Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: SueStephens on February 02, 2012, 06:11:28 PM
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Does anyone use software for keeping sowing/germination records? If so... what do you use? Does anyone use an iPad? If so... have you found a good app for the purpose?
Or.. do you keep records in some other way?
I would love to know what works... because I can't seem to find a good way for myself ???
Sue
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I don't have an iPad Sue, but use the Apple iWorks software suite which includes Numbers - a spreadsheet programme, if there is a Numbers App I should think that would fit the purpose. I also keep all my Snowdrop details on Bento database, again I don't know whether this is now available as an App but worth a search in the App store.
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I use Excel but any half decent spreadsheet programme would do. I always think spreadsheets are better than database type software as you don't have to get all the fields you want right first time and can modify it as time goes on and you hit the inevitable 'I wish I'd done that' moment which can lead to doom, gloom and despondency with databases. You can sort, filter, search and generally play around with data in a spreadsheet. When you get really ambitious (or turn into a geeky anorak) you can start drawing graphs, pie charts and all other sorts of daft things.
(Apologies, too many years spent steeped in numeric data and being frustrated by inflexible software. You can now do in Excel, on a PC/Laptop, what I used to have to rely on a computer the size of a small planet to do) ???
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(Apologies, too many years spent steeped in numeric data and being frustrated by inflexible software. You can now do in Excel, on a PC/Laptop, what I used to have to rely on a computer the size of a small planet to do) ???
And you should have seen the size of the hamster he had to turn the wheels.........[attach=1]
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Numbers is available as an app for iPad.
I would think that any spreadsheet programme could be used for the purpose. I use an excel spreadsheet for keeping track of how my orchids increase their flowering/growing stems (hopefully!) from year to year. It still involves scribbling a paper record when I'm in the garden and then transferring it to the computer when my hands are clean - grit in the keyboard is a real menace ;D
I suppose that an iPad would be less likely to be damaged than a standard laptop - but they're a bit expensive to run the risk of damage to the screen by gritty fingers.
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I use Excel but any half decent spreadsheet programme would do. I always think spreadsheets are better than database type software as you don't have to get all the fields you want right first time and can modify it as time goes on and you hit the inevitable 'I wish I'd done that' moment which can lead to doom, gloom and despondency with databases. You can sort, filter, search and generally play around with data in a spreadsheet. When you get really ambitious (or turn into a geeky anorak) you can start drawing graphs, pie charts and all other sorts of daft things.
(Apologies, too many years spent steeped in numeric data and being frustrated by inflexible software. You can now do in Excel, on a PC/Laptop, what I used to have to rely on a computer the size of a small planet to do) ???
Eh!! What did the man say Eli? ;D
Is paper and a pencil any good :P
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I looked at Numbers ... but it (apparently) can't import dates from Excel, and I wanted to be able to move between my iPad and my laptop. I tried various database and 'list' apps but they seem too limited in one way or another. There are other possibilities but I didn't want to spend a fortune finding out....
I'm even thinking of going over to a card index!
A salutory lesson for an ex-software developer :-\
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. It still involves scribbling a paper record when I'm in the garden and then transferring it to the computer when my hands are clean - grit in the keyboard is a real menace ;D
I do this as well. However half of what I have written I can't read or can't understand what on earth I meant when I get indoors. I blame the lack of a smooth surface outdoors, sloppy use of the Haws and rarely me. Would love to switch to numbers or Bento, use the iPad outdoors and change the mother file on the Mac indoors directly. I don't think I can do this in Excel via an iPad with the present Office 2004 on the Mac? Another issue is the size of the excel file, it has become so large that it must have most columns hidden to print a usable copy, then the print is so small there's no room to write.
On top of that I am losing patience with Excel using Windows 7.
johnw
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I looked at Numbers ... but it (apparently) can't import dates from Excel
Sue - More bad news. Does Numbers interpret any of these as a date in excel - 21 April 2012; April 21, 2012; 21/4/12, 4/21/12, 21/4/2012, 4/21/2012 or none? What about simply 2012?
johnw
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I looked at Numbers ... but it (apparently) can't import dates from Excel
A salutory lesson for an ex-software developer :-\
Is this because of the format of the dates then Sue? I am sure as a developer you would know. When I have imported Excel sheets I have not had any dates so wouldn't know.
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I just use a Word document with list of seeds and their source, date sown and (hopefully) germination started. When the page is full I print it and glue it in a large hard covered ex book which can be carted around. E.g.
