SFG Planning Website and Online Veg. Seed Database

15 years ago

Hi Folks

There's been a couple of discussions on this board in the past about software for SFGers, but nothing perfect ever seemed to come of them.

This is another thread about an online seed database, plating journal and plot planner, specifically aimed at SFGers. I'm developing it myself in my spare time (I'm a full-time web developer during the day, and a part-time SFGer other times) to manage my plot in the way I want it to, and I'm thinking about opening it up to others to use.

What I'm asking for here is a few people (at most 5 really) with good ideas and time who'd be willing to be initial test users on the system so that I can get feedback and make the system *the* perfect SFG planner.

At the moment, there's a basic seed database available, and not much else. I'd reckon within a week or so there'll be additional features and I'm hoping that the site will be ready for larger scale testing in Feb / March 2009.

Initial testers will have access to a bug-tracking system where they can leave suggestions, notes of problems etc for me to work on, and will have a direct influence on how the system develops.

If you're a (reasonably) computer / internet savvy square foot gardener, willing to give up some of your spare time to help test and build this system, I'd love to hear from you. I'm unable to pay anything, but since I'm not making any money from this myself, it'll be good to work on something together.

Cheers,

David

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Comments (23)

mike_in_paradise
15 years ago
Funny, that you mention that. I have been thinking of doing the same thing writing it in C# using the .net platform and windows forms library along with some custom controls that I have written. I worked in the software industry for over 25 years and started programming using punched cards on a Honeywell level 62.

I have not really decided yet if I want to commit the time to this but if I do maybe I will give you some friendly competition :)
northlochs
Original Author
15 years ago
Cool!

Python and Django FTW!
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anniesgranny
15 years ago
I have the time, love playing with new programs and have a little bit of knowledge about garden planning. I'd be willing to give it a try if you want.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
Umm....No. You can count me out. Who needs software for doing this? Graph paper works great for most people.

EG
ribbit32004
15 years ago
WOOHOO!! Graph paper!

If it ain't broke....

Sounds like a great database, but I need to feel the pen and paper in my hands.
angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
15 years ago
I don't guess I understand what makes the software so special or something that you would need. Can you let us in on how it would benefit most SFG'ers so we can get the feel of what you're going to be doing with it?

Blessings,
Angela
northlochs
Original Author
15 years ago
I can totally understand the need to use paper and pen - I love the immediacy of them too. I guess I'm just one of those people that loves getting things onto the computer.

As I mentioned, it's something I've been doing for myself really, that I plan on letting others use. If you want to, great. If not, that's great too.

Amonst other things, the features that it (nearly) has at the moment that are helpful to me are:

* an automatic todo list - so I can say I want to plant these particular seeds, and it'll generate a list - late winter, prepare square 2, late spring plant 4 seeds, early autumn harvest etc. This can be manually modified and added to, but it stops me forgetting things and keeps me organised.

* crop rotation reminder - it remembers what's been in each square and when, so it'll flag up if I'm following on with the wrong thing to keep my rotations in order.

* a journal - again, tied in with the todo list, I can add notes to each todo thing, add pictures etc and have a complete, searchable instantly accessible record of everything I've done in my garden.

* shopping lists - not yet, but it's going to keep a record of my seed suppliers and what I've bought from them. I'd like it to help me when I'm doing my seed ordering, so I can quickly reorder things that were successful, and not bother with things that weren't.

There's loads of other things I'm planning for it (recording plot characteristics - like soil pH, frost dates and the like to help with planning, yield recording - expected vs actual etc) but again, these are all things that my obsessive scientific (I was an industrial chemist before getting into programming) brain wants to record. If you're happy with your system, I'd be the last person to try and change that.

David
angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
15 years ago
You had me at "hello"... oh, I mean at "an automatic todo list".

I'm also one of those people that likes to be organized with stuff on the computer rather than paper, but that's just me... each to his own.

Blessings,
Angela
anniesgranny
15 years ago
I basically have most of those things already, but scattered all over in different folders so I have to search for everything I want. I think a program to keep everything organized would be quite useful.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden
northlochs
Original Author
15 years ago
Well, for those of you who are interested in having a go when it's ready (like I said, for a few users in a week or so, for more folks in a couple of months) just go to www.squarefootgardenplanner.com/users/signup and leave your name and email address and I'll let you know.

There's *nothing* on the live site at the moment (not even proper text, it's all just dummy pig-latin) so don't expect much straight away :)
anniesgranny
15 years ago
Well, it won't let me use Annie's as a first name and Granny as a last name, so guess I'll have to pass. I keep my real name private, even in this group.

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden
northlochs
Original Author
15 years ago
... and these are the reasons that I need testers ;)

Should work now Annie's Granny. I was being a little too restrictive over the characters that you can have in your name. Should be fine now.

David
anniesgranny
15 years ago
OK, I'll try again. I could have been Annie Granny I guess, but that just sounds wrong, since Annie is my dog not me ;-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden
anniesgranny
15 years ago
OK, that worked. See you soon, David.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden
sinfonian
15 years ago
I haven't posted here because I figured my lack of computer skills would proclude me. The more I see about computers the less I understand. And to think I used to program on the C64, hehe. Call me a causualty od Moore's Law.

That said, maybe it's my non-existant drawing skills, but I did all my planning on Excel and would welcome a better tool.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure
reniusa
15 years ago
I'd be interested in this tool as well. I have a master (paper) journal and odd notes, etc. This sounds like this could help keep me organized.

Would it possibly be able to include reminders to start seedlings for mid-season replacement planning? :)

-Reni
medontdo
15 years ago
i'd love to do this, why not be a "tester" i have NO organizational skills whatsoever!! its a foreign language to me!! LOL ~Medo
angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
15 years ago
Ooooh, I'm so excited! I just signed up, so I'm special!

No, really I am... hee hee... I'm not that good of a gardener yet, like most of the SFG'ers so I'm probably enough of a newbie to give you at least that take on using the software.

Blessings,
Angela
ribbit32004
15 years ago
northlochs,

Like your use of. Lorem Ipsum. It's been a while since I've seen that.
northlochs
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the response folks - from this forum and another couple, I've got a fair number of initial test users to try the system out and help with it's development, so thanks for your interest.

I'll be in touch with you all separately off-forum within the next few days, and I'll introduce you to the features that are there shortly.

Thanks again,
David
marcos_pr
15 years ago
Hi,

I just found this thread looking for different resources and information about square foot gardening and I think that its a wonderful idea to create such a system to facilitate and give to the SFGers more resources.

If you need more people to test your website and/or software you can count me in. I have good experience working with website development using some open source CMS software. I also have excellent computer and Internet skills. I had been practicing the SFG method for some time and right now I am creating a SFG program in my country to teach in schools and communities.

I am really interested in helping you develop this project for free. I already went to your web page and sign up for an account. My name is Marcos A. Cappa and my email is marcos_a_cappa(at)hotmail.com
midnightgardener
15 years ago
I'd love to help out. Drop me a line if you are still looking for people. (former network engineer/systems admin)
ajpa
15 years ago
I can help test. I'm a newbie veggie gardener (just laid out my lasagna bed for spring) but I've been programming since college.
What did you code it in?

SFG Planning Website and Online Veg. Seed Database

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mike_in_paradise

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