a good way to record when to do what

Written notes in a diary of some sort? Organised by week or by month

I put my tasks in my phone, on the calendar function.

[Snadger]

I don't.................I just blag it!

[Bigmallly]

As you say you don't have many, take your seed packets to the PC, create a spreadsheet of any relevant info you might wish to note.

[vicky]

I have the seeds in a BIG concentina type file organised by month (some months eg march have 2 folders as there's so much to go in). If I need to successionally sow I can just move the seeds into the next month.
I've also started keeping a diary and plan to look through it in winter and transfer notes and to do's into next year's diary along with things to do differently and prunings/moving to do (I take photos too so I remember what's where).
Also looking on the What I did today etc threads is a good kick up the bum!

[binley100]

I have just organised my seeds by the first month of sowing into a large box I liberated from something else. I started a diary last year but it fell by the wayside after a few months.

[buzzingtalk]

I have the seeds in a BIG concentina type file organised by month (some months eg march have 2 folders as there's so much to go in). If I need to successionally sow I can just move the seeds into the next month.
I've also started keeping a diary and plan to look through it in winter and transfer notes and to do's into next year's diary along with things to do differently and prunings/moving to do (I take photos too so I remember what's where).
Also looking on the What I did today etc threads is a good kick up the bum!

Thats a good idea! Might have to steal it haha!

Spreadsheet is a no go area for me, for some reason charts/tables etc just don't make sense to me, and I find them very difficult to read compared to stuff written down (if that makes sense.)

Gonna have to get an organiser and a notepad methinks

[vicky]

Funny you should say that, the file itself was a 'liberated article' when I used to clean offices....

[buzzingtalk]

haha, its all about the liberation of poor unused office materials

[Dottie]

I used to have a 2 biscuits tins in the fridge, 1 for veg and 1 for flowers. But this year I've got hold of 2 old 1st Aid plastic cases, allows more in and easier to carry to the lottie or elsewhere, as both have handles.

Regarding rotation and keeping a record. I have it all kept on my laptop, as in each bed states what's planted etc for each season including flowers. So for example I copy the plan from 1 season and re-named Spring/Summer?Autumn/Winter 2010 and then write which beds have manure, garlic, beans etc. The next season I change any new plantings or bed structures etc.

1st basic planting and not all beds built, but first doc layout Autumn 2007 and new plans on Winter 2007 doc. So for Spring 2011 plantings I make sure that the beds that will have roots in, will not have any manure adding during Autumn or Winter 2010. Simple system, easy to view and know what's been where and when.

[coreopsis]

I currently have my seeds in a box in no sort of order (but I don't have loads) but wondered how other people sort them? Also, do you write down what you are growing and any info you need to know? I was wondering this as some of my plants need pruning in autumn and some in spring, so its not so easy to remember.

Well,go away and study some seed catalogues then-right now you haven't got enough to worry "how to organize it"

Seriously-I thought about a simple notebook (forget about the spreadheets in the computer)to write down what I sowed and when,and a kind of reminder for particular months "dont forget to sow/plant ...".r
The only thing that could change the plans is dodgy weather(like very late spring this year).Mind you,I was very late with my toms this year(planted in the GH around mid June) but still got a decent crop.

[buzzingtalk]

Well,go away and study some seed catalogues then-right now you haven't got enough to worry "how to organize it"

Oh believe me I could buy loads of stuff from a seed cataloge but thats no good when you have nowhere to grow it all haha. (i have a small bit of concrete round the back of my house which is like an urban potted jungle full of plants, definatley not much more room at the inn!)