Yes, and I'm doing very well with it this year. Other years, I've flaked off part way through the season.

I record when I plant a crop, when I first harvest it, when it dies if it did. Also the date that certain pests first show up.

I also make a note if something goes wrong, so I can avoid doing it in the future.

I've done a written journal like a diary, but didn't like it much. Too hard to find info when I needed it, and it felt like a chore to keep up.

So I started keeping diagrams (in Visio) of anywhere with annual plants. In the box with the plant & variety, I include direct seed date, how it did, how it tasted, etc. Every season gets a new tab with a new map, so I can flip through them in order to see what's been planted where in recent seasons.

I also keep a Google calendar for soil temps and reminders of upcoming dates for things like pruning and planting. (Plus the dates I did them.) The calendar is searchable.

Some day I'll figure out how to merge the two. Meanwhile, my "system" gets modifications as I need them, and updates are pretty painless.

Years ago I started keeping a journal with those blank books. I think I'm on my 4th, but I don't record much anymore. I'm better at the beginning of the season.

Just finished my 2011 tomato review, but that gets stashed in another gardening book. My once-organized binder is now a mess ... stuffed with plant tags and miscellaneous papers that never got organized.

{{gwi:88517}}

I record what I grow, when I grow it & when I harvest it. Also put down a few side notes as to what pests or problems I ran into while growing it. I take a few photos of the items in question & record the dates on the computer as to when the photos wee taken. Simple, works well and is easy.

Yup! I start each year with my seeds ordered, recording their days to maturity there in an easy-to access list. Then I record when they are seeded, transplanted (unless direct sown), and first harvest, did we like it in a sort of diary format. Also noted are pests, what was done to deal with them and whether or not it worked, plus any information that seems relevant from research (and the fine folks here). Sometimes I make note of the weather if there has been something going on that is affecting the plants (like a two-week cold snap in spring). Since I'm not too into organizing, I just put a box around the name of the plant I'm recording, which actually makes finding info. about it later pretty easy. Low tech all the way...

Yes, I have an excel spreadsheet. One sheet includes the plant or seeds, when planted, how many planted, how many germinated... first flowers, first fruit, first harvest. I also record what I do regarding fertilizing and fungal sprayings, and when the plant dies or is pulled. I have room for notes about other things.

I also have additional sheets where I track the harvests... what type of plants, which date, how much harvested, etc. I sometimes even note what I did with the harvest.

It's a very clunky system and I'd love a more integrated database.

I record planting dates, harvest dates, seed starting dates and the like on my laptop calendar, and I write a blog that has two readers. One from somewhere in the US and the other in Germany. I have never given out the link, but a search engine somewhere led these two to my blog and they seem to keep up on a regular basis. (Go figure.) I blog about what is going on in the garden, and just general observations and comments.

pretty much the same here too:
what i planted, when, what pests/if any, weather, feeding, soil.

i'm pretty good at keeping it up, but then this is my 3rd year, so i guess i'm still a newbie, lol!

~ angela :)

Here is a link that might be useful: my blog

bugsmom, where in the E bay are you? My DD is in Newark, I'm in Sonoma CO.
I was amazed by your blog! I rarely read more than a couple of paragraphs, then skim to see if there is anything to really read in others' blogs.
I just read your basic info and your recent article about Lupus, and was amazed and impressed at your strength and your love and support for your adorable daughter!
I'll be reading more and following your progress!
If I can help in any way, please get in touch! Nancy

This is my third year keeping a journal and it is very helpful. I use a generic 12 month planner that has a one page month-at-a-glance, followed by pages with more room for daily posts. I add in pages that have graphs of my beds, lists of seasonal tasks to do, and notes of things to not do again. I record planting and first harves dates on the month at a glance pages, as well as reminders of when to start what; and then make notes on the daily pages, such as which varieties are doing best, notes on exactly how I started seeds, etc.

I garden in 9 raised beds, using succession planting throughout the entire year. I would have a mess if I didn't keep track of things! I use my journal to track crop rotations and successions throughout the year. That alone is worth the effort.

I keep a video journal. I like it.

How impressive, everyone! This is only my second year in the vegetable garden, but I've always told myself one day I'll start recording so I don't make the same mistakes over and over. Good ideas, thanks for sharing! Maybe next spring, I'll get organized and create a system of my own.

I tried keeping a journal, but I barely have time to take care of the garden. So I settle for a spreadsheet with lists of what I planted and harvest measures, some pictures I keep on a flickr account, and envelopes each year that I throw plant tags into. Minimalist documentation.