How do you keep track of what you planted?

How do you keep track your plantings? I have used markers, but a lot of them get displaced or just vanish, so I don't remember what I planted and where I planted it. I'm afraid to pull any weeds because they could be something I actually want to grow.

I keep my tags in a recipe box. That way, if I forget, it's handy. Lots of people use diferent things but I find that's best for me. If my plant doesn't have a pic, I take one and attach it. I also have been starting to take pics of the babies so I know not to pull them.

I use a combination of methods.

I keep a journal (write in it when I feel like it - usually once a week) with what I planted, when I planted seeds with notations of whne to expect germination, or reminders to water/uncover, etc. I have 5 years of records and go back and check why isn't this plant coming up - oh yeah, it is late, or boy, we sure had early blloms this year. Some years I have had more a calandar, where I go to specific day and jot notes, Some years I have just used a lined version. I like both for different reasons.

I also keep a complete journal of all the plants that I have purchased. It is by no means COMPLETE as I started long after I was gardening. But anything new, I record it wiht a picture for DG plant file. I keep the plant label from the nursery, empty seed packet, the notes from a trade or any pertinant info. I also make notations of where I planted it. I have tried (and failed!) to create a scaled copy of my backyard to mark where they are. Most times, I get the approx. location.

Lastly, this year I have started a photo journal. the camera will pick up growth that my eye doesn't record.

Just as your garden, our method keeping evolves.

I personally stick the tag in the ground next to them and they don't get displaced or lost. When you mulch, you shouldn't mulch over a plant rather leaving the base of it bare ground. Come spring, my garden is all little "dips" from where the mulch was not placed or, where I removed the dead leftover from the plant. Come spring, those "dips" and last years death get new leaves & life coming out and I know they're not weeds. Anything growing through the mulch, not near a "dip" or near a plant I trimmed off in fall is a weed.

Another method, you likely have only a few types of weeds. I have Hairy Vetch, Dandelions, crab grass, and some plant that grows like a star nearly flat on the ground and shoots off a runner with a star at the end making a bunch of stars. I pull so many of those out a year it doesn't take long before I know them by heart :) I may not be able to identify what plant I had growing in that spot last year, but I have memorized what the few weeds that grow in my area look like and search out my beds for them. I recommend instead of trying to determine or memorize the dozens or hundreds of different plantings you have, to instead memorizing and determining the few weeds you have (if you haven't, let everything "grow" up and then you can see which is which).

This message was edited Apr 30, 2008 1:46 PM

I use the journal feature here to keep track of everything I have. Most of them I recognize well enough, but for the ones that are named cultivars that I might not remember the exact name of, or lesser known species in some of the genera I collect, I'll stick a tag next to them in the garden so I remember what they are. As far as telling plants from weeds--experience is key, I've been at this house almost 2 yrs now so I've learned to recognize what the common weeds are. And if you're like me and tend to plant just a couple of a lot of different plants, my other rule of thumb is that if there's more than three of them in any given area it's probably a weed! If you have a lot of things that self-sow though or if you plant larger groups of the same plant together you might not want to follow that rule! I also have an advantage because I don't grow a lot of things that die back over the winter, so when the plant's always there in the same place it's easier to say that anything new popping up is a weed.

Someone once recommended plastic knives (the kind used for picnics) as plant markers. I haven't tried this yet, but I think I might. If you write the name of the plant on the knife's handle you have the whole blade to dig into the soil so that it won't get knocked out. Seems like a cheap solution, too.

I take lots of pictures of my garden to help me identify things. I also keep a journal that includes things like care instructions and my own observations (what came up when in the spring; results of grooming or pinching; what bloomed when; what needs to be moved next year, etc.). I draw diagrams to map out where my plants are.

Last year I was fairly good at keeping track of which plants were the rudbeckias and which were the coneflowers, but I didn't do so well at keeping track of their varieties. I do have a few unidentified varieties lurking because of that. But this year I'm doing much better with my record keeping. I bought the Flower 2008 software from PlantStep.com http://www.plantstep.com/ It's been invaluable! With my detailed records, I've also photographed new growth this spring and uploaded it to the program so I'll be better able to identify what's coming up next year. I truly do love this software. :)

i do the plastic knife deal.

I have maps with pics on them, I'm kinda crazy when it comes to planning my gardens. I also used a permanent marker on the inside of a seashell and put it next to the plant.