I used to write down everything but the "new" eventually wore off that and now I mostly record major events - like it didn't rain in May and June - and things I want to change next year, including new varieties and general improvements in the way things are done. I do record the first harvest of most things which I find useful to look back on. I also take quite a few pictures (digital and dated) which I find useful in jogging my memory about previous years. Part of the reason I stopped writing everything down was that the time commitment to gardening increased considerably when I started growing the flowers we put out each spring. Growing flowers is enjoyable but much more work and in many ways totally opposite from growing vegetables. I may go back to writing more when (if) I get more efficient at growing the flowers.

This year is my first garden and although I've been told to many times, I haven't written a thing down. Then again, I don't think I'll forget the major things. I've already decided I need a second bed, just for my tomatoes and ONE - not two - zucchini plant so that the other things don't get shaded out, which has been the biggest thing I've run into. I had to pull all my carrots, onions and turnips because they were simply covered.

I used to until I noticed that garden problems varied so much every year. We might have a terrible SVB year followed by two years of not so bad. I don't spray so what I'm seeing are natural bell curves of infestations.

I wish I did a better job of noting varieties and marking them (flowers esp)

Good Thread

I'm mostly a "seat of the pants" gardener. I kept a journal one year, but after that I was too pre-occupied "doing" and stopped "writing". There is a learning curve, but everything assimilates and it becomes instinctual. I don't feel the need to record stuff, but I admire those who do. I think it depends on what "type" you are.

I have journaled in the past, but find I don't stick with it.

These days I keep a spreadsheet where I list every seed packet I own, every container and every garden area. This helps me plan out what goes where so I have a plan come planting time and it also helps me know how many of something I will need.

I also use a different color text to indicate seeds/plants I do not have, but want for the next season which helps me order stuff over the winter.

As far as plant performance and maintenance activity I generally record what I fertilize and when and with what and then anything exceptional like significant pest/disease as well as any observation I deem worth remembering. If I treat a problem with something I record that so I can track how well it does/doesn't work.

For pests that appear every year I indicate when I first see them which helps me in subsequent years in that I have a general idea of when I need to start control measures for them.

I also keep a list of when each plant needs to be started indoors from seed, when I need to plant outside, etc.

Basically, I have a page on my computer to log the dates I start seed for the various types of tomatoes and when I plant other things like beans, peas etc.

Other than that, I take many pictures with my digital camera which has the date stamped on them, which shows me exactly what they looked like on that date, plus I label or name each picture with a description. I think that I am much more likely to use those if I have a question arise that I do not remember the answer to, than I am to search though notes.
Bill P.

i started a journal this year because i am not good at remembering all the names of bugs and pests, i wrote in it every day for about 5 days, it has sat on my computer desk unopened for the past three weeks... it was a good idea though, and i got some good info into it

I hang a wall calendar from the feed store up in the barn each year because half the time I wouldn't know what day it is without it ;).

It's the kind with a big blank space around each date. I jot down "peas planted", "tea spray", "bb arrived" (blister beetles), "X Red Lightening" (a new tomato I tried this year that should be banned) kind of notes on it. That's the extent of my journal/record keeping.

Dave

I keep a spreadsheet and update it frequently

things I track,
veggie
variety
days to maturity
crop # ( if it's sucession)
next action date
next action ( i.e. seed, xplant, spray, harv)
start date
start inside/outside
expected germ date
germ date
expected transplant date (if started inside)
transplant date (if started inside)
expected harvest date
harvest date
date harvest done
notes ( as if I really need them) note would be "need suppt"
or "6 is plenty"

bugs, I track date seen, earliest date seen, latest date seen

seasons, I track last freeze date, last frost date, first frost date, first freeze date.

that should be enough

mostly it's so I know what needs to get done in the garden next.

I haven't done a good job of writing things down. I have occasionally written short notes on my calendar, but I don't tend to refer to them again very often. I have a perpetual list in my head of gardening things to do, but I think I'd be more efficient if I wrote it down. I'm thinking about using a small spiral notebook that I can carry around with me outside. Especially since I have a tendency to forget by the time I finally make it back to the house. I also thought it would be helpful to have along when I think of a question to post on Garden Web.

