Does anyone use excel to catalog their collection? How do you keep track of it all?

[cathyeignus]

i use ORCHIDALBUM on my iPad and iPhone. .it is great. the app is $7 or $8. check it out.

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by jmmehler

Speaking of OrchidWiz... Awhile back I know there was some trouble between AOS and OrchidWiz over copyrights on photos. Now a friend of mine is trying to renew his copy of OrchidWiz, but the web page fails him and he cannot find a working number. Neither could I. Any definitive info out there?

probably best to e-mail them:
support@orchidwiz.com

[cathyeignus]

i use orchid web. it is great!

[lotis146]

I'm a nerd about my orchids too though I'd say at present my record keeping could be improved (just have to say that).

I use OneNote. I created a new notebook for my Orchids, then new sections for Orchid Diary (basically notes), a section with a table for my collection, breeding section (a new page for every new attempt), wishlist section, and now i started a new section for 2015 Diary/Notes. I can create as many sections as I want with as many pages as I want in each section. I can insert images and even dock OneNote so when I take notes from online it records the website I got the notes from.

In My Collection the table includes: Orchid genus, species/hybrid name, where/who acquired from, when (should add costs I'll say), repot dates, a column for any pests/treatments, general notes, and then blooming details. I do believe this could be more organized, as in more detailed columns. You may benefit from adding a pest/treatments column also.

I usually take my most detailed notes in the diary section though I do take some general and bigger notes (new growths, spikes, "big news" such as how putting Aganisia cyanea in a MUCH warmer room immediately resulted in some form of growth) in the Collection section. But my "diary" contains sections for each month wherein I note when I water, whether I'm using plain water or what fertilizer, etc. This is the best time for me to take stock of what's happening with my plants; I usually keep track with a notepad or piece of paper then type it all into my computer.

Even better I can access this folder and all its contents wherever I can get on the internet. My table gives me quick organization of the basic details while my Diary sections let me get even more detailed with each plant and thoughts when I feel like it.

I'd love to do more research and keep better track of my plants ancestry as well, that's a future nerd-task.

[astrid]

Originally Posted by lotis146

I'm a nerd about my orchids too though I'd say at present my record keeping could be improved (just have to say that).

I use OneNote. I created a new notebook for my Orchids, then new sections for Orchid Diary (basically notes), a section with a table for my collection, breeding section (a new page for every new attempt), wishlist section, and now i started a new section for 2015 Diary/Notes. I can create as many sections as I want with as many pages as I want in each section. I can insert images and even dock OneNote so when I take notes from online it records the website I got the notes from.

In My Collection the table includes: Orchid genus, species/hybrid name, where/who acquired from, when (should add costs I'll say), repot dates, a column for any pests/treatments, general notes, and then blooming details. I do believe this could be more organized, as in more detailed columns. You may benefit from adding a pest/treatments column also.

I usually take my most detailed notes in the diary section though I do take some general and bigger notes (new growths, spikes, "big news" such as how putting Aganisia cyanea in a MUCH warmer room immediately resulted in some form of growth) in the Collection section. But my "diary" contains sections for each month wherein I note when I water, whether I'm using plain water or what fertilizer, etc. This is the best time for me to take stock of what's happening with my plants; I usually keep track with a notepad or piece of paper then type it all into my computer.

Even better I can access this folder and all its contents wherever I can get on the internet. My table gives me quick organization of the basic details while my Diary sections let me get even more detailed with each plant and thoughts when I feel like it.

I'd love to do more research and keep better track of my plants ancestry as well, that's a future nerd-task.

Maybe I'll check it out! I am sure I'll eventually have to convert away from excel for this! I'd love to have more integrated notes and images and maybe little pull-down menus and whatnot.

[lotis146]

I'm a huge fan of OneNote for all applications. If you have a touchscreen (and stylus pen, or just your finger) you can 'write by hand' (imagine that!) as well. There's really a lot you can do with OneNote, and I can promise you I've not scratched the surface. Could question/thread though.

[skarletjade]

I also use onenote. it's pretty cool. And I take picture and put the dates next to them so I can see how fast they are growing over time, but I only have 35 or so. I also use garden manager, it's a free app.

[daveh_sf]

I use Excel, and keep a record of:
-Name
-Light range
-Max temp range
-Preferred temp range
-Water frequency summer
-Water frequency winter
-Bloom season
-Native country
-Notes
I also put the first 6 items on tags on the plants. I'm up to about 150 entries in my list.

[silken]

Originally Posted by AussieVanda

I also use orchidwiz. love it.

Me too. I add all my info into OrchidWiz including photos. And the added bonus is all the culture and award information and photos of almost every orchid out there including the Baker's culture notes on species.

[Stray59]

Astrid and all -
Sorry for taking up this much space on a post, but I have tried everything I could to download this form and finally just cut-and-paste it in.
I created this for the museum collection that I am assisting with. I created this with the thought of having all the basics and some more in-depth observation available to all the staff and to also keep and inventory control. What you can't see is that in the header has a place for the current date and an inventory number and also a check-off box for whether the plant is "of note" such as Angraecum sesquipedal (Darwin's orchid) or Vanilla planifolia - in the comment area it can be noted why this orchid is not "just a pretty flower"; this helps keep the educational aspect to the collection for the museum.
I can just print off a pages to put in a ring binder in order to be able to keep them sectioned off into different tribes within the binder. I am still mulling this over, but this is pretty well the overall product.
This was just a Word document, as I am pretty comfortable with such. Feel free to use any of it you want - Let us know how you set yours up!
(I noticed it is not "pasting" exactly, but I think all the info did transfer and am trying to edit out a lot of blanks!).

Name: _________________________________________
 Hybrid Parentage: _____________________________
 Species Common Name:______________________
Country of Origin: ________________________________
Epiphyte  Lithophyte  Terrestrial
Bloom Season
 Spring  Summer  Fall  Winter  Variable _______________________________________
Bloom start date /Bloom end date/# of Spike/# of Blooms/Duration
______________/_____________/_________/__________/_____________
Fragrance
 None  Slight  Heavy /  Pleasant  Unpleasant Description:_______________________
Exposure
 Full shade  Dappled/Partial shade  Bright, indirect light  Full sun
Temperature Cold 50 to 55  Cool 58 to 60  Warm 68 to 75  Hot 75 to 85 (Night temps)
Mature Size Miniature - under 6”  Small - under 12”  Medium - under 24”  Large - under 48”  Giant - over 48”
Pesticide date:
__________ / __________ / __________ / ___________ / __________ / __________ / __________ / __________
Fungicide date:
__________ / __________ / __________ / ___________ / __________ / __________ / __________ / __________
Repot date:
__________ / __________ / __________ / ___________ / __________ / __________ / __________ / __________
 ______” Clay pot  ______” Slat basket  Mounted _______________________________________________
Notes / Comments: _______________________________________________
__________________________________________________ ____________________________________________
Date of Purchase: ________________ Price: ________________ Seedling Immature  Blooming size
Supplier: _______________________________________________
 Donated Date of donation: __________________ Donor: _____________________________________

In the area of bloom date, repot date, comments, etc. I put in lot of lined spaces to be written on, and I double space between the heading to make it easier to read, but this gives you the parameters of what we are recording. The "check-off" boxes make it a lot easier than having to transcribe everything. Again, hope this helps.