It's January!

That means it's Plants Database challenge time!

This challenge is a little different from the annual August challenge, but the rules are still very simple.

1. From now til January 31, we're "filling in the blanks". That means each of us looking at one or more of the 54,000+ existing entries and adding details, photos and/or notes.

2. A prize will be awarded to the person who enters the most information. Each section that you complete, each photo you add, each note/comment you provide count toward the total.

3. A random drawing will also be held. So if you check one box, or add a single comment to a plant, you're eligible for a prize, which makes it easy to participate. (Of course, the more you do, the more your chances of winning increase!)

In many ways, everybody wins. While we're in there fixing and filling out the entries, we'll probably each discover a new plant we've never heard of, or learn something interesting about our favorites.

Recently, Dave added a "report an error" feature to the PDB, located in the upper right hand corner of each page. When you're viewing an entry and spot an error that you can't fix, hit that button and tell us specifically what is wrong. (Be sure you're on the page with an error when you hit the link, please!) We'll do our best to keep up with the corrections throughout the month.

I'm counting on everyone to do their part. Just think, if each of us (there are 28,000 members) added information to complete one or two entries this month, the PDB would be stuffed to the gills with details, comments and photos.

This is our chance to get the database in tip-top form before the spring growing season starts in earnest. It's one of the big draws for people who are surfing the 'net, so let's make sure it's ready for the newcomers!

A big thanks in advance to all of you diehard PDB helpers who have helped us get to this point! Any questions? Post them here or email me.

Vols

Just to clarify...

This is a contest to add information to PRE-EXISTING entries?

Yes, Baa, you're correct. That doesn't mean we have any sort of moratorium on new entries this month, but our emphasis and focus are on completing the entries we already have in the PDB.

Something I know is in error on some entries: herbaceous plants may be marked as deciduous. It's a problem that arose from a lack of options in the PDB a couple years ago (and a couple versions back.) If you spot this error, be sure to let us know and we can take care of it.

I have to say, I get confused in this too. The three basic choices are herbaceous, deciduous and evergreen. Do all plants fall under one of these catagories? Here are some definitions according to our Garden Terms:

Deciduous: Plants that shed their leaves annually at the end of growing season.

Indeciduous: Another term for evergreen

Herbaceous: (1) A plant that has no woody stem above ground. A non-woody plant that dies back to the ground each year. (2) Relating to or characteristic of an herb as distinguished from a woody plant.Green and leaflike in appearance or texture.

Evergreen: A plant that retains its leaves year-round.

Semi-evergreen: A plant which is able to keep its leaves all year round under certain conditions but otherwise, would lose them.

So, under most circumstances, plants without woody stems are both deciduous and herbaceous. However woody stemmed plants that lose their leaves are only deciduous?

And then there are the succulents!

And thats a dandy you just put in,wish I had some answers on it,might just get my name pulled out of this hat.


Wrong spot you put it in Id,still a dandy

This message was edited Saturday, Jan 4th 11:33 PM

Where should I put it? No forum for dandies.

WZ

Herbaceous plants aren't deciduous as well. Herbaceous plants die back to rootstock, with no framework remaining above ground or overwintering buds.

Deciduous plants retain some framework (as in trees) or die back to an overwintering bud. A lot of plants we think of as herbaceous are deciduous, many Primulas and bulbous plants are.

Ulrich,

As far as I'm aware and have read, succulents also come under evergreen or deciduous.

Baa, I think we need to be a bit more specific in our PDB, since it isn't quite as simple as our present definitions imply. Thanks for the info.

WZ

Not quite sure I understand when you say they need to be more specific. Do you mean in the Garden Terms?

Yes, Baa... brain slipped a gear!

Vols~ I must have missed it, since I'm not on the forums as much any more, but where is the appropriate place for "common names' on the PDB, or is there one?

Ivey, when an entry is created, the common and botanical names fields are completed then. If you have an additional comon name to add to an existing entry, you can use the "report an error" button (while you're viewing the page) to send us your suggestion.

I started to do some updating on ferns, and when I got to "seed" info, was temporarily stumped. I went ahead and filled it in as though it read "spore", is that how you want it done? I only did a couple, though, will wait to get a response before I start filling in more.

Since most ferns are challenging to raise from spore, would that qualify as "seed-saving not recommended?"

Ferns are going to be one of the odd-ball things that don't quite fit any "standard" format. But I think you did the right thing; a note added to the entry explaining the details of propagating spores would be helpful.

The "seed-saving not recommended" is intended for:

a) short-lived seeds that need to be sown while fresh; and
b) F1 hybrids that will likely produce unsatisfactory seedlings.

I am curious to see how mushrooms will be handled! That is one type of plant I have absolutely no knowledge in. Maybe some of the mushroom hunters will be able to fill any missing gaps there... Also curious to see how the carnivores are addressed. Just gotta go check more plants in the PDB!

