Keeping Records
It’s always good to keep records of which crops you grow on your plot and where you grow them. Without keeping a few records it is difficult to maintain a proper crop rotation regime. I always know what I planted where and when for a few days but then with time memory fades and I’m not too sure. After a couple of years it can be a problem knowing where not to plant your brassicas to try to avoid pests and diseases building up in the ground.
If you add to this fairly basic information including how many seeds you sow or how many plants you use, when each crops and the quantity of crop from each, then you are on the road to avoiding those gluts and planting the correct amount of vegetables and fruit to keep a supply of fresh vegetables going over as much of the year as possible.
For the last three or four years I’ve been using “GrowVeg.com which is an innovative garden planning tool to help you grow fruit and vegetables to the best of their ability, whatever the size or shape of your garden or plot.” Previously I’d used a computer drawing package to draw plans and keep plot records but this was quite complex to use. When I updated my PC, the cost of upgrading this expensive piece of software solely in order to keep garden plans was a bit prohibitive to say the least. I started looking round on the Internet for alternatives and found GrowVeg. After a free trial period which impressed me, I’ve used it ever since. It certainly kept track of where everything was grown on the plot and gave helpful basic information on vegetable growing.
It was rather limiting if you wanted to do more but now it’s been updated giving the user much more scope and freedom to plan cropping right down to individual varieties each with additional information such as specific sowing, planting and harvesting months and more.
GrowVeg stores your plans on its server. Additionally you are able to store a copy electronically elsewhere on your computer and print plans and lists.
Figure 1: Plan for 2009 stored on my PC
Since GrowVeg has been updated I’m trying to use it this year to keep more details of when crops are sown, their yield etc. The recent update allows you to keep details of the variety of vegetable you plant and offers the ability to adjust spacing between plants and rows to suit individual requirements. You can also add your own dates of sowing, and the planting and harvesting months for each variety of vegetable and fruit. Notes can also be added against each vegetable variety. GrowVeg keeps track of where you plant the main categories of crops (e.g. brassicas, roots etc) warning you if you try to plant the same crop in the same bed over the next five years.
Figure 2: GrowVeg plan for 2010 in edit view
GrowVeg gives cultivation advice for all the vegetables available. The information available for maincrop potatoes is shown below. This is accessed by clicking on the information icon next to maincrop potatoes.
Figure 3: General Information on main crop potatoes
Previously the software produced a table of the vegetables added to your plot plan but had no scope for individual notes but now it’s possible to keep notes alongside each variety of vegetable that you grow.
Figure 4: Part plant list for plot 41
Although the software has only recently been updated I’ve got this year’s plots and vegetable varieties set up without any problems. It’s just a matter of diligence now to keep appropriate records. I find taking photographs to be an extremely useful and easy way of ‘taking’ notes. I don’t know what I’d do without my trusty camera on my mobile phone.
The software is easy to use, following all the basic software conventions to cut, copy and paste. GrowVeg also has a set of easily recognisable symbols for many vegetables, fruit and flowers. All you need to do is add the names of the varieties that you grow. There’s no software to download or CD to purchase as GrowVeg operates over the internet. This means that as updates are automatically available.
GrowVeg offers a 30 day free trial so you can see if the software is for you without any cost or obligation. If you are as impressed as I was the subscription is just £15.00 a year (US$25 or €18 approx) or for a two year subscription £25 (US$40 or €29 approx). There is a great set of short videos to get you started. The first one shown below gives an overview of the software and is well worth watching if you’re interested in the software and would like to know more.
Figure 5: GrowVeg introduction & getting started video
Thanks to GrowVeg for allowing me to use this video.
