Can I move specimens each year?

[diegartenfrau]

I am wondering as I am working away on making Specimens for all my vegetables and working on their tasks.
Will I have to do the same work again the next season, next year? Or will I be able to transfer the specimens I am making now into the different garden areas next year? 
Because it is a awful lot of work to make all the different specimens for each plant and then do the tasks for each. Maybe if one only has a few of each kind of Vegetables or only grows a few it might be not as much a task but with me I have just alone 12 different carrots, 15 Radishes, 8 Cabbages and so on.
It just is a lot of work, while outside the weather is calling me outside, but I have not managed to input all my data into the program.
I admit it is helping me plan my seedling's  at least for this year and it is nice to know where I had my vegetables last year. But the same can be achieved by just making a square foot plan for each bed and writing the name of each vegetable in the square you planted it in. There it is March, sun is shining, plants need to be cut down......and I am sitting inside. 
I think it would be too much to do this each year.
I could look up just on my garden planning chart when to plant and then plan it on paper. The 'Gardener Supply Company' has an online Kitchen garden planner program (it's free), where you just drag the plants into the square foot of your bed and then you can print it out.
Truthfully this is looking more and more appealing to me.

Since Ig-Pro is really designed to work with Ornamental gardens and not with Vegetable gardens in mind I see more and more the limitations for this use. For flower gardens, you don't really do any succession sowing, you don't have to worry about rotations. You usually don't seed, plant and move plants around on a yearly basis or several times a year. So making Specimens is not all that much work and does not have to be repeated as often. Aside you are a nursery who grows it's own plants from seeds.

If I will be able to move things around each year, without having to make new specimens each year and input all the seeding schedules, then OK, I will dredge through but if I have to do it each year again I think I will try a different approach with less work.
I also have not worked on my ornamental data base for IGPro for 3 years trying to make this work for Vegetables. It is not that I don't like IGPro. I think it is a great program but, I think it really is made for Flowers not for Vegetable gardening.

I have just more to do then only this I have a family to take care off, a big house, a big garden and a dog who looks at me like I am neglecting him. Which I am actually have been doing. I am spending way too much time on this, while I am neglecting all the other enjoyable things.
I rather would like to go out in my garden, cook a nice meal, sow, read a book then sitting here on the computer so much.
I am starting to feel more like a office person then a gardener.

Isabell

[ideasguy]

Yes, you can move specimens.
Simply go into the specimen profile GA100S23, click the Location button and change the location.

However, that means you cant look back on where the plants were grown in previous years.

I could provide a Duplicate button, and that would be a better option.
When you duplicate, you could select a new Location

As discussed, I am picking up valuable information from the 2010 Veg project. Based on that, I can look at changes to make the software work better for Veg, as it does for flowers, shrubs etc.

[diegartenfrau]

Hi George,

That's a relief, that I can move the specimens, not so great would be if now I can't look at where the plants were last year.

I am just looking at the GA004S01. So in there I can select the years garden. I already have the years from 2007 to 2010.
On the screen you can select either 'Plants in selected Genus'; 'Plants in this Garden'; or 'Specimens in this garden'.
Since I make a new Gardener file for each year with the same named Garden areas (having a duplicate button there would be great also) wouldn't I be able to look where the plants are last year by choosing last years garden and choosing 'plants in this garden'?
Because when I click on 'Specimens in this garden' I see the Specimens I made this year, in the bed I assigned them to but when I click on 'Plants in this Garden' I see the same plants I made specimens with in the same garden area.
When I choose the last years Garden I can select the same garden area and see the last years plants.

Wouldn't I be able to still see the 'plants in this garden' if I choose in 2011 the 2010 garden? Because the plants in the 2009 or earlier have not disappeared just because I had them in there and now I am using them in the new year.

Because if I still had the plants but not the specimen in the garden that would be more then enough just to see where I had them.
Since I am using more or less the Square foot garden method I also write in the Task program -Date notes exactly in which square I had each vegetable.

