Tracking of Orchids?

[Windy]

Do any of you keep a record of sorts to track your orchids? I have 3 varieties with different needs and they're all in various sizes. I'm trying to figure out how to keep track of watering needs, fertilizing, when to "winter", etc. Plus, I want to keep track of the names of the types I have.

I'm at a loss as to what to do. Any help will be appreciated.

[Connie Star]

I've only been growing orchids for a few months but I have a degree in lab botany and had to keep very detailed records then. I made a couple of charts with excel that I fill by hand. So far so good...

[whygreenberg]

Hey there, Windy! (One of my favorite old songs, btw!)

I'm sure some more people will respond, but in the meantime...here are a couple of past threads on what people have done in terms of keeping spreadsheets, databases, or journals:

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...-database.html

Looking for orchid database program

[peeweelovesbooks]

My record keeping method is the following:
1) General orchid care log: in here goes watering fertilizing, repotting, trimming, applying pesticides, etc of all my orchids. I do this week to week, or whenever I do anything to any plant.

2) Orchid inventory chart for each type of orchid that I grow: catts, encyclias, miniatures, vandas, etc.
If I have more than one orchid of any type, I make a new chart for them. In this goes the following information:

a) orchid name
b) vendor
c) when purchased
d) bloom color
e) bloom history
f) past culture history
g) current culture history.

3) An fertilizing log where I keep the types and ratio of fertilizer

4) a seedling log

5) culture sheets separated and organized like the inventory sheets.

I have all these in binders. \



I need to work on something that has culture requirements in one spot though. I'm thinking about it.


I hope it helps.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

My log consists of:

1. name
2. orchid growth habit (epiphyte/lithophyte/terrestrial)
3. deciduous/semi-deciduous/evergreen
4. temperature range
5. lighting
6. bloom season
7. notes
8. dead/alive
9. vendors
10. degree of rarity

They're listed in alphabetical order and numbered.

I may end up adding stuff like photos (buds, flowers, leaves, roots, or tubers), countries of origin, avg yearly rainfall charts, and avg yearly temperature charts, or if they have tubers whether they go above ground or underground.

I've also thought about compiling my notes into a binder.

[angeleyedcat]

Hi I would definately keep a specific log to make notes in like the excellent suggestions above for your plants. It is well worth the time to know exactly what you've done and would be very valuable to you in the coming years. Most of my plants are NOID and here for my enjoyment so I try to keep it basic. I only have about 20 or so orchids but I've got at least 80 houseplants total from everything ranging from cactus, hoya, african violets, bromelaids, foliage, begonias and a few odd singles here and there. It is way too time consuming wandering through my house each day checking just in case and impossible to remember which needs what each day. This is how I handle the watering issue part of it. I print out 2 calendar sheets a month. Google "Free Printable Calendar Templates".

Sheet 1 is my "guesstimate" of when each basic type of plant (not individual plant) will need watering - example: my african violets can usually go about 7 days in my conditions. On every 7th day of that month I jot down av's. Paph's need to be watered about every 4 days so on every 4th day of that month I jot down Paph's and on for the rest of the plants going by type. I put a green star when it needs to be fertilized. A note about the plant type can be added (spraying/etc). I can usually just do this basic sheet in the computer and print it out for each month and copy paste it the next month.

Sheet 2 is a blank calendar for that month where I write in specific plant changes (or new plants) - example: my one christmas cactus has to be watered every 5 days instead of 8 like the others, or a few of my phals are on 6 days while a few others are on 9 days. If these changes happen more than twice I then put that plant(s) on for it's own specific watering days in the next calendar.


After about 4 months of doing this I've pretty much got it down to which plant needs watering about when within a day or so. It can vary a little from the list but since I only have to check on a reasonable amount of plants each day it's less confusing and it only takes a few seconds to note changes on my list. As the seasons change again it also gives me the ability to monitor the changes and make them as necessary. Haven't lost one since I started this due to forgetting about it! Truly basic and definately not fool proof but it's working for me

[Shirley]

I just keep a simple 3 x 5 card file in my plant room. On each card I note the name of the plant, where I got it and the price, repotting dates, blooming season and length and culture notes (plus anything else I want to remember). I find it easier than running to the computer all the time!

[Connie Star]

Actually I just print out the spreadsheets and fill them in by hand- when I watered, fertilized, temps, humidities, etc. I don't go to the computer after I set up the sheets. I like the index card idea.

[Ross]

Orchidwiz is my go-to.

[zxyqu]

Along with most everyone else, I have a great spreadsheet set up that tracks most of the pertinent information. The moment I print the sheet out, I think of something else I should add, so I just leave it on the computer. It can get annoying tracking everything that way, but with a laptop it isnt bad. Some extra things I keep track of, amongst others listed above, are leaf number, number of spikes, media type, location around the house, total bloom number, and when all the spikes were cut. Just my thoughts