How do you organize your orchids? Or do you?

[The Orchid Boy]

How do you guys organize your orchids? Journals, scrapbooks, computer program, something on the Internet? Or do you organize them? I have a little book I write in, but I'd love to have a computer program that doesn't always require the Internet so I can add pictures, write dates, ect. Is there such a thing?

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

I'm just in the process of updating the Word document that I've always kept my orchid list in. Then I'm going to update my list in Orchidwiz. Damn, I'm organized.

 

[JeanLux]

I have a small MS-Access application, so I can connect photos to the individual plant infos! Jean

 

[wjs2nd]

I'm using a book. I print out photos and glue them in. I like have a hard copy.

 

[eggshells]

I have a small MS-Access application, so I can connect photos to the individual plant infos! Jean

Great idea Jean, maybe I will create one with forms and share it here.

 

[terryros]

I use an application called Bento for my Mac based system which let me quickly design the database for my orchids, including the space to import the pictures. But, the big thing is that the database is on my home wireless network and I can have the application on my iPhone and iPad so I use these in the plant room and then just sync any changes and all my devices have the changes. When I am out at Orchids Limited, whether I have my phone or tablet, I have the whole collection with me, including photos. The database is not online for others to get to, but resides on my three devices.


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[terryros]

I use an application called Bento on my Mac, iPhone, and iPad that let me quickly design a little database, including a photo field. Changes made on any device are then synched to the other devices. The database is then with me on my phone or tablet when I am out at Orchids Limited. You can sort the database by name, or group, etc.


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[gotsomerice]

Hey terryros,
Couldn't you have just use the "Contacts" app on the iphone to do this? Don't you have to pay for the Bento App?

I use an application called Bento for my Mac based system which let me quickly design the database for my orchids, including the space to import the pictures. But, the big thing is that the database is on my home wireless network and I can have the application on my iPhone and iPad so I use these in the plant room and then just sync any changes and all my devices have the changes. When I am out at Orchids Limited, whether I have my phone or tablet, I have the whole collection with me, including photos. The database is not online for others to get to, but resides on my three devices.


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[eOrchids]

MS Excel and I have my growlist on my phone

 

[The Orchid Boy]

I found a system that I might try. It's called Cattleya-Log 4.0. They have a free trial. It's $49.95 for the real deal. http://www.systemesoftware.com/cattleyalog/index.html

 

[nikv]

I don't organize my orchids in any way.

 

[likespaphs]

i used to have a list here on slippertalk, but then i never updated it.....

 

[Leo Schordje]

My inventory resides on my laptop, not on a server in the 'cloud'. Simple Excel spreadsheet, though now I am using Open Office version of Excel.

In theory, I could link from the spreadsheet to a Word doc with pictures, but I never bothered. I use multiple folders, in a tree hierarchy, to store photos. In many ways the photos are more useful than long written descriptions.

A simple spreadsheet can be sorted on any column. My spreadsheet has columns for inventory number, Genus, species, parentage, clonal name, date purchased, source (who), source (how; seedling, division, meristem, etc), status (reserve, okay to sell, evaluate, needs to grow, etc); & final column for notes

Because I can sort on any column, I can find a quick list of things that might be ready to sell.

Down side. Keeping an inventory current. Once you have enough orchids that you can't remember everything you need to know about your plant, you also have so many that you don't have time to keep an inventory current.

But I try.

 

[Erythrone]

The inventory of my plants is now on Excel. The simpler, the better (for me)

I don't bother linking with pictures. When I want to find a picture of one of my plants, I search with Picasa, so all photos must bear the true name of the plant. Sometimes I must add a clone number to pic if I have serveral plants of one grex.

I want my database to be very simple, so I don't keep a lot of records in it (I just write full names of the plant, date of purchase and grower name). For me it is the only way to update it easily because if it takes too much time, it can take a long time before I update the list. Unfortunatly, the inventory of my outdoor plants (mostly perennials) is now too long (more than 3200 taxons) to be updated quickly (I think about dead plants of some genus I grow in large quantity, like irises). But for ochids, it is still very easy!

 

[terryros]

I used Excel previously, but I wanted to be able to work with my collection on a mobile device in the plant room, which is what led me to Bento. Yes, you have to pay for it but it isn't very expensive. I also like having the collection with all the info about each plant, including a picture, when I am at my favorite orchid greenhouse. But, the main advantage I find from when I used to do all the work on my computer in my office is that now I can do the work right when I am with the plant. I am not making notes and taking labels up to the office, hoping I remember to update things. If I took a laptop with an Excel workbook to the plant room you would have the same thing, but you wouldn't have it easily on your mobile device when you are out and about. Bento was just an easy way to build a database that looks pretty, imports the photo, and can synch with the mobile device.


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[SlipperFan]

I just have a list in MS Word, separated by genus or family. I also have folders full of orchid photos on my computer. The folders are alphabetical. The list in Word is just the genus, species or hybrid names, clonal names of any plant or parent, award if applicable, the name of the vendor and date of purchase -- these last two items I just started a year or so ago. I can access these lists on my iPhone.

 

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

I organize my orchids in my mind...which I seem to have lost.

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[SlipperFan]

I organize my orchids in my mind...which I seem to have lost.

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:rollhappy:

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

ditto

 

[NYEric]

I used to use excel and paste the photos into cells, now i don't care, just get what looks/sounds interesting and try to grow it well. Of course you do end up with multiples if you forget what you already have.