Working with specimen program

[diegartenfrau]

I have been trying to use the specimen program to organize my succession sowing of vegetable for the last 3 hours. Getting really frustrated.
I was trying to follow George's instruction he gave me some time ago.
instruction were as follow:
add a specimen for each sowing you do for a plant.
no need to create batch, keep it simple
So for lettuce 'varname' you could have specimen called march sowing, april sowing, may sowing
in task program you can create task for each of the specimens
recommended a separate Task number for each specimen

So I tried to do that, but it did not seem to simplify the input then just using the 'defining plant care' and then the 'task' programs, I still had to input the dates of the different sowings anyway and if I just use the specimen as is, I don't have the alert.
It is all very confusing to work with.

then I tried this.:

I opened program GA004 Plants and Garden, selected button for on doubleclick go to >specimen< on right grey field
selected a vegetable Brassica Broccoverde. doubleclick it >brings me to GA100S23
in specimen name I put in> indoor sow 2/21 then I clear field with date obtained >click add > this brings me back to GA004S01 program, the specimen is right under the Plant name I chosen.
I add a few more specimen the same way, just so I can see what it will do in Task

close down program GA004 and go to Task program GA047
specimen does not show up, so I click >generate care task< button > click New button< program tells me I have to first generate a care topic. So I just choose the seed indoor care topic, which I have in my care definitions, but as I click back and forth between different care topics it seems it does not matter what I choose, it will let me now click the >New< button and brings me to
GA047S03 working with plant related tasks. I select >include specimen< give it a task title >Spring indoor cauliflower < 
click add> now I am back in GA047S02 Tasks. click >done< I am back at GA047S01Tasks. I see the task in the list but I still have to add the dates. so I add the first date. But then realize that this way it only has an alert for this one date. So I still have to input all the other sowing dates.

I don't know, maybe I am missing something. But doing that, does not seem to save me much time. It seems to double the steps I have to take. If I have to select a task date for each specimen I named after date, I don't see the point doing that.

I also found there is no tutorial for that specimen program. I really could use one. Am I missing it, is it supposed to be there?

I have been playing around with the program for quite a while. I like the garden area part, where I can move plants into the beds, I like that I can make tasks and have an alert for them, so when I open the task program it tells me what I have to do. But I don't like that each year I have to redo the tasks for the new year. There is to much data input to do each year. It takes too much work doing it that way. I am slowly thinking this program might not do the job for organizing my vegetable planting that well, I am spending too much time trying making it work and I don't see I am making much headway with it.

It took me a month to make the spread sheet with the planting dates for my area, next I am planning to do a spread sheet which will have all the care info for the vegetables. Those spread sheet, as I come across new info, I quickly can add it. It is easy to use. I can print it out and hang it like a calendar on the wall. always have the info in front of me, quickly accessible. Once all info is in, that's all I have to do. Done!.
for my planting beds I found a easy program online from Gardener Supply Company. It is like a square foot garden bed program, works well for my beds. It is not perfect, does not have enough vegetable varieties as I like, but it is easy, workable. For the veggies it does not have, I just put something of similar size in there. I can print it out and write by hand in there what I am growing. Date it. Now I have a record for this particular garden bed.

I don't know Vegetable gardening is just different from the flower garden. Maybe IGPro is just not workable for this use. I am working so much to make it work for this use, I haven't even worked on the flower IGPro for 2 years

I am not saying I have given up yet, but I surely could use some suggestions how to make it work better.
It is getting too frustrating.


for now I think I just have to let it go, before I throw this computer out the window

I think I will be playing a bit with my dog, who has been looking at me with sad, neglected eyes all day

Isabell

[ideasguy]

OK, all I can say is - this is a BIG one.

I do have plans for a Garden Design program which will certainly do Planting Beds.
The program is in rough cut format but not ready for general release.
To be continued...

Heres my idea.
How about we lay this down as a challenge to all IG Pro members!
(We haven't had one for a while)
That way we can all learn.

I'd like a few vegetable names from Isabell (or other members) to start this off.
In the message I see:
Brassica Broccoverde
Lets have some more that you are growing please.
Isabell with veg, anyone else growing from seed.
I'll set them up on my computer, and do screenshots as we progress with the exercises.
You can follow on your own computer.