I've written things down for two years and it helps me. Things I record:

A map of the garden and what's planted where, spring and fall
Amounts of compost added to each bed
pH of different areas
Date planted
Number planted
Seeds or transplants
Type/variety planted
Where planted
When harvested
How much harvested
Pests that seem worth noting down - 1 striped cucumber beetle isn't worth a note, but 23 japanese beetles are

I have a separate sheet where I write down everything I buy for the garden, from where and how much it cost.

No, not writing down everything, just this:

-Map of garden complete with containered plants with names of varities listed.

-list of what's out there this year, and a "working list" of what I'd like to try next year. Less cherry tomatoes and more hybrids for example, or last year's Mr. Stripy was a bull plant.

- Daylillies each have a page to note # of blooms and rough size (when blooms decrease it's time to divide clumps)

It's in a 5x7 steno notebook that I use for each year.

This year I am keep a Word document entitled Vegetable and Flower Journal. I noticed every winter, since I live in the country, that reading about gardening, planning my garden layout, vegetable to plant is really alot of fun. It's a past time for me. This year I've video taped the progress in my 1000 sq foot garden. I have taken many photos. I journaled everything from start to finish. It will give me much reading pleasure this coming winter. I will have many memories because the journal is now about 50 pages. I will print it out and file it into binder form. I will put dividers in the binder. You must reminded me that I better get writing, I havent journaled anything yet this week....

I also keep a Word file, called Planting Journal. In it I keep a diary of what's happening and what I did. It's not day by day, just when I get the chance and when something's happening. I note the weather, whether the garlic is turning yellow, I planted zucchini seeds, or sprayed with Spinosad. I also keep a calendar that's just brief notations of significant events, like planting or harvesting dates.

I need to create a map, too, so I can map out what I planted where and when. That'll help with crop rotation. It'll also tell me what plant works best in which bed. I wish there were software that would let me draw my own garden maps, but I haven't been able to find any.

digdirt aka Dave, if you start a petition aimed at banning "Red Lightning" you can count on me as a signer. I tried them and was very disappointed.

I keep a brief journal. I make maps in pencil because there are always changes for the spring, summer and fall/winter garden. The journal contains seeds that are planted, when it comes up and how well it does. Sometimes I will include weather and general conditions and reminders.

lilacs of may,
I have found that I can create a garden map very easily in Word. I use the drawing toolbar and make a big rectangular text box for the garden outline.

I draw more text boxes inside the large rectangle to represent each bed. I saved it as a "master file" and each year make a copy for that year (Garden2007.doc, for example) and type in the specific crops in each box. It's really helpful to keep it updated with planting or harvest dates. Then, when I lose the printed copy as I sometimes do, I can just print a new copy. Very handy when figuring out rotations the following year.

I admire the folks who keep the spreadsheet or picture journals, but I just keep a brief garden notes document on the computer for each year that reminds me of a few things to do differently the following year, or things to remember to repeat ("don't plant morning glories with the beans! it looks good in theory but it's a jungle"!).

One thing I love to do is take pictures of things growing in the yard or garden and save them to My Pictures, then create a slideshow for my screensaver that constantly shows those pictures in random order. It's like a home movie on the computer, and we now have 3 years' worth of pictures. I love to watch it and so do visitors.

I've tried different things and most haven't worked for me. ^_^

I've taken to noting when I do planting and "Ooh, first peas today!!!" kind of things in my online journal interspersed with the other postings.

I can tag them, so tagging things 'garden' or whatnot will make it much easier to find come winter and planning.

I hope to go through and make a list of notes on dates and the like over the winter (yeah, big plans, whee ;) ) so I hope that'll help.
This is the first year I had beds actually READY in the spring, so got to plant early. It was a nice change and made a huge difference in the rates and timing, so I hope I can keep up on things this year. :D

(In Other Words: I hardly do anything, but it's better than nothing!)