Extension Service Garden Hints

A garden journal provides a year-to-year record

CORVALLIS, Ore. – As gardening season draws to a close for most people, there's plenty of evidence about what worked in the garden this year and what might need changing next year. But remembering until spring can be tricky.

What vegetable needed more space, which tomato variety produced the most and how much shade did the fuchsia need?

A gardening journal can help a gardener plan from year to year by jogging the memory about what, when and where seeds and plants were grown, explained Barb Fick, home horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Having a yearly record of where things are planted also helps with crop rotation, changing the types of vegetables and flowers planted in any given location each year, Fick said.

"Rotation discourages depletion of soil nutrients, pest outbreaks and soil-borne disease," she pointed out.

By recording each year's seasonal landmarks – such as precipitation patterns and unusual weather, dates of the first crocus bloom, first frost, arrival of hummingbirds, and kinds of butterflies and other pollinators seen – gardeners can compare years to one another and relate them to variety performance.

At the beginning of each season, draw a sketch of your garden beds and write down the variety names and planting dates in the journal, Fick advises. Or use a camera to do the same.

Later, record weeding, fertilizing and harvest dates and how well each variety performed. Germination, flowering dates and pertinent weather information also are useful. Record other details such as irrigation methods, what you used for trellising or support devices or how you controlled pests. These details may provide valuable insights over the years to come.

"If you record pest outbreaks in relation to what plants they affect, it can help you plan next year's garden. The same holds true for beneficial insects and their host plants," Fick said.

A journal also comes in handy to keep track of the amount of money spent on seed, fertilizer and garden tools. It also can be a good way to keep track of yields and a safe place to record the varieties of woody plants you plant.

"Too often, gardeners save the tag on a woody perennial for reference, but don't put the information elsewhere," Fick said. "The tag disappears and whoops, was that 'Berberis thunbergii,' 'Rose Glow' or 'Crimson Pygmy'?"

If you decide to start keeping a garden journal, it need not be fancy or expensive. A blank, bound book or ring binder filled with loose-leaf paper is a great place to record what you do in the garden and yard. Or, splurge and get a commercial journal or a special gift for the gardener in your life. There are many on the market.

"Most of all, a garden journal can give you a feeling of accomplishment," Fick said. "When you add up the hours, varieties and methods used, most gardeners are proud of what they've done."

By: Carol Savonen, Judy Scott
Source: Barbara Fick

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