If you need help, we could link up with Skype and share screens. A great tool for demos and training.
Please reply to this topic if you'd like to "enrol on the course"

[bossgard]

George:

I'm very defintely interested in your's and Isabell's upcoming vegetable seed challenge. I will definitely participate, so count me in! I just purchased by vegetable, herb and flower seed packets last week.

If fact, I was going tell Isabell (and others) about an idea I saw online, about setting up a seed starting calendar.  If you would like for me to elaborate on this seed starting idea to this topic, would be happy to oblige. I would imagine it would be part of EVENTS by the time we got through with it.

- Toby

[roiphil]

i am up for a challenge plan to grow a few veggies this year such as tatties, peas, carrots, onions, here is a list of seeds that i purchased to grow and sell

Beetroot F1 Pablo.
Brussels Sprout Evesham Special.
Cabbage F1 Advantage.
Carrot F1 Ulyses.
Cauliflower All The Year Round.
Lettuce Little Gem.
Maincrop Onion F1 Bugatti.
Salad Onion White Lisbon.
Pea Feltham First.
Tomato Gardener's Delight.

Is this the sort of info you are after george, dont go to fast on the challeng(getting old you know  ) seriously it will be something to contribute to when i have nothing else to do 

Phil

[roiphil]

If fact, I was going tell Isabell (and others) about an idea I saw online, about setting up a seed starting calendar. 

- Toby

do you havea link toby
Thanks Phil

[bossgard]

Phil:

Not trying to be non-cooperative, and I most definitely have plans to share what information I can give, but let's share it all with George, Isabell and Other Members at the same time. I will pass the link onto George and let him introduce it, if he so chooses.

If George wishes me to give some preliminary information on what I'm doing right now to create my seed planting calendar, via the Forum, will be happy to do so!

I realize that this is the time we think about seed starting, and time is going fast! But, he's the boss as far as I'm concerned.

Hope you understand.

- Toby!

[diegartenfrau]

Hi George,

I am feeling a bit better today, seems I had a bad cold coming to me, that took all my resolve out of me and turned it into a big 'humpf'
So even I know am totally stuffed up, to the point I can barely breath, my head is pounding, I guess just to remind me it is still there and I don't feel very good today, I sure hope it is not the flu.

Your message of help is giving me some resolve back. I just don't know if I can do much today on the computer. The truth it hurts to look at the computer screen.
But I am all for it, enroll me in your class, please

At least I will give you some vegetables names I have, I am giving you some which would have to be sown in succession or where I grow several varieties of the same kind for evaluation.

here we go

Carrots, sown every three weeks, several varieties I use to evaluate   
These are just 3 varieties I use: Daucus carrot var. sativus 'Danvers 126 Half Long'
                                            Daucus carrot var. sativus 'Little Finger'
                                            Daucus carrot var. sativus 'Royal Chantenay'

Lettuce, sown every 2 weeks:  Romaine - Lactuca sativa 'Cimmaron'
                                            Butterhead - Lactuca sativa 'Marvel Of Four Seasons'
                                            Looseleaf - Lactuca sativa 'Red Oak Leaf'

That should do you for making some exercises, right?

Actually there are some more vegetables in my 'plant names' post

Toby, I made a seed planning calendar for myself with the Open office spread sheet program. I put it on my blog to share and added the link to it into my post in the Vegetable garden section of the IG forum the other day. I could see, nobody has seen it yet.

Here is another link to it:  http://diegartenfrau.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-garden-season-just-around-corner.html

you find the link to the planting chart on the bottom of post. It is a work of process and I will improve it as I go. But because the planting season is coming I thought I share it anyway. It is made for the Northwest region of Williamette Valley. Zone 7b to 8

I gotta get off now, this head is pounding me

Isabell

[diegartenfrau]

Correction:  actually link post is in the 'our garden' section of forum, Generell discussion

[ideasguy]

NOTE: Website for these Lessons:
http://www.garden-software.co.uk/vegetables/

OK, I'm encouraged by the quick response already, so lets get started

Lesson 1

Lets start with plant names. Lets look at Isabells list:

These are just 3 varieties I use: Daucus carrot var. sativus 'Danvers 126 Half Long'
                                            Daucus carrot var. sativus 'Little Finger'
                                            Daucus carrot var. sativus 'Royal Chantenay'

Lettuce, sown every 2 weeks:  Romaine - Lactuca sativa 'Cimmaron'
                                            Butterhead - Lactuca sativa 'Marvel Of Four Seasons'
                                            Looseleaf - Lactuca sativa 'Red Oak Leaf'

Now, I'm normally I'm a "strictly botanical plant names" guy.
In the case of vegetables, I'm going to suggest we bend the rules.
Isabell has correctly shown us in our list that:
The botanical plant name for Lettuce is Lactuca sativa
The botanical plant name for Carrot is Daucus carota
Some others are:
Leek - Allium porrum
Pea - Pisum sativum
Parsnip - Pastinaca sativa
etc.