SRGC Sown 20/1/12
Adonis vernalis (6)
Dianthus callizonus - g 3/2/12
Dicentra peregrina alba (8 )
Eritrichium rupestre - g 3/2/12
Iris kerneriana (12)
Ourisia microphylla 'Hollowcliffe'
etc etc
If there are countable seeds I do so as above. I too, note down anything on paper from my pocket, to transfer to the Word doc. Pleased I went out to have a look a few mins ago as there are two started today, the first from SRGC ;D
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I can also add a d date too if I have too :'(
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Dicentra peregrina alba (8)
(That's supposed to be an 8 inside brackets beside the Dicentra but it keeps on coming up as the sunglass smiley)
If you germinate Dicentra peregrina alba, you're entitled to use the sunglasses smiley 8)
(the sunglasses smiley is rendered as an 8 with a following bracket. There is a code to stop it doing that, but I can't remember it. You can fool it by inserting an extra space ( 8 )
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I'm afraid I don't have any direct experience of Numbers Brian, I read a review recently that put me off it because of the apparent date incompatibility. But I would guess that it is a problem with the way the date is held internally.
Lesley, that was so funny.. The 8 coming out as a smiley! Just goes to show that however hard you try to keep it simple... The technology gets you in the end...
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I use the program in the link below for my orchids that I keep its free and iI find it sorts my needs it says its for orchids but it could be used for any plants
http://www.rz-orchideen.de/
Just remember to read the manual!
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Thanks for the space tip Diane. I'll have another go. :)
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That's a fascinating programme - and a sign that someone really ought to get out more ::)
However, I've downloaded it to try it out, I'm afraid I can't resist stuff like this :D
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I use Excel spreadsheet and it works very well, despite its many detractors. It has many possibilities like cell COLOR, bold or italics, etc. It can become a very dynamic database. And millions of people have windows in their computers, making the exchange of data easy.
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I don't keep germination records, if there are seedlings in the pot then they have germinated... Sow sowing records I put the info on the label. A good size commercial label (I can't tell you how much I hate cut up blinds etc.) will hold sp name collection number/collector or source, region number of seeds if known, and date. What more do you need?
B
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I use Exel and usual working log for entries in the garden - the reason - the sand and soil ...
Table Exel allows me to sort records for example " sprouted - not sprouted", and to other parametres. This suffices me.
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I don't keep germination records, if there are seedlings in the pot then they have germinated... Sow sowing records I put the info on the label. A good size commercial label (I can't tell you how much I hate cut up blinds etc.) will hold sp name collection number/collector or source, region number of seeds if known, and date. What more do you need?
B
Until the writing fades away or one's child brings in a handful saying "Look what I've got Mummy."
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I use Excel spreadsheet and it works very well, despite its many detractors. It has many possibilities like cell COLOR, bold or italics, etc. It can become a very dynamic database. And millions of people have windows in their computers, making the exchange of data easy.
The exchange of data is also easy using an Apple program as it can be exported in Excel and many other formats. By the way, I looked for Sue, there are 18 ways of expressing the date in Numbers on the laptop.
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Just remember to read the manual!
Ah, Neil, what wonderful advice. If only folks would .....readthe manual.... the instructions, the notes, the advice ...... how simple our lives would become.
I'm saying this with a BIG SIGH!!
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I don't keep germination records, if there are seedlings in the pot then they have germinated... Sow sowing records I put the info on the label. A good size commercial label (I can't tell you how much I hate cut up blinds etc.) will hold sp name collection number/collector or source, region number of seeds if known, and date. What more do you need?
B
We're not hot on record keeping :-[
However, we do use cut up aluminium blinds ( sorry Bryan!) which we can engrave with whatever info we do want to keep... source, number of bulbs etc.....we find these are the only labels that will last indefintiely and also be legible long-term.
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I don't keep germination records, if there are seedlings in the pot then they have germinated... Sow sowing records I put the info on the label. A good size commercial label (I can't tell you how much I hate cut up blinds etc.) will hold sp name collection number/collector or source, region number of seeds if known, and date. What more do you need?
B
We're not hot on record keeping :-[
However, we do use cut up aluminium blinds ( sorry Bryan!) which we can engrave with whatever info we do want to keep... source, number of bulbs etc.....we find these are the only labels that will last indefintiely and also be legible long-term.
Me neither, but I do have a good memory, and any critical data I record on the label.
I've tried starting a log book a few times but, as with diaries, my good intentions last about two weeks!
The labels the SRGC sell are actually very good for writing on with pencil and usually last a long time - and the pencil stays legible, which it doesn't on shiny plastic labels, even assuming the pencil will write on them.. If I want to use normal shiny plastic labels for long-term work I stick a 'Brother' label on them. I've only tried this under glass and those labels are still perfectly OK after 7 years. If the plastic label itself gets brittle and snaps then the brother tape holds it together until a replacement can be sorted out. I've not tried this outdoors but someone told me they use it for labelling pipes on oil rigs so if it will stand that then our garden should be a doddle.