Well, at least for right now, I'm not worrying about how to handle mushrooms or carnivorous plants - only how to complete the entries that are in there already :0)

Mushrooms aren't plants! They don't belong to the Kingdom Plantae but the Kingdom Fungi.

I don't think they should be in the plants database at all, partly because they aren't plants and partly because a misidentification can cause a lot of problems.

This message was edited Tuesday, Jan 7th 2:48 AM

Baa is absolutely correct (and I'm thankful she came to our rescue :) I knew there was some reason I didn't want to tackle mushrooms!

Go_Vols, wouldn't that hurt (tackling mushrooms) -they are pretty small, you would probably hit the ground hard ;D

Go_vols, will you give us progress reports? How many entries so far?

I don't have the official count (Dave has the reports to do that), but from looking back at the newsletters, it looks like this month we've added:

~200 descriptions
~200 images
~2,700 checkboxes

Not bad for a start, but there's still a lot of work to do! I hope every member will join us - it's simple, painless, and you'll be glad you did!

Aw, gang, we can do better than that!!!!!

go_vols, since it is impossible to add 'Succulents' to the categories, would it also be impossible to add something like 'Fleshy', 'Thick' or 'Juicy' to the Foliage Options?

Ulrich, please take a peek at this: http://davesgarden.com/t/371074/ ;o)

Come on all you gardeners, the PDB needs you! I'm seeing far too many familiar faces in there *G* They are all doing an excellent job and so could you.

Even if you don't think you're a great gardener you could still add a few sentances on how a plant grew for you in the past. What was great about it, did it do well in your climate, did it look awful, was it invasive in your area or how did you germinate or propagate it?

That's the great thing about the PDB, it's written by YOU not some trained hortics who know how the plant is supposed to grow. Tell me, how many books on plants do you know that offers the REAL gardeners point of view and how many offer a number of opinions on the plant??? Come to that how many books tell you how a plant grows/behaves in all sorts of climates?

Have a go, even if it's just one, it all adds up :)

Terry....................don't you know that is an extended, very bad 4 - letter word!! Now go wash your mouth out, and write on the board 100 times........I will only say Months that begin in Spring!! Love ya!!

"eyes"

lol, Eyes. I had to read and re-read the thread three times before I figured out you were referring to the thread title!

Smart girl, Terry!!! I'll see if there's anything I can add.

"eyes"

How we doing now? About half-way through the month. Better than last check?

We've definitely made some progress. To-date, we've added approximately 450 new descriptions, 380 photos and 6,700+ checkmarks so far!

There's still a lot to do, though, and I hope each person will contribute. What you know about a plant - things like
how well it grew for you last year...
or that your grandparents grew it...
or where it came from...
or how it got its common name...
or how tall it gets...
or how good (or bad) it tastes
...is helpful!

That's what you'd share with your neighbor next door, right? It's a safe bet your virtual neighbors will appreciate the same information :)

I'd like to add something here, Go_vols.

1)I don't think the comment sections on the PDB are a good place to question someone elses comment or a picture that was posted there. We should be using the Error report for that. Otherwise, it really clouds are credibility when others visit it the PDB.

2) Also, questions should be posted in the forums. If the member isn't a paid subscriber, I believe they can still click on one of the photos and ask the question in the PDB forum, can't they. I think the PDB should offer info, not ask for info in its comments.

3)Lastly, posting links seems like a good idea, but will those links be there in a year's time? Better to offer basic info and refer to the organization, etc.

good points, WZ. To reiterate, please use the "Report an Error" button. It's meant to make it easy for users to tell us when something needs editing. Two pointers:

1) Use it when you can't "fix" the problem yourself. If you want to complete a section that says "unknown - tell us" you can click on it and add the info yourself.

2) Be sure you're on the webpage with the error when you click on that link - the system will record the link to that page. Then take a moment to describe the error - if it's a typo, a photo that should be moved, checkboxes need to be unchecked, etc.

(We sometimes get error reports that display the front page of the PDB, and the note doesn't tell us what needs to be fixed...hey, we're good, but we're not mindreaders!)

6,700! Go gang!

Now hep me with this...

from HERE what do I click on?

Lavanda, in the right-hand column you'll find links to a lot of things. Down the page you'll find a link to the Plants Database (you can also click on the hyperlink that appears in this thread), and you'll need to log in, same user name and password as this site.

Once you're in there, make sure you are in a real comfy chair - there are more than 54,000 plants and 12,000+ images. Lots of good reading and browsing. If you find some plants you've raised, and you'd like to add photo or comment, there are links beneath each specific entry to do that.

Anywhere you see a link that says "unknown - tell us" , if you know what boxes should be checked, feel free to check all that apply.