Using a Gardening Log Book

Keeping a gardening log book can help any gardener, even those with years of experience, increase their yields and enhance their landscape. By recording information like planting dates, germination and bloom times, and weather conditions in one convenient place, gardeners can better understand what works and what doesn’t work for their specific growing climate and soil types.

Choosing the best garden journal is a matter of personal preference, and will depend on what format you find easiest to use on a daily basis. For example, some gardeners may prefer a traditional hardbound or spiral notebook while others might enjoy a simple three-ring binder with hole-punched sheets, or even an app. Whatever you choose, the most important thing is to use it and to be consistent in doing so.

The New York Botanical Garden Gardener’s Planner and Log Book offers plenty of space to record all of the key details for different plantings, including vegetable gardens, herbs, flowers, and indoor houseplants, as well as ornamental shrubs, trees, and showcase ornamentals. Each entry has ample room for the date, plant name and type, seed source, care instructions, and even a place to sketch or attach a photo of the plants. There are also sections to record the growth and health of the plants, as well as any fertilizers or pesticides that are used.

It’s easy to keep track of the progress of your garden throughout the season by regularly updating this log book. By comparing the yields of each crop against previous seasons, you can easily identify areas that need improvement, and take steps to boost your productivity. Similarly, you can note any problems and their causes, such as aphid infestations or fungal infections. This information will allow you to quickly and accurately assess whether there is a problem with the weather or soil conditions, and take action accordingly.

Joy Kieffer’s Garden Journal, Planner and Log Book is another excellent choice for gardeners seeking a comprehensive record-keeping tool. It includes logs to record the growth and health of plants, as well as sections to note a variety of other garden details like weather conditions, propagation, pruning, pest and disease prevention, and soil testing and amendments. It even features graph paper pages for designing and planning garden layouts and planting beds.

This garden planner is a bit more streamlined than the TGJPLB, and a good option for the beginner gardener. It doesn’t include the supplier contact list and purchasing records pages of the TGJPLB, but it does still have ample space for recording plant information and maintenance. It’s also a great gift for a new gardener, and makes an excellent choice for children to use as their own garden log book.

There are endless ways to organize and plan your garden, but a gardening log book is the best way to ensure that all of your hard work pays off in the long run. The benefits of using one can be immense, so make sure to give yourself the best chance for success by committing to a record-keeping system that will inspire you to come back year after year.