Do You Record Your Plot?

[Bigmallly]

Normally I would not bother recording what is growing where but with the SFG model, I struggle to physically see the empty squares. This will become more difficult as the plants grow (wishful thinking on my part).................so with that in mind, I've knocked up a spreadsheet so I can see at a glance what is where without having to venture down t't plot. Just wondered if anyone else recorded there plans & how.

Here's mine at the mo. As I say, you can see at a glance what is where........

[muddled]

I need to do something similar...only with pencil and paper

I'm toying with tracing the beds onto tracing paper (well, greaseproof cos I'm a grown-up) so I can do a fancy 'over-lay' for successional planting.
That way, when things inevitably fail to mature when the books say they will I won't end up sticking things in the wrong squares!

[Bigmallly]

It's also dawned on me that if I print the sheet out & take it to the plot with me, I can note any new plantings & not worry about having to use or lose plant labels.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

I don't normally log, but draught a few hand written notes, but taking a more synical attitude to it this year and logging everything!

What sown when, what planted where and when, what I plant with what, what results I get (Like yourself wishful thinking)

What worked? What didn't work?

Not to question myself, but just to up the Aunty and try getting a little more involved in an hobby I would give my right arm to being given a lucky ticket!

[Bigmallly]

Not to question myself, but just to up the Aunty and try getting a little more involved in an hobby I would give my right arm to being given a lucky ticket!

I'm assuming Aunty approves of your involvement......................

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

How Ironic is that!

As I was typing that last post, a thud on the doormat, this months "Gardening Which" mag as just landed!

Terry Walton must have heard us!

His plan for the year!

[Nicos]

I used to.
I really loved planning it in pencil and paper, rubber and ruler, lists of plants etc etc over the winter but it always seemed to go astray once we came here...always too many one one thing needing planting in the only spot available but in a different part of the rotation!
Just try and do a basic rotation these days and if we run out of space I get OH to dig up a bit more of the field!!!

[Nicos]

Oh- and I found I needed 2 or 3 copies cos they used to get filthy/scrunched in a pocket/wet.....!

[Thelma Sanders]

I have my plot plans on excel, so it's easy for me to move crops around the beds for rotation. (it would help if they were all the same size, but that's my own fault

I label each bed plus I have different colour for each type of veg and follow up crops are noted in red text.

Once I had set up the first page, which did take me a good while as I'm not really very PC savvy it's been easy peasy to copy a bare plan to another sheet for each new year. Simples

I print the plan and keep it on the back of the shed door in a plastic wallet, so don't end up planting something in the 'wrong' place.

[vixylix]

I pencil and paper it too - then mostly rely on knowing what things are once they're big enough. I'm on a smaller scale though

I have a spreadsheet which list varieties, sown dates etc. - maybe I'll follow your lead and expand into where things are actually planted - but only once they actually are, as it usually changes!!

[Bigmallly]

Terry Walton must have heard us! His plan for the year!

Bladdy Copy Cats...............

[Bigmallly]

. Once I had set up the first page, which did take me a good while as I'm not really very PC savvy it's been easy peasy to copy a bare plan to another sheet for each new year. Simples

What an excellent idea for anyone who uses crop rotation as you can copy & paste the master onto 3 or 4 spreadsheets then you know what has been where.

[ESBkevin]

Yes I tend to do a retrospective plot of the plot(!) so I know what not to replicate in the rotation. I'm vein enough to take lots of photos (usually at least one a week) of the status of all or part. This enables me to build a picture of the whole thing and any successional planting. It's also nice to compare my photos with Carols on a cold winters eve to see how we each perceived the plot during the season.
Making plans before when the site is basiclly clear tends to get abandoned in short order once the seeds develope (or not) and I do swaps with friends. So I learned not to waste too much effort until I need to get things done.

[Bren In Pots]

No laughing but this is my last years plan.

[Martin H]

Here's my plan for this year: