How do you manage and track succession planting/ sowing

[SusieG]

Lumpy, spreadsheets are the things that cover beds, aren't they?? Lol
A good old fashioned paper diary and pen are my tools when organising my sowing etc - I've figured out this iPad thingy and can all importantly order stuff from tinternet ...

[Jungle Jane]

I don't have a greenhouse so I start most seeds off indoors,they go outside when the weathers nice & get planted out when the temperatures ok,it also gives the seedling a chance to grow before bugs start eating them. If you're growing tomatoes or peppers from seed it would be best if you could start them indoors on a windowsill? For remembering to succession sow,do you have a wall calendar,fill it in now with what you want to sow?

[21up]

Well done you lot for being so organised. Every year I fly by the seat of my pants.................some good results and some not.

Maybe, before you start sorting out how often you should be planting you should decide on a list your of priorities e.g what you like the most compared to what you could leave if you were forced to. That way your essentials will be the easiest to organose.

p.s what's a spreadsheet - it sounds terrible civilized!

Hi lumpy i am with you on this i dont have a list of what i have sown where i just have a look at the label and then i know .
I have been reading these and i have a headache and think i will try and groe some ASPRINS

[Lumpy]

I suppose, like many on this site growing my own food is a complicated task - but incredibably? worthwhile.

My life cannot cope with the amazing organisation of some folk but I am chuffed to bits if I manage a carrot or parsnip.

Each to their own as everybody has to find their own way of growing.

[mothhawk]

... and I'm really really struggling to understand how much to sow and when in order to feed a family of 2 adults, most books that I have read don't tell me how much crop I will get from sowing X amount of seed...

Well with a lot of stuff, one seed = one plant. So you sow 20 carrot seeds, you get 20 carrots, 20 lettuce seeds = 20 lettuces (slugs/weather/other pests permitting)

The main crops that produce more than one item per seed are potatoes, beans, peas, tomatoes/peppers/aubergines and the cucurbits and squashes, and brassicas like kale, where you pick a few leaves and it grows more, and the sprouting broccolis, where you pick the flower shoots. And fruit.

Of course, it depends how much and how often you eat the veg as to how much you need to grow. For example, I could live on runner beans all summer long and eat them every day, so I always grow at least 40 plants, which usually gives me a small surplus to freeze too. But some folk would only want to eat them once or twice a week so need fewer plants.

There are guides and books to read, but generally I have found out as I go along. If one year there's not enough, I plant more, or too much and I plant less, the next year. And you could lose the entire crop, or some of it, to any of natures vagaries, and have to decide whether to grow and defend the crop next year, or try something else instead.

Keeping a planting diary as many have suggested is a really good idea, even if just planting dates and harvesting dates. It really helps with planning the next year's crops to have info to look back on.

[Small pumpkin]

I'm very organised when it comes to the initial sowing and planting. When it comes to successional sowing/planting I haven't got a clue! But then I don't grow over the winter. So generally one crop is enough. I do sow/ re sow salad leaves, but it's all a very hap hazard approach.
This is why I'm taking part in the carrot challenge. Very good training for me. I may push the boat out and have a go at successional spring onions as well

[Gillykat]

I don't trust technology not to crash and lose all my precious info so I write things down in a page-a-day diary At the back in the notes/addresses section I'll put a list of what I'm growing, when it was sown, germinated, planted out etc so I can see at a glance how things do.

This year I'll be a LOT more organised as last year I only started writing things down around mid-June

No doubt I'll still do a fair bit of re-jigging until I find my perfect system as last year was my first proper year of growing veggies. This year I'm trying a lot more things and being more adventurous so it should be fun......and essential I write everything down

[Lumpy]

Gilly - get your diary from the nearest pondshop because that how I do it.

[Gillykat]

I do.....generally around the beginning of December so I know I've got one in!

[spamvindaloo]

I don't trust technology not to crash and lose all my precious info

But what happens if you lose your diary? If it's saved on a document in the cloud (e.g. Icloud, Google drive etc) then it's always backed up. You can make changes on your PC, tablet etc at home and then consult them on your phone whilst your at the allotment...

[SaraJH]

Wow, all these responses are fantastic, thank you all, I have so much to go with now.

I now have a few more books that have been good to reference. I have made a start on spreadsheets and have bought a diary that I can hand write in. As I said in my first post I am, by nature, very organised however I think with this GYO lark I think that I will just have to throw away the detailed planning and leave much of it to 'suck it and see' especially this being my first year.

Thanks again to all!

[ESBkevin]

I start in December with a simple spreadsheet showing a list of all the old stock seeds then a list of the new stock seeds (split into flowers and veg so 4 sections). Across the top I print the calender months and then according to each seed packet put the sow month(s) beside in the relevant columns like a simple Ghant chart. I think less about successional planting and more about having all the over wintering or late veg in one area (different each year), so that I can cultivate or prepare the rest before the foul weather hits rather than have pokey little bare areas interspersed with the odd brussel sprout of curly Kale plant. I usually produce too many seeds and select the best to plant on anyway.

[cristalfiona]

I have a spreadsheet with (almost) all of my seeds listed with their sowing details. For succession sowing though I just mark where things are to go and I tend to work alternate weekends, so new seeds are just going to get sown on my weekends off. I tried keeping track of it last year but found the record keeping was taking longer than the sowing!

[bussinspain]

Flipping heck!

It's either the Shiraz that I have drunk tonight or this grow your own lark requires Steven Hawkin levels of intelligence.....

I'm going with the Shiraz confusing my brain! So, thank you to all that have responded, I shall read and digest properly tomorrow

I will join you with the plonk! It will loosen up the brain cells. What ever you do, enjoy it. I do