Documenting The Tomato Process?

1916home · June 12, 2009

Now that I am full on planting seeds, growing a bunch of tomatoes and more than 'excited' about all of it, I'm wondering if there are any good spreadsheet files or doc files helping me document the whole growing process. For now, Ive scribbled a few notes onto a calendar, but I'd like to make it more official, and frankly easier to read so I dont feel so lost in the process. I'd like to record things like type, when seeded, when planted, when picked, etc, etc.

Does anyone have such a thing? It would be really helpful... my notes are getting confusing as Im running out of calendar space and I'd like to get the info into a chart instead.

Many thanks for any help! -Dave

1916home · June 15, 2009

Are we allowed to bump topics? I would love for any help on this! Thanks!

Barbee · June 15, 2009

Someone on here awhile back posted a link to a garden journal you could print out and fill in the blanks. I'll see if I can find it.

1916home · June 15, 2009

Great news! Thanks!

Barbee · June 15, 2009

http://site.wayzata-homestead-harves...denJournal.pdf

Here you go (I think)

aninocentangel · June 15, 2009

Here's that link again, because I'm on the desktop and it only has IE, and it wouldn't recognize the ...'s in the link Barbee posted.
That's a nice gardening journal, thanks Barbee for finding it.
Personally, I have created a varities database on google docs, and I use the calender and scheduler that came with my Outlook for notes regarding when I did something, when I need to do something, and reminder timers. It synchs with my phone, so even if I'm not near the computer I don't forget.

Moonglow · June 15, 2009

blog, blog, blog! easier said than done

.

TZ-OH6 · June 19, 2009

I just use a spreadsheet and put in whatever columns of interest I need. One spreadsheet has all of my varieties sorted by color and color coded. I copy this and paste it into another page for that year, and delete the varieties I am not planting and then keep track of date sown, date germinated, date planted out. Another worksheet has individual plants, days to first picked fruit, number of fruit on the plant when the first ripe fruit is picked etc. Another page has flavor notes.

With Excel I made what looks like a Legoland of the property making different cells different colors, yard is green, house is Yellow, Barn is red...cultivated areas along side the house and barn as well as the garden plots are light orange, and I plug in the names of the tomatoes/vegetables. Each cell represents a foot, tomato plant every 3 feet etc. I use the cell outline feature for the cultivated areas. I print out sections and take out to the garden when planting to makes sure everything goes where it is supposed to be. The spreadsheet is easy to work with because I can vary the size of the spreadsheet (100%, 200%) either to look at the overall property, or zoom in to look at the individual varieties.

You can do the same thing with a Works spreadsheet, but the controls are a little differnt, more time consuming, and instead of all the different worksheets being different pages in one file you would have to make different files and hold them in a folder.

June 12, 2009	#1
1916home Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pasadena, CA Posts: 7	Documenting The Tomato Process? Now that I am full on planting seeds, growing a bunch of tomatoes and more than 'excited' about all of it, I'm wondering if there are any good spreadsheet files or doc files helping me document the whole growing process. For now, Ive scribbled a few notes onto a calendar, but I'd like to make it more official, and frankly easier to read so I dont feel so lost in the process. I'd like to record things like type, when seeded, when planted, when picked, etc, etc. Does anyone have such a thing? It would be really helpful... my notes are getting confusing as Im running out of calendar space and I'd like to get the info into a chart instead. Many thanks for any help! -Dave

June 15, 2009	#3
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Someone on here awhile back posted a link to a garden journal you could print out and fill in the blanks. I'll see if I can find it. __________________ *Barbee*

June 15, 2009	#5
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	http://site.wayzata-homestead-harves...denJournal.pdf Here you go (I think) __________________ *Barbee*

June 15, 2009	#7
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	blog, blog, blog! easier said than done . __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog!

June 15, 2009	#6
aninocentangel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: 8a Coastal SC Posts: 251	Here's that link again, because I'm on the desktop and it only has IE, and it wouldn't recognize the ...'s in the link Barbee posted. That's a nice gardening journal, thanks Barbee for finding it. Personally, I have created a varities database on google docs, and I use the calender and scheduler that came with my Outlook for notes regarding when I did something, when I need to do something, and reminder timers. It synchs with my phone, so even if I'm not near the computer I don't forget.

June 19, 2009	#8
TZ-OH6 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mid-Ohio Posts: 847	I just use a spreadsheet and put in whatever columns of interest I need. One spreadsheet has all of my varieties sorted by color and color coded. I copy this and paste it into another page for that year, and delete the varieties I am not planting and then keep track of date sown, date germinated, date planted out. Another worksheet has individual plants, days to first picked fruit, number of fruit on the plant when the first ripe fruit is picked etc. Another page has flavor notes. With Excel I made what looks like a Legoland of the property making different cells different colors, yard is green, house is Yellow, Barn is red...cultivated areas along side the house and barn as well as the garden plots are light orange, and I plug in the names of the tomatoes/vegetables. Each cell represents a foot, tomato plant every 3 feet etc. I use the cell outline feature for the cultivated areas. I print out sections and take out to the garden when planting to makes sure everything goes where it is supposed to be. The spreadsheet is easy to work with because I can vary the size of the spreadsheet (100%, 200%) either to look at the overall property, or zoom in to look at the individual varieties. You can do the same thing with a Works spreadsheet, but the controls are a little differnt, more time consuming, and instead of all the different worksheets being different pages in one file you would have to make different files and hold them in a folder.