Record Keeping Part 1
I was pondering what to plant the other day. This started off with a simple question ‘I’ve got a bag full of seed potatoes, which beds should they go in?’
Then the mind started ticking (nooooo, somebody stop it!!). If I am seriously growing food I need to know
- How many potatoes we eat a week
- How many potatoes come from one seed potato
- How far apart the seed potatoes need to be planted
- Do I have enough garden bed to plant that many in?
- How long until harvest?
- What goes in those beds afterwards?….. and on and on.
In short, that familiar feeling came back to haunt me. Record keeping. Spreadsheets, maps, diaries.
My whole time gardening (post original design) has been spent procrastinating on this. I started to do it when I first began and drove myself crazy. Surely I can relax and let my animal intuition take care of it!
I have concluded that if I had hundreds of acres, then it would be a case of foraging every day for what I can eat. On a suburban block it becomes a more tightly organised operation. I found with my general gardening diary I started recording everything with gusto, and then a couple of years later realised I was missing writing things because a natural rhythm had kicked in and that intuition was taking over. I’m hoping the same thing happens with veggie growing. The record keeping is to force my adult lethargic brain to learn new tricks.
One of the positives for me writing these posts is that I’m having to find a way to simplify ideas, language and practical tasks to communicate effectively. It also keeps me honest, and makes sure I’m following through with what I’ve promised myself. Home grown bulk veggies every week. Explaining this record keeping part is my Mt Everest. I kind of know what needs to happen, but everything is whirling around upstairs in no particular order.
The key to pinning everything down at least for a short while is written records. I started with making a map, because I really don’t mind that part. Ease in gently. It is supposed to be to scale but it isn’t amazing. The accurate part is the written length of each bed, the map is just a rough graphical representation so I can see where I’ve put what. Over time I will need lots of copies of this map as veggies are planted and harvested. The most sensible option for me at the moment is to digitise it. It might end up on a white or black board eventually so the family can see it, and me taking photos everytime I update the board.
To get the map, I got out in the field with tape measure and drew it on a piece of A4. The angles make everything more difficult – rectangles are much simpler! Then I took a photo of the paper map, put it in Powerpoint and traced over it with lines and boxes. After that, I removed the background picture and am left with a digitised map.
The pictures show one version with all the stats of bed size, and other factors that might affect growing going forward. Adjacent trees, and observational notes. The beds are named after the planets, from the sun outwards (excluding Earth) left to right. I can never remember this sequence and I’m rounding out my education by forcing myself to remember! Once I’ve had potatoes from Mars nothing else will come close.
Asparagus already lives in one spot, I’m happy for it to take over that triangle without me digging it up and moving it. Also on the east end is the added possibility of me putting up a trellis for vine crops.
If you are familiar with permaculture design, this is a mini site sector analysis. I am looking at everything that is relevant so I can see the whole picture. This might change over time… and I may need a new map. If my house was providing significant shade, or wildlife had patterns of travel through the area I would mention that also. It helps me recognise that in future, the Avocado tree might cramp my veggie growing style. I will need to keep it pruned or possibly forego some veggie growing sunlight.
The other version of the map is the basic one I will use day to day. Clean and free of clutter. I can print it off and write all over it, or just make annotations on the computer and save a copy each time it changes. The date on the map is essential. One of the hardest habits to get into for me is remembering to update regularly. There is a force field I walk through when I come in the house that wipes my brain of the need to get straight to the computer and write it down.
That word ‘patterns’. What I am trying to do with record keeping is reliably inform myself of repeating patterns in all their myriad abundance. Observe and record seasons, sunlight, wind, rain, pests, success, failure. Do any of these patterns link up? I know they do somehow, but exactly how? If I make changes to one thing, how will it change the patterns of other things it relates to? Constant observations are easy when the veggie patch is in close proximity to your other everyday activities. As I said before, I’m hoping that my intuition will kick in after a couple of years and I won’t need the minute detail. I will shift closer to a more natural way of things and be able to join the flow.
When I’ve figured out the potato spreadsheet I’ll get back to you!
