This is one tip you’ll want to start on right from the beginning, even if you don’t feel like you have any idea what you’re doing yet. Keep track of everything you do so you can refer back to it in future years.
The main things to record are:
• Dates you plant and harvest
• Any unusual weather
• When you added fertilizer or pesticide
• Which sprays did or did not work
But it’s the planting dates you want to remember most of all. Focus on that to start with. If you plant your spring peas too late, then they won’t be done in time to plant that patch with more summer vegetables. If you get your peppers started too late, they may not be ready to harvest before that first frost. What works (or doesn’t work) for you one year can help guide you the next.
Keep track of harvesting too.
Knowing when that big rush of green beans is about to start can be a good heads-up to get your kitchen ready for a big canning session.
Take note of the elements.
Knowing that you have to be ready with the insect sprays by
the second week of June in order to protect your tomatoes will keep you on track and your precious plants protected. The same goes for unseasonal weather—extra rain, for example. Expect the unexpected.
Get a spiral notebook or start a simple computer spreadsheet. How you organize your notes is up to you as long as you do it, but keep them consistent. Paper notebooks are a little sturdier and can be stored out in the garden shed where you’re more likely to make notes. Pencil won’t run in case your notes get wet, which is a pretty good probability at some point. On the other hand, a digital file can make it easier to go searching for something in several years’ worth of text and dates.