Best way to keep track of a grow?

[AlexPanth]

Hi Guys,

I recently finished my first grow (thanks in large part due to guidance provided by this community) and it went better than expected! Granted, I wasn't expecting much, but regardless

One thing that helped me in the later stages of the grow was keeping track of various information (feeding schedule, days since light cycle change, etc) so that I could easily remember when I needed to get certain things done. I am thinking that for my next grow I'll keep closer track to see if I can see how differences in conditions impact the yield from each one of the plants.

Does anyone else here keep track of their grows? If so, do you guys use a notebook or Excel or do you have a different method? I was using a notebook but I'm curious what others found works best for them.

Alex

 

[Nightmask]

Most people on here keep a grow journal and put all their info in that, for themselves and other people.

Me personally I've currently got a notebook but each page fills up quick if you write down all the info like genetics, when planted, flowered, harvested, cured, watering schedule etc. I put aside 1 page for each plant but I'm almost outta room just writing down the watering schedule. If I keep the watering schedule in the notebook next time I'll have to put aside 2 pages for each plant.

I was also planning on getting a whiteboard to stick in the room so I could have the watering schedule on the whiteboard and other notes for the notebook. I'll see what happens when I get my grow properly up and running.

 

[Scientific]

Excel spreadsheet and daily snapshots.

 

[AlexPanth]

Thanks for the response! So do you basically customize a generic notebook to make it easier to track all this information? I found it a bit hard to record all the information in an orderly manner too.

 

[AlexPanth]

Damn Scientific, that's a very detailed table. I see I have my work cut out for me.

Have you always been using Excel? I considered it, but a notebook seemed like an easier option. Plus I didn't want to keep carrying my laptop around as I was doing the measurements so it seemed somewhat easier.

 

[Scientific]

Damn Scientific, that's a very detailed table.

Knowledge is power!

Have you always been using Excel?

I have used Excel spreadsheets for all kinds of projects for years (hasn't everyone?), so it's easy for me to set one up. That was my first hydroponic grow so I was in learn mode, so I tracked everything (and there is a lot of stuff to track in a hydro grow!)

I have learned to keep just ONE Excel workbook with various worksheets on separate tabs. Everything is easier when everything is all in one place!

Beyond the note-taking format, there is the question of just how much information to track. On my current coco grow I'm tracking almost as much as I was for hydro. For instance, it's useful and interesting to see how much weight the pot loses every day, the pH/PPM in and out, etc.

What I have found over the years is that eventually I learn enough to have an intuitive understanding and I can do less record keeping.

Paper notebooks are cool because they tend to not get lost somewhere in the digital ether as years go by (and it's easy to draw in them--one of those ball point pens that you can click for four different colors is handy for paper notes). But I have trained myself out of keeping paper notes at work because I always end up having to transcribe them over to digital eventually, so why not just go digital to start.

By the way, I really like Microsoft OneNote for note collection that's less focused on day-to-day changes and more focused on just collecting information.

 

[Nightmask]

Thanks for the response! So do you basically customize a generic notebook to make it easier to track all this information? I found it a bit hard to record all the information in an orderly manner too.

For me personally I just got a recycled leather journal (wanted something a little flashy looking) and added different bits of info. A line each for plant number and plant strain/genetics (all bagseed for me so far), then when sprouted, flowered, harvested, and cured (dates) and weight (2 of each of these per line cause it's just numbers). Originally I'd just had the rest of the page for general notes, like if I LST'd or topped, what the buds looked like, what it smelled like, and especially noted any problems. My current set of plants I decided to take note of the water/feeding schedule which I just have as a dot point, date, then what I gave them. But with how often you gotta water and how long they grow for the page fills up fast so next time I'll try two pages for each plant, the 1st page with what I originally did (genetics, when sprouted, flowered, cured, etc) and general notes (smell, buds, any problems), and have the 2nd page just for watering. Though I'm not sure if even one page just for watering will be enough. I might have to do 2-4 pages for the watering schedule for a set of plants and since I'm growing more than one plant at a time they all get the same on the same day so I only need to keep record of one watering schedule for a set of plants and not keep record of each individual plant. Guess I'll have to wait and see next grow. I'm thinking now I shoulda got a bigger journal (mines only got 21 lines per page). Oh well, live and learn.

 

[nivek]

I keep all my information on a calendar posted inside my veg room. When and which plants were watered, what they were watered with, any bug spraying, filter changing, or any other point I need to track.

I also run a perpetual grow and i keep my schedule organized on my calendar as well

A bit old of an example, but shows the basics.

I also save the calendars, no idea why,, i have three now,, and my methods and systems are constantly evolving,, still

Cheers

Btw, the columns in the list are for my seven flower grow spots,, the first column is name of plant, next column is days in flower, next is days left to flower, approx, next is plant in the veg room that will replace the one in flower when it is harvested

 

[JBoneLED]

I just started out but I'm also using a spreadsheet on Google sheets so I can keep track and add notes from my phone. Got columns for things like light height, nute ratios and amount of water for different stages of the plant's life. When I get a ph tester and humidity and temp thermometer i'l have to add a columns to keep track of that stuff too. Also got different tabs for when I start a new grow and for my outdoor adventures .. As a newbie it felt good to get a little structure in place

 

[JBoneLED]

 

[Scientific]

As a newbie it felt good to get a little structure in place

I know what you mean, but it will help you far beyond just feeling in control.

I have just been comparing the spreadsheet entries for my current and last grows (same strain, but coco instead of hydro) and it's really useful and interesting to be able to see the similarities and differences.

"Faded ink is better than the best memory."

 

[Skunkworkz]

Really nice, HQ Analog Grow Journals. In medical, and general, formats.
Notebooks & Journals | Goldleaf

 

[TorturedSoul]

If a legal grow, any medium that is reasonably permanent will work. A pocket-sized spiral notebook, a full-sized one, a binder full of loose-leaf paper, or one of several ways using a computer (I'd probably avoid the cell phone due to small screen size and no physical keyboard).

If the grow is not a legal one... Only in the grower's head, where it is (presumably) safe from discovery by others. Because, if the worst occurs, and physical data will surely be used by the prosecutor at the trial. And at the sentencing hearing - I expect that the judge will impose a more lenient sentence if the grower is not portrayed as an expert who operates with scientific precision and all that :rolleyes3 . The first rule of illicit cannabis growing is to admit nothing, to no one. Keeping records breaks that rule (at least potentially).

So it'll vary depending on the legality of the grow. Or, I suppose, on the size of it. If one is growing 1,024 plants, lol, the fact that he wasn't keeping/tracking data isn't going to help much at the sentencing....