Mary Janik
| Guest columnist
As one gardening season winds down, it’s time to begin planning the next. A garden journal is a useful tool to organize planning, keep track of chores and supplies, celebrate successes, and make note of mistakes.
Think of it as a garden diary to jog your memory when life gets busy and it’s hard to remember where you put your keys, let alone what you planted where last year.
Garden journal content
To get started keeping a garden journal, think about what would be helpful to remember for that season. The following are some common categories:
A garden layout map
The map should show all your raised beds, containers, and in-ground areas with plenty of space to write in the crops for the season. You can sketch out a template of your garden or use free online garden-planning tools. Keep a copy of the blank design map to plan use in the future.
The garden map makes it easier to develop and keep track of beneficial planting strategies like companion planting combinations. It also guides planting by grouping plants that will benefit from frost cloth in cool weather or shade cloth in the summer. Planning your layout ahead of time and having a completed map makes quick work of placing transplants and direct sowing when the time comes.
Crop rotation schedule
Keep a copy of each season’s map and make note of what was ultimately planted in each bed, along with good options for following seasons. For example, avoid planting nematode-prone crops in the same location year after year, or planting certain crops that don’t do well after others, like tiny carrot seeds after sweet potatoes, which can interfere with germination.
Seed inventory and log
Keep a list of your seeds, including the source, in case you want to use them again. A seed-starting log can track when seeds were started, germinated, potted up, and transplanted. Include reference information that lists crops with their preferred temperature ranges. Along with information on average temperatures for your area, you can plan when to direct sow or start seeds indoors to time them with the most hospitable outdoor temperatures. Keep the completed log to guide the following year’s crops.
Gardening supplies and sources
Knowing what you have on hand helps you remember to use it, maximizing the value of those purchases and avoiding unnecessary duplication.
Important dates
Include things like first and last frost, noteworthy weather events such as tropical storms or the occasional snowstorm, periods of extended rain or drought, and garden tasks. Brief notes about weather conditions, planting, harvesting, and similar observations can provide valuable guidance for future seed starting, transplanting, irrigation use, and use of frost or shade cloth. If you don’t have a blank calendar available, check out sites that have free calendar templates.
Gardening techniques
Jot down details of new techniques and outcomes to replicate successes and avoid failures.
Soil test results
Having these handy will help plan soil amendments like compost, soil acidifiers, or lime, and monitor progress in building your soil’s fertility.
Fertilizer applications
A fertilization schedule can be a good reminder for when the garden is ready for more. Record what fertilizer was used, the amount, and the outcome.
Pests and pest control
Record when pests were found in the garden and how your interventions worked. This may help you get a jump on anticipating the arrival of pests like squash vine borers next year.
Season summaries
The end of each season is a good time to pause and reflect on successes and failures. Make note of what did well and is worth repeating, as well as the duds.
Pockets or large envelopes
These can be used to save seed packets, plant tags, receipts for returns, and similar items.
Photographs
Include photos of your produce or the lushness of the garden itself to celebrate the fruits of your labor. They can motivate you when hard work in the garden awaits.
Art
Just for fun, include gardening doodles or paintings to add a little levity or pizzazz.
For information about vegetable gardening in North Florida, the UF/IFAS Leon County North Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide is available for download. It is a wealth of information tailored to Tallahassee and surrounding areas, and you may wish to include some of this content in your garden journal.
Formats for garden journals
After deciding what information would be useful to include in your journal, you’re ready to select the best format. Fortunately, there’s a type of garden journal to meet every preference.
You can shop for a ready-made garden journal from bookstores, mass merchandisers, seed and garden supply companies, and big box stores. Some are practical versions that are waterproof and spiral bound, while others are of keepsake quality. For example, an online search returns results ranging from a downloadable planner for 99 cents to a personalized, wooden-covered journal for about $40.
Gardening blogger Kristina Hicks-Hamblin has written about different approaches to garden journaling in an article on the Gardener’s Path website, where she shares personal practices and examples from a variety of journal styles, including photos of sample pages.
Like most things, there are computer apps available to help manage gardening chores. Some apps offer planting calendars based on USDA hardiness zones, track daily and weekly tasks, and allow gardeners to document progress throughout the season. Many also include educational videos and online communities where gardeners can share experiences.
Of course, an empty notebook or three-ring binder can easily be tailored to individual needs and preferences for a DIY garden journal. Published garden journals and online videos can also provide ideas and inspiration for setting up a system that works best for you.
Like gardening itself, keeping a journal takes time and effort, but it may also save time, effort, and expense next season. It may even keep you from repeating those gardening blunders you swear you’ll remember not to do next year. It can’t help you find your keys, though.
Mary Janik is a Master Gardener Volunteer with UF/IFAS Leon County Extension, an Equal Opportunity Institution. For gardening questions, email AskAMasterGardener@ifas.ufl.edu.
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