I for one would not recommend that you go telling your neighbours that you are growing Pastinaca and Daucus
So... lets drop the Botanical names for our VEGETABLE database (but not in our Flowers and Shrubs database of course!)
Isabells list now becomes:

Carrot 'Danvers 126 Half Long'
Carrot 'Little Finger'
Carrot 'Royal Chantenay'

Lettuce 'Cimmaron'
Lettuce 'Marvel Of Four Seasons'
Lettuce 'Red Oak Leaf'

Phils list becomes
Beetroot 'F1 Pablo'
Brusselssprout 'Evesham Special'
(Note Ive bent the rules a bit more and made Brusselssprout all one word so it goes into the Genus field)
Cabbage 'F1 Advantage'
Carrot 'F1 Ulyses'
Cauliflower 'All The Year Round'
Lettuce 'Little Gem'
Onion 'F1 Bugatti'
Onion 'White Lisbon'
Pea 'Feltham First'
Tomato 'Gardener's Delight'

Use GA027 to ADD each of these plants, as follows.
Copy and paste (or type) the plants names into the Plant name field
Using Carrot 'Danvers 126 Half Long' as an example, watch what happens on the RHS of your screen.
IG automatically enters Carrot into the Genus field.
and - enters Danvers 126 Half Long into the cultivar field

Heres a web page for Lesson 1, with a link to a screen shot
http://www.garden-software.co.uk/vegetables/Sess01/sess01.html

Do that for each of your plants

End of Lesson 1

[bossgard]

George:

Thanks, for bending the rules. Now you're speaking US language. My seed packets don't use the Botanical Name, so I would have to research each one to come up with the Botanical names.

I entered all my vegetables, fruits, herbs that way from the very beginning. Evidently the hard way, because I did not know that GA027 would do that. But by golly I did a trial entry, and it worked, just as you said it would.

That means I can send you my whole vegetable list if you want it. The list contains about 75+ names (some are no longer available), but it also includes the established plants that I have obtained, like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, rhubarb, etc.

- Toby

[ideasguy]

The list contains about 75+ names (some are no longer available), but it also includes the established plants that I have obtained, like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, rhubarb, etc.

Veg
Lets just concentrate on the ones you are growing this year, Toby.
We'll add them to this Project

the established plants
Lets have your list for all of these

[roiphil]

done lesson 1 

Regarding botanical names i looked on my UK wholesalers website and they do not use botanical names you get for example Lettuce Cos Little Gem I also checked on a well known retail site and they do not use botanical names,

Do different countries use botanical names ?

[roiphil]

Phil:

Not trying to be non-cooperative, and I most definitely have plans to share what information I can give, but let's share it all with George, Isabell and Other Members at the same time. I will pass the link onto George and let him introduce it, if he so chooses.

If George wishes me to give some preliminary information on what I'm doing right now to create my seed planting calendar, via the Forum, will be happy to do so!

I realize that this is the time we think about seed starting, and time is going fast! But, he's the boss as far as I'm concerned.

Hope you understand.

- Toby!

no worries i shall wait with great anticipation as to where this link will lead us 

[bossgard]

George:

I believe that there is an easy way to give you the two lists, besides keying them anew. As if, I was a Professional Landscape Person, and you were my prospective client, and I want to send you a suggested vegetable plant list for your approval before I plant them?

Or is there a simple(?) Copy and Paste procedure?

Phil: See recent posting under new topic for the Seed Starting Guide!

- Toby

[ideasguy]

RE:

Or is there a simple(?) Copy and Paste procedure?

Not yet Toby
Its something at the top of my own list. Should be simple enough.

RE (Phil)

Lettuce Cos Little Gem I also checked on a well known retail site and they do not use botanical names,
Do different countries use botanical names ?

Botanical names are universal, so (mercifully) they are exactly the same in every country.
Most good seed suppliers I've seen today actually do give the Botanical name. I was rather surprised!

