How To Organize Your Garden! Easily Plan, Track, and Reference for Success!

In this video, I'll guide you through creating your own garden organization system that will help you plan, track, and reference your garden's progress. We’ve been using this simple DIY system for years. It’s been so unbelievably useful to reference during the growing season and after the garden is long gone when thinking about future garden plans. The main components are a garden map for each field or garden, a page with labels containing varieties started early, end of season notes, a likes and dislikes list, and a fun picture collage put together each season to have a visual of how the gardens looked that year.
Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this guide will provide a simple system you need to be well-organized and learn year to year, ultimately leading to a thriving garden. This neat little package is so fun to look back on and always motivates us for the future while giving us direction. I hope you gain some ideas from this guide showing our garden organization system!
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[@jackgraham3393]

You are a marvel at record keeping. I don't grow nearly as much as you folks, somewhere around 2500 sq. ft. Generally speaking only root crops are sold. The very best on this year's growing season.

[@MontanaMidValleyFarm]

Thank you! I drive my husband a little crazy, but he does appreciate it in the long run.

[@Breannanpr23]

I love that garden planning idea with the clear folders! I think I might start doing that with mine! This year I used growveg which is like a "cad" software but for gardening, which I love but this is a really nice little thing and I love that you add the photos too.

[@MontanaMidValleyFarm]

Thanks! I forgot to mention I just have the photo collage made a Walgreens and they are pretty inexpensive. There’s nothing quite like a picture when thinking back.

[@raincoast9010]

I don't grow nearly as much stuff as you do but i keep track of trees an shrubs on a map i drew on the "inside" of an old cereal box. Good points about keeping records about what plants you like and frost dates and such. Wow, so many plant starts!

[@MontanaMidValleyFarm]

Thanks! Keeping track in whatever way you do it is helpful! One of your recent comments inspired this video, realizing I never explained our record keeping system. Thanks for the idea!

[@tulipsmoran5197]

Garden journaling - regardless of format or whether detailed or simply highlights - is a valuable tool to track not only progress or evolution of your garden but to chronicle success and failure. Especially as people are becoming more self-sufficient, it's critical in planning multiple successions of crops. I use a similar method of diagrams (maps), tables where I note seeds started in plug trays or directly seeded. It helps me to quickly review previous year and assess my seeds inventory to know what seeds are needed. I use plastic photo cases that store in self contained case for my seeds and keep them inventoried. I also maintain a 5 yr planner were I generally recap each week. This keeps me on track with fertilizing, bed turnover and crop rotation. In fact my records help me to know how much and what types of fertilizers I use and manage what's on hand and what needs replenishment. It also helps me to schedule and track work on multiple projects and schedule tasks for the garden from early spring through early winter. Professionally I kept a detailed planner so it's a natural thing for me to apply to gardening. For me my record keeping has evolved over the years to a system like you are using. I find it very helpful to grab a cup of coffee on a snowy winter day and begin the planning process for the upcoming season. I encourage people to have a method of record keeping - even if its a hand written spiral notebook. I liked your collage of garden pics. I chronical in pictures different projects like adding a polytunnel or add/combine raised beds - kinda like a before/after picture, but taking pics of the actual beds and overall garden is a super idea. I think I may adopt that this year. Super video for gardeners. Sometimes it's a little overwhelming to come up with a workable system you can maintain, so your examples are easily and quickly adopted by just about anyone. Very informative video.

[@MontanaMidValleyFarm]

Words of wisdom! The fertilizer notes are a helpful point that you make. Great idea! I agree that the records portion of gardening can seem overwhelming, but getting a system that works for you is so rewarding in the long run. Thanks for the comment!