I started keeping notes this year. I need to have replacements ready to go in when I pull one crop out. I don't have the timing down for the greenhouse yet (new greenhouse).

If I didn't have my calendar, I would miss most of the dates on what to do, when, etc. I have my own notes and adjust as things happen. For example, last year I planted lettuce too early and it bolted to seed. So I made some notes and moved the planting date for lettuce to one month later and solved the problem. Besides, I find it very relaxing, after a day of work in the yard, to make these notes in my book while it's fresh on my mind. I really think that this book will someday be handed down to one of my children.

I have kept a calendar for my tomato transplants for a few years, but not really for my fall/winter harvest garden, or for my early spring planting. I really need to start doing that.

Catherine

Every January when I get a new kitchen calendar, I add planting notes to the margins. You can't be exact about dates, due to weather and work schedules, etc., so using the margins make sense to me.

Since I do this every year, I pretty much copy the last year's annotations unless adjustments are needed to accomodate changing weather conditions or new varieties.

I'm terrible at remembering dates, so I use a calender add-on for the Firefox web browser. Works great...pops up reminder messages, allows you to repeat stuff on weekly/monthly/annual basis, you can add notes for each reminder, etc. It will even display a constant reminder at the bottom of your browser until you turn it off.

There are other applications you can use. You can even use Google or Yahoo web-based calenders. Not quite as convenient and the reminders come via email, instead of a harder to ignore pop-up.

I'm with faithling. A blocky wall calendar allows you to easily write your planned planting dates in a bright color, and then during the summer when there's barely time to turn around, you can quickly check off or jot down what you did right on the calendar. Those kinds or records -- based on data from your garden -- become invaluable after a few years, because some planting dates are magic, and others simply stink.

Here is a link that might be useful: my website

I live in zone 9, along the Coast and I've just started a journal of sorts where I draw my garden out and list what I panted and when. I am doing square foot gardening for the first time so I think I can just pop something new in a square when it quits producing. I have 4 by 12 foot raised beds. When the lettuce stops producing, I will just plant some radishes or onions in it's place. I think I can keep it more or less full all year round. So far I really like it. I have my spring crops in and getting ready to plant our my summer crops in another block. this seems like a reasonable way to garden for two people. But I must write down what and when or I will be lost with this intensive planting.

excel spreadsheet from You Grow Girl site. Just plug in the frost free date and it changes all the dates for the vegetables.
~tom

Here is a link that might be useful: You Grow Girl spreadsheet calendar

Tom, thank you. That one looks very easy to use

The Hallmark Card program has a Calender program which will pop up all day long. When keeping record of planting times make sure you list the temp's for the day and night times everyday as well as rain or no rain to keep better track of when and why you can or need to plant before or after. Nothing is easy when it comes to getting everything working right all the time gardening, but it sure is fun trying. Mistakes are what makes us better gardeners as we go along. If you can't solve any problem your local mastergardner or Extensiton Agent for your County is always a great help.