[ideasguy]

Session 2 has just been posted
http://www.garden-software.co.uk/vegetables/GetPlantInfo/getplantinfo.html

I hope all IG Pro users can find time to follow the sessions in this Project.
As you will see as the website develops, its a very essential section of the User Guide.
Also, I'm explaining features as I go along, as I'd like to make sure everyone knows what "all dem buttons" do

Session 2 deals with using the Google buttons to surf the net for info, and how to capture data efficiently, and where best to save it (as you know IG has loads of data fields).
You'll find lots of screenshots with help balloons, created using Snagit. Its a wonderful tool!

[diegartenfrau]

Hi George,

I just started inputting some of the names. At first I was a bit sad, because your instructions do not involve keeping the Genus names intact.
Remember I like to learn the botanical names I am just not up to snuff remembering most of them. 

But as I followed you instructions and the Name Carrot was in the Genus field, with automatically putting the cultivar still in the proper field, a light bulb went off.
One can add the genus in the same field then Carrot.

So instead writing Carrot I named it Carrot-Daucus and then put the var. sativus into the species field.

Now I have the vegetable sorted by the common name, but still get to see the Genus in the proper field anyway.
That will make things much easier, because now I don't have to retype so much, I just add the common name to all my vegetables I have in the program. And I still get to learn the family of plants/vegetables

I am probably not getting to far today. I still have a pounding head, thinking I might have the flu, even it is not as bad as yesterday but I know it will get worse as the day goes on.

But I like what you are doing here. These lessons are greatly appreciated.
And for that a big Thank You and Hug

till later
Isabell

[ideasguy]

Awwww shucks

Take it easy until you are feeling better Isabell. We had flu symptoms a week or so before Christmas. It was a good excuse for a sip of the Juice of the Barley. My dad, a strict teetotaler, bought a half bottle of the stuff when he felt a flu coming on. He "retired" to bed until next day - and back to work! It seems to work for me as well

RE:

So instead writing Carrot I named it Carrot-Daucus and then put the var. sativus into the species field.
Now I have the vegetable sorted by the common name, but still get to see the Genus in the proper field anyway.
That will make things much easier, because now I don't have to retype so much, I just add the common name to all my vegetables I have in the program. And I still get to learn the family of plants/vegetables

Unorthodox, but since we are bending the rules AND since you already have data in your database, then OK, but I'd recommend other members use the plant names above.
Personally, I'm quite happy with Carrot as the Genus, and if I wanted a reminder, I would put the Botanical name in one of the data fields.

A wee message to Toby (our expert and champion in the field of Plant Labels)
Ive added a very important section to the Vegetables Project User Guide 

[bossgard]

EDITED by George on 29th Jan

Begin Edit
When adding Cultivars in GA027, make sure you enclose the cultivar name like this:
'Cultivar name'
NOT like this
?Cultivar name?

Whats the difference?
The single quote to use before AND after the cultivar name text should be the character on the button on your keyboard which has the @ sign and the correct ' character.
If you DONT use the correct character, GA027 will NOT recognise it as a cultivar name

Ive corrected the items in the list down to the dashed line.

To see what I mean, click add a plant in GA027.
Use Copy (e.g. Ctrl-C) one of the items I havent edited and paste (Ctrl-V) into the Plant name field in GA100S40.
Look at the Botanical name translation on the right. It gets it wrong.

Now copy one of the items Ive edited and add to GA027.
Correct?
 
Below that dashed line needs to be edited and fixed by a dashing young volunteer
END Edit



VEGETABLE LIST:
   Bean Pole 'Garden Blue Lake Pole'
   Bean Pole 'Kentucky Wonder Pole'
   Beet 'Lutz Greenleaf'
   Broccoli 'Purple Sprouting'
   Broccoli 'Waltham 29'
   Brusselssprouts 'Long Island'
   Cabbage 'Danish Ballhead'
   Cabbage 'Jersey Wakefield'
   Cabbage 'Red Acre'
   Carrot 'Danvers Half Long'
   Carrot 'Imperator'
-----------------------------------------------------------
   Carrot ?Red Core Chantenay?
   Corn ?Bodacious?
   Corn ?Earlivee?
   Corn ?Early Sunglow?
   Corn ?Golden Jubilee?
   Cucumber ?Marketmore 76?
   Cucumber ?Muncher?
   Cucumber ?Smr 58?
   Eggplant ?Twilight Hybrid?
   Kale ?Russian Red?
   Kohlrabi ?Purple Vienna?
   Kohlrabi ?White Vienna?
   Lettuce ?Bon Vivant?
   Lettuce ?Buttercrunch (bibb)?
   Lettuce ?Gourmet Blend?
   Lettuce ?Red Romaine?
   Lettuce ?Red Sails?
   Onion ?Evergreen White Bunching?
   Onion ?Yellow Globe?
   Parsnip ?Andover?
   Pepper ?Calwonder 300?
   Pepper ?Sweet Banana?
   Radish ?French Breakfast?
   Radish ?Early Scarlet Globe?
   Salsify ?Mammoth Sandwich Island?
   Spinach ?Olympia Smith Lf Lng Std?
   Spinach ?Samish Savoy Hybrid?
   Spinach ?Semi-savoy Tyee
   Squash summer ?Table Queen, Bush Acorn?
   Squash winter ?Blue Hubbard?
   Squash zuchinni ?Black Beauty Bush?
   Squash zuchinni ?Jackpot Hybrid Bush?