A Duplicate button maybe would be nice and make it much simpler.

For your vegetable program it would be maybe nice if one could have somewhat a picture or graphic with the garden areas or each bed. Either being able to write data into it through the program or at least be able to scan a picture of the bed with each vegetable then being linked to the picture and then lasso the plant so you know where it was.

Having a calendar feature with the seeding/planting dates more exact (also transferable or usable from year to year, since it does not change) would be useful, rather then having to go for each vegetable to the profile to see its 'plant care' where the seeding/planting dates by month are listed.

I think in general much of what has to do with vegetable gardening needs to be transferable to the next year since much of it is always the same from year to year and having to redo everything, re input data is real cumbersome (well I know this is not really the word I wanted to use, but my German brain forgot the better english word to describe it better >lol<)

But thanks George,
I am a bit relieved now, just knowing I can reuse the Specimens next year. 
So I will keep working on it, but I decided yesterday I won't let IGPro keep me from going out there and putting my hands in the dirt or take my dog for a walk. If it is nice outside, I rather go outside.
If I can't get it all organized this year, so be it.
I started to first work on the Specimens I will use first, since they get seeded early and hopefully I will have time for the rest later as the season progresses.

I will go now and seed my eggplants

Greetings
Isabell

[ideasguy]

Great suggestions Isabell. Ive had an email from Toby (the boss ) and he would also like to see the things you are asking for.
The ability to be able to duplicate your specimens should be easy - I'll do my best to have that for you for next growing season.

RE:

I already have the years from 2007 to 2010

Thats great! That will work for 2010 as for the previous years.
However, I'd like to allow you to retain the specimens you are creating for 2010, as they will have records of tasks and events, which are good for referring back on.

RE:

Having a calendar feature with the seeding/planting dates more exact (also transferable or usable from year to year, since it does not change) would be useful, rather then having to go for each vegetable to the profile to see its 'plant care' where the seeding/planting dates by month are listed.

We should be able to do something like that in the new Journal module.
Its a bit more involved than the basic Journal, but it would be nice to have a global picture
Please explain in more detail so I am sure I have understood this request properly

I hope to have a garden design program for you folk for next year.
It wont be flashy, just practical.
It will allow you to place plants in position, from the database, and allow you to print the layout.

[bossgard]

George:

I don't know if you want to hear this or not, but I see come CAD coming up here. I think it would be great, and a great improvement to IG Pro for both the Vegetable Growers like Isabell and myself, but also for the Flower Growers too.

I would love to have a go at a Garden designing module! That is, when you get time! (Late Fall?)

 - Toby

[diegartenfrau]

Toby,

what is a CAD?

how is it used?
I am not familiar with that term.

Isabell

[diegartenfrau]

George,

I just figured out that I can put the growing dates for each plant into the GA100S36 under the plant care notes.
so under the plant care 'outdoor seeding' I input the dates from my garden chart and any other info like succession sow schedule,
and so on. I wasn't sure if that would work. But after I had the data for a few plants in there, I could see the dates at least in the task program under the 'Edit dates and Notes'. So at least I will be able to have the dates in front of me, when I want to give it a planting date.
I still think it would be nice to have something which shows me just the schedule for when which Genus needs to be planted, somewhat like my chart does, to do the garden planning. I am not sure I understand this Journal feature. But anything you can design which will show me my planting dates, before I make the tasks will be great. At this point I am constantly going back and forth to my Spreadsheet to see the dates, because I can't remember which plants I need to take care off. It is no good if I set up the tasks for a plant after the fact, after it is supposed to be planted already. 

I hope to have a garden design program for you folk for next year.
It wont be flashy, just practical.
It will allow you to place plants in position, from the database, and allow you to print the layout.