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I use vinyl labels from a company in the USA. If written on in pencil (not pen!!) they last a long time, we have some in the orchid collection that are 15+ years old. As for children handing you a big pile of labels, that it why I don't have kids! Also if labels were removed from a bunch of pots, I still might not know hat was what if I had a book...
B
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Lesley as always adds the spicy line. Dear Lesley, no kids here but the thrushes had been terribly vicious on labels. Now we use two labels per pot but even that could not replace records. Admitedly keeping them up to date involves time but with many plants the problem of a name lost can be serious.
Brian, I have been using US vynyl labels for many years and hundreds bought in 1990 are still in perfect conditions. They were from a Texas company and they were the best in the world (sorry I did not know SRGC had labels for sale) enduring our tremendous summer heat. As with many US product the quality was fantastic. A couple of years ago I ordered a few thousands and guess what? They are no longer manufactured in the US but in.........................................China!!! They seem to be vynyl anyway but they are paper thin and the color fades as if dissolved. What a pity to see even another excellent product replaced by a lousy imitation. Mark McDonough used them in his huge collection of bulbs and you can see what they look like in photos of his garden.
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I use vinyl labels from a company in the USA. If written on in pencil (not pen!!) they last a long time, we have some in the orchid collection that are 15+ years old. As for children handing you a big pile of labels, that it why I don't have kids! Also if labels were removed from a bunch of pots, I still might not know hat was what if I had a book...
B
Plant labels. Hadn't previously regarded them as a birth control method before. Not that the subject bothers me much these days :o ;D
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The labels the SRGC sell are actually very good for writing on with pencil and usually last a long time - and the pencil stays legible, which it doesn't on shiny plastic labels, even assuming the pencil will write on them..
SRGC sells labels?
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The labels the SRGC sell are actually very good for writing on with pencil and usually last a long time - and the pencil stays legible, which it doesn't on shiny plastic labels, even assuming the pencil will write on them..
SRGC sells labels?
Only at shows, Helen. Glassford keeps a stock of them but it isn't really cost effective to post them.
They are not big labels, they are 10cm to a point, and 1.5cm wide
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And
Just remember to read the manual!
Ah, Neil, what wonderful advice. If only folks would .....readthe manual.... the instructions, the notes, the advice ...... how simple our lives would become.
I'm saying this with a BIG SIGH!!
And that is why I still cannot work out how to use the new DAB radio/ Ipod player thingy mejig (sp?) we got.
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Maggi, if they last outdoors they are GREAT labels.
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The labels the SRGC sell are actually very good for writing on with pencil and usually last a long time - and the pencil stays legible, which it doesn't on shiny plastic labels, even assuming the pencil will write on them..
SRGC sells labels?
Only at shows, Helen. Glassford keeps a stock of them but it isn't really cost effective to post them.
They are not big labels, they are 10cm to a point, and 1.5cm wide
Oh, ok.
Thanks, Maggi.
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Just remember to read the manual!
Ah, Neil, what wonderful advice. If only folks would .....readthe manual.... the instructions, the notes, the advice ...... how simple our lives would become.
I'm saying this with a BIG SIGH!!
"If all else fails, read the instructions......."
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I use these labels for the nursery and for potted plants, mostly. They have the advantage as someone recently pointed out, of being able to be read across without twisting one's neck around. :)
They are a tough plastic type material with a matt surface, quite bendy and the more recent ones have been thicker and stronger than the originals which did crack after two or three years out in the sun. The writing surface is 25mm x 30mm and I use a 6B pencil which lasts indefintely. The leg has a slight indentation down it and I assume this is the front. On the back there is a raised ridge, not so easy to see in the pics. Of course both sides can be written on. I've no idea where they're made but probably China.
My source is/was a firm in Christchurch and since last years' earthquakes I've not been able to locate them so maybe I won't be able to get more. I have about 5000 on hand at present. I used to get them printed on one side with nursery name, address, contact details, but am not doing this now.
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I accidentally bought two diaries for my job for 2012 so decided to use one as a personal diary and record the minutiae of my daily life. It started well on Jan 1st with weeding, seed sowing etc and went on until Jan 26th which was a day from hell and I couldn't get the writing done on the day so things got behind and so far I haven't got back to it. Besides I found it depressing on reading it that every day said "hip very sore" or "back and knees agonizing today." Recording that only seemed to make it worse.