VEGETABLE LIST (continued):   
   Swiss Chard ?Pac Choi/bok Choy Chinmustard?
   Swiss Chard ?Rainbow Blend?
   Swiss Chard ?Rhubarb?
   Tomato ?Gold Nugget?
   Tomato ?Legend?
   Tomato ?San Marzano, Roman Type?
   Tomato ?Siletz?
   Tomato ?Sweetie?
   Turnip/rutabaga ?American Purple Top?
   Turnip/rutabaga ?Purple Top White Globe?

ESTABLISHED PLANT LIST:
   Blackberry ?Evergreen?
   Blueberry ?Darrow?
   Blueberry ?Earliblue?
   Boysen Berry ?Unknow #1?
   Logan Berry ?Unknown #1?
   Raspberry ?Unknown #1?
   Strawberry `Rainier/tristar?

- Toby

[ideasguy]

That took a while to prepare!
Easier at this end to copy and paste!
Are you growing ALL those vegetables this year?

[bossgard]

George:

I hope to! They are 2010 seeds.
Plus some more!
Might as well, I have the seed.
Remember, I'm feeding friends of mine,
they get hungry, too!
If it's easier for you, cut the list down, just to a representation.

- Toby

[bossgard]

Regarding the discussion on Botanical names being universal in nature.

I think what you get in plant information depends on whom or where the source of information might be coming from, particularly in regard to seed packets. The seeds I use are from a local seed packaging source that has trial gardens in a city nearby. I purchase those seeds for that reason, that is, they will grow in my locality. Their distribution of the seed racks must be enormous, because they can be found everywhere from garden centers to drug stores to grocery stores.

The people that frequent those venues are from all walks of life, and probably ?don?t give a hoot? about botanical names, as long as it has a picture of a pea pod on the front of the pack, and the pack tells them how to grow the pea, it suits them just fine. It is also possible that they don?t speak or read English.

I would like to impress on those of you that would like to take Seed Growing one step further is to make sure that you retain the best seed catalogs you get in the mail that might have the information you want. They are excellent sources. I use a large A-Z reference book, along with seed company catalog(s) (2009 and 2010) from a company located in the state of Oregon (Isabell?s state), that supplies lots of plant information. Also, I use ChilternSeeds 2009 and 2010 catalogs and several more. .

Last night I was trying to find information regarding a flowering plant ?Purple Coneflower?. I could not find any mention of ?coneflower? in my reference book  I found what I was looking for from an alphabetical list in the catalog from Oregon.?Echinacea spp. With that lead I then found it both in Chiltern Seeds and my reference book.

- Toby

[diegartenfrau]

for information how to grow your vegetables.
I just bought their book, it is the best info for growing veggies I have found

http://www.harvestwizard.com/

[roiphil]

re botanical names, i had to check to make sure, i looked on
http://www.molesseeds.co.uk/flower_and_vegetable_seed_store_uk/Products_Little_Gem_4183.html which is wholesalers and i also looked on

http://www.suttons.co.uk/Shop/Vegetable+Seeds/Lettuce+Little+Gem+Seeds+169291.htm

maybe the dont use the botanical names as you would commonly refer to a lettuce as a lettuce, a runner bean as a runner bean etc,

if i told some one that i was growing a veg plant and i used a botanical name i may get my collar felt by the gardai  that would be funny come and raid my greenhouse and find tomatoes growing   

[ideasguy]

Just make sure you dont grow any C. sativa   :