How do you organize your orchids? Or do you?

[The Orchid Boy]

I found a way that works better than any software or even a spreadsheet (for me at least). I'm using PowerPoint. On the first slide is a list of all my orchids. I have each orchid name linked to a slide on the PowerPoint that has a picture or two and some basic info. It's pretty easy and I'm going to put it or a backup on a flash drive.

 

[keithrs]

I dont do anything to organize my collection. Its all in my head! When I go to a show, I pretty much know if I have it or not. If I buy one I have and don't won't and extra one then I'll trade it or sell it.

 

[The Orchid Boy]

I know all the orchids I have and could probably telly you the parents and the parents' clonal names but I am keeping records of pollination, spike starting, new growth starting, bloom opening, bloom dropping, purchase date, price, vendor, ect. I also have my own number ID system. 'O#1' means orchid number one, the first orchid I got. 'O#7D1' means the first division from orchid number 7. 'O#3K1' means the first keiki off of orchid number three.

 

[NYEric]

Un-imaginable!

 

[The Orchid Boy]

My collection is small now but if (I mean when) it gets larger, this system could be helpful in some ways and complex in other ways.

 

[Ruth]

I have an excel spread sheet that I have been using for years. It helps me keep track of when I got the orchid and who from, and I try to update it when I repot. But mostly I think I know most of my 100 plus orchids without using the spreadsheet.

 

[chrismende]

I just have a list in MS Word, separated by genus or family. I also have folders full of orchid photos on my computer. The folders are alphabetical. The list in Word is just the genus, species or hybrid names, clonal names of any plant or parent, award if applicable, the name of the vendor and date of purchase -- these last two items I just started a year or so ago. I can access these lists on my iPhone.

Dot, how do you access the MS Word lists on your iPhone?

 

[chrismende]

Using OrchidWiz

I've started making a database in OrchidWiz but hate that I needed to buy a PC to run it and AQ!

 

[chrismende]

Are you a professional comedienne?

 

[orchid527]

I keep info in a table in a word document. I only store the names, source and pot sizes. I buy a lot of flask, so I need to know how many compots and individual plants I have, so that I can manage my space. I also use the list so that I don't buy the same plants twice, which I have done on several occasions shopping without the list.

I also keep a folder with photos of first bloom seedlings that have some promise. I put a tag in the pot referencing the photo in the folder and I record information on the tag such as size of flower, number of flowers and length of flower spike. When it blooms the second time, I compare the current flower with the recorded information to decide if it is a keeper or not. No sense keeping plants that are almost nice each time they bloom.

There is no one right way of keeping this information as different aspects of growing are important to different people. If I had more space, the number and size of pots wouldn't be as important. If I were a breeder, I would need more information regarding parents and sources. Also, time spent recording needless information is time not spent performing needed tasks such as repotting. It takes time to find the right balance.

Mike

 

[bullsie]

On my computer I use Excel. I have a form I print off for every plant and keep a hard copy bound notebook. On my Excel sheet I have plant name and all pertinent info in a section at the bottom of the sheet. When I find a pic I print it to the top of the page. I have a secondary sheet that when they bloom I print it off with the actual pic I've taken added to the space I have designated and throw out the original sheet.

I'm not especially computer literate and even better at losing things so the info on the computer suffices and the binder is big enough for me to find - and its red.

 

[lipelgas]

I used MS Access, but somehow I am not so good in updating data. But lately I have found out that I am trying to buy species or sorts what I have already. It means that I should reactivate my database again.

 

[slippertalker]

Too many plants to bother with such a thing.....I keep track of plants by organization within the greenhouse by cross or genus. Populations of flask seedlings are kept together and properly tagged. Culls or poor performers are discarded when needed and room is made for those that do well.
When I had fewer plants, I did try to document it in a computer program which superceded a written log.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

In my head.

"The horrors!"

:rollhappy:

 

[cnycharles]

I just keep in my head what is still alive, and the list gets shorter so it gets easier... If I end up having to move yet again, then it will get shorter still. .. though I do get surprised to find certain seedlings here and there that I thought were already gone

at one time I did have a sort of database list with the old appleworks program, but when things got really busy and I bought lots more plants, the record keeping ended up stopping. I used to keep old plant tags, and would be surprised to find that a plant that I was searching for was something that I had owned once at the very beginning and was long gone

 

[quiltergal]

I'm using OrchidWiz journal. I don't have that many plants right now, so it's easy to keep up. I like that you can go back historically for as long as you've kept the journal and see when plants began spiking, when the began blooming, and when the bloom ended. I also can keep track of repotting, and it will make divisions for you in the database. Pictures can be attached to each plant in the journal. It's really pretty nifty. It even has a wishlist feature.

 

[chrismende]

Since this thread started, I've entered over 500 orchids into OrchidWiz. It's really quite well organized, and can be exported into Excel. I like it!

 

[Secundino]

Each plant is filed in a simple individual table, where I write all 'events', it gets continously longer as long the plant lives. One pic at top and some additional if necesary. All species are in one archive for the genus + all pics ever taken. All genera in one general archive called 'orchids'. Have another for 'bromeliads', and so on.
Beside, all plants are listed in a table with nº, name, pic, flowering month(s), flowercount/dimensions and 'others' (that is where I bought it, and when, scent, etc.)

It's an easy system, no excel and no complications, has worked for me for years and some 300 plants. Plants that die are deleted in an extra archive, for if I want to look up some information and compare (has been VERY usefull to determine the reasons for rot! Different years, same seasons (mostly end of summer) = bad water quality!)...

 

[NYEric]

Too ambitious for me.

 

[DeafOrchidLover]

My hsuband makes homemade calendar monthly. I use it so I'd know when I did water, and fertilize, it helps me to keep track of it. I do have notebook, as date when I got as gift or bought. It's easier for me. I only have 4 orchids, of course, I have one Paphiopedium maudiae red


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