What info in your spreadsheet / database?

[theredhead]

I guess this is really 2 questions.

First, what do you all use/prefer to track your orchid information? Excel? Access? Something custom? My Mom generally keeps her info in a notebook, but I'm a high tech type of gal. I would prefer a solution that allows me to include pictures. Does anyone care to share info about their great solution?

Second, what info is beneficial to keep? Obviously basic info (name, date purchased, date bloomed, etc.), but what about other details?

Thanks.

-the redhead-

[l.ania]

Hello there
I personally do not have any database for my orchids... but I suppose it's high time to think about it
Baza danych here you can find database made by mr Jerzy Dziedzic- it's in Polish, but you can see how it can look like As you can see, you've got 3 columns here: "plant", "flower", "cultivation" About plant: name, latin name, when you bought it and how it looked like at that moment, how big should it be and a calatogue foto. About flower: color and size, when did it bloom, how long it had flowers and your own foto. About cultivation: how much light, how warm, cultivation tips, rest and the story of growing it at your place

I hope it would help... in some way

Ps. I'm not a great translator...

[D&S Mabel]

Mine's mid tech cheap. I use Excel and have two sets of speadsheets as follows -

1) I number all my plants with tags. They are the same tags as you usually find the printed names on only cut down. I use paint pens for the writing as I have found that other methods of marking fade or are hard for me read. This makes referencing and sorting easier - I don't know how many times I've looked at a name tag, starting repeating the name in my head as I walked into the house to look it up, only to forget or screw it up by the time I got to my files - the numbers are easier to remember.
2) I have one Excel spreadsheet that is a quick reference master sheet that lists the plant # and name, month it blooms, last repot, whether it had bloomed for me, and since I use time release fertilizer on some of my plants, when I last applied that. I also color code some of the cells in the sheet to remind me if the plant has special needs and what they may be (like winter rest, dark shade, etc.). This spreadsheet also has a second tab that lists plants I've lost and why I think they didn't make it - a reality of growing orchids. This helps remind me, in some cases, not to buy the plant again and that I just can't grow every plant I see and want!
3) I then have an individually numbered - matches the tag I've put on the plant - Excel workbook for each plant. Inside that workbook are 4 tabs. The first tab lists just about all the info as l.ania listed above with repot and major event dates listed too (like if the plant had pests or sunburn, etc.). It also has any culture tips I've found if that plant has any special needs, etc. The second tab has a photo of the bloom. The third tab has pictures of the plant from date of purchase to each repot, etc. The last tab has a photo of what the bloom is supposed to look like, if I can find a photo from the web or the package the plant can in, etc.

Probably not the best way to do this as it does take a little bit of work to keep it up to date if you have a larger collection but it is inexpensive...

[whygreenberg]

Hiya, Red! I use a program called VoodooPad. It's a bit less structured than a spreadsheet or a traditional database, a bit more like a journal or scrapbook. Based on making connections between things via wiki links.

Here's a link back to a past thread on people's orchid databases, and a better description from me:
Looking for orchid database program

[theredhead]

In looking through various threads, I’ve seen people keep track of the following items:

- name
- type
- color
- hybrid info (?)
- date purchased
- condition at purchase
- cost
- origin
- date bloomed
- bloom duration
- flower info
- date repotted
- fragrance
- plant photo
- reference plant photo
- light info
- watering info

What other sorts of things do you all like to keep track of?

Who has used Cattleya-Log, and how do you like it? It appears to be a pretty spiffy package.

Thanks.

-the redhead-

[D&S Mabel]

I also track:
spike date - (I've had plants that spiked but never bloomed)
awards
# of blooms
potting medium
pot size
pot type

[Bob2741]

I use Microsoft Office One note its like a research notebook with section and as many folders as you like I keep a folder on each Orchid if its a cat then they are in the cat section.
I keep the history of the plant its genological line
When & where I bought it
When I repotted it
When It bloomed
Problems I have had with it
How I solved the problems
Picture of everything the plant does.
If it would die I keep that data also and then put it in the dead file. It has really helped me

You can download the program at

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/default.aspx

For free for a 30 day test drive I think it cost somewhere around a 100.00

[Judi]

First, I always take a picture of the flower. I print a small hardcopy, maybe 1" by 2" and write the name of the plant on the back; then I attach a long clear plant stake to the back of the picture and laminate it all together on all sides. I keep the stake in the pot at all times. I also have an excell spreadsheet for my orchids with a tab for each type of orchid. My first column is a picture of the orchid flower. Other columns I have are: name and any varietal information I have; date and place purchased (if I lose a plant I include the date here); dates spiked; dates flowered which includes begining and ending flowering dates--if a flower is fragrant, I include when it started and ended being fragrant as well as time of day it was fragrant; dates repotted; bug or other problems; and general comments. I found I needed a spreadsheet to keep track of repotting dates, but unfortunately by the time I started the spreadsheet I had quite a few orchids where I didn't have purchase and early flowering dates. So the earlier one starts documenting the data the better!

[theredhead]

I'm on the phone with my Mom reviewing my questions, who has corrected me that I should use the word 'supplier' rather than 'origin' That is what I meant.

Hi Mom!

-the redhead-

[docon]

I use almost exclusively clay pots
MOM