I can't wait......I am looking really, really forward to it. It does not need to be flashy, practical sounds perfect 
but will we be able to have pictures with it. I have gotten a lot of pictures in my data base especially for my lettuce, tomatos, eggplant I think the pictures are great. Color descriptions just don't describe them that much. I actually sometime try to plant my veggies in patterns to make it look pretty, so knowing how that lettuce looks is useful there. Also it prevents me to grow too many of the same color, so I can have a colorful lettuce.

Being able to print out the layout, with the plants in position would be nice. Right now I scanned my numbered garden beds on one sheet of paper front/back and then as I plan my garden I write the plants into the proper square. I take that out to my garden when I seed or plant so I don't put them in the wrong place. Last year I just took a paper pad with me, if I remembered and then tried to write things down. But the paper got dirty, wet or I got to dirty >lol< or I forgot to bring it and so often I did not get it written down. My records very pretty pityful

Well It is late here and my dog is looking at me. Hubby is in Seattle today and I think I will sit with my dog on my sofa, not sure who will be keeping company with whom there? >lol<

take care
Isabell

p.s. how does one get the purple color around the writing instead of the glowing red, which is a bit bright

[bossgard]

Isabell:

CAD, if I'm correct, is the abbreviation for COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN.

You have been doing it with the free program of Gardener's Supply that you have been using to 'try' to plan your vegetable plantings. Their program, as you know, is very limited. But in George's creative hands 'we' can build a masterpiece software program for Vegetable growing using CAD and all the rest of the creative programming talents that George has.

Please, keep your very informative postings to this Forum and Topic coming, I'm following and understanding all that you have written and hanging on every word, but I still might have some further questions for you! I'm sure George will too.

You, Isabell, understand what you are doing, and you know what you want, and I think 'we' can have it all come together through George's talents.

But, it will take awhile . . . I'm willing to wait! I hope you are. You are doing a fine job! Thank you!

[ideasguy]

I've read over your posting Isabell - will comment later.
Yes, the Boss is correct with his explanation of CAD.

[ideasguy]

RE:

I could see the dates in the task program under the 'Edit dates and Notes'

Did you see this in Session 4 of the Veg project Isabell?
Adding a task for our 1st Sowing
http://www.garden-software.co.uk/vegetables/AddingTasks1/addingtasks1.html

Look for this block of text:

Now we need to find some information for our task

In the Task do dates/Alert days list in GA047S04, click on the Date/Alert line
This puts the Task Date into Edit mode
Screenshot
In Edit mode, the Save button is enabled
Always remember to click on a Date if you need to make any changes related to this task date e.g. The date itself, the Alert Days value, the Date related Notes
Now click on the All Notes button
Screen GA100S15 appears
Screenshot

Did you click the All Notes button? Takes you here:
http://www.garden-software.co.uk/vegetables/AddingTasks1/12-ga100s15.jpg
In the screen GA100S15, all data is at your fingertips,and you can edit and add more if you wish to any one of a number of data fields.
Read the information in each of those balloons
Enter your dates into the top left window - Genus - Carrot - Propagation Notes
Every time you add a task for a Carrot,that same data will be available.

For glow I edited and changed red to blue for this
Didnt see any way to do it otherwise

Pictures in the design module:
Good idea!
Yes, should be able to allow you to do that.
First, link your photos to plants. Then when you place a plant in a spot on the bed, you should be able to click for a photo(s).

[roiphil]

Yes, you can move specimens.
Simply go into the specimen profile GA100S23, click the Location button and change the location.

However, that means you cant look back on where the plants were grown in previous years.

I could provide a Duplicate button, and that would be a better option.
When you duplicate, you could select a new Location

As discussed, I am picking up valuable information from the 2010 Veg project. Based on that, I can look at changes to make the software work better for Veg, as it does for flowers, shrubs etc.

vote number 3 for a duplicate button 

[ideasguy]

I wish I could duplicate my productivity 
...but we will get there

[roiphil]

know the feeling i could do with more hours in the day and an extra day in the week