I was going through old threads trying to find info on how people keep track of their seedlings, (pictures, stats, notes, etc.), and I found one about Plantstep Flower Software from 2010. I was wondering if anyone uses it, and if so, how they like it? Was also wondering if it is a one time purchase, or do you pay yearly?

Thanks,
Gale

I know these three members use it maybe they can tell us a bit of info.
@Shive1
@Hemlady
@Joy
I would like to know this also.

I am surprised you have not gotten more responses in your search for a system to keep up with seedlings. I know several people on here use this software, and many hybridize, so I know they must have a system to keep up with them, even if it is a notebook and is handwritten.

Gale, I have used it for years I think shortly after it was released to keep track of my plants. I don't hybridize so I don't use it for that. The purchase price is one time after that you can update to new versions at no extra cost. I like the program for my purposes it does exactly what I need and the price is hard to beat. Kent is also very good at answering any questions you may have within a day or two. I would buy it again in a heartbeat it has many features that allow you to use it in different ways.

Thank you for the responses, hopefully someone who uses it for seedlings will pop in and let us know if it is a good program for that application.

I just got it two weeks ago and have put some seedlings on it.
It will be a big help once I get more use to it.
It keeps track of pollinating cross,planning the crosses I want to make and helps me match up dips with dips and tets with tets.
you can add pics of your seedlings as well
More that I have not figured out yet
Been wanting to buy it for years,glad I did.

I use PlantStep for my seedlings (which is pretty much most of my 300+ daylily plants). It took me a little time to figure it out and how to use all the features, but I really like the program. And Kent is GREAT about answering questions or taking requests for things you would like to see in future updates of the program. I love the fact that you can add photos to each daylily file along with all kinds of information (such as where you got the seed/plant, when you planted it, how many seeds from that cross, what is your code for each plant, etc.). It is a very helpful program for keeping track of my seedlings. I also use a 3-ring binder with pre-printed info sheets using my coding system for the seedling I am growing. AND I have started using a Scrapbook program to do daylily photo pedigree charts. But I recommend starting with PlantStep or perhaps Excel (which I don't use) to record and keep track of your seedlings.

Peggy, Becky, thanks, it sounds like it is what I am looking for.

Thanks again,
Gale

I use it also, and love it! It is a one time purchase, and all updates are free. Customer service is outstanding, as well.

As a daylily buyer only, I use it and finally ditched my excel spreadsheet. I especially like the label feature which I use with waterproof Avery labels for plant markers*. You can sort your database and run reports. You can enter seller info, price paid, date purchased/planted, make notes, add photos. Best $30 I've spent.

*Edited to add - I bought a different brand of waterproof labels and ink ran off. (I think they were HP brand.)I've never had a problem with Avery.

I've used PlantStep for years and can't imagine doing my daylily info without it. There are a couple of ways to track seedlings on there. In the section that Peggy and Becky referenced you can plan your crosses, track when you harvested the pod, when it went into the fridge, when you planted it and then put in pics of the seedlings. If your seedling is from a registered cultivar that you have, you can add seedling pics to the pics' section for that daylily so you kind of a genealogical library of what that plant is producing.

For example, William Marchant has been posting pics of the seedlings he's getting out of Viva Glam Girl. I have the plant but it's new. This is the first year I've worked with it. I like kind of knowing what it's kids look like even before I get seedlings from it so I'm using his pics for now.

If you were wondering about "naming" the seedlings I have a couple of suggestions. Unless the seedling has a garden name (like the morning I came out and found a bloom that was over 3 ft tall and a gorgeous poly...well, the garden name for that one is "Holy $&*%" because that's what I said when I saw it. Sorry, I digress. When seedlings bloom and I want to make note of them I give them a number. The first of it is the year's number and then I just start with 1. The first new seedling that I see this year and want to keep with be named LLM-151. The first three letters are my initials. I've done the numbering different ways but this is easy and has worked well.

When I give the seedling it's number I take a pic of the number with the bloom so I can easily ID it later. This one is from an older seedling but you get the idea.


Another way to ID your seedlings is to give the cross a number. This works well if you're doing long crosses. Say you cross Blue Wonder to Feeling Blue and get lots of seedlings from it. You could name the cross 151 and as you pic plants to keep from that cross you just go through the alphabet to differentiate them. The first one would be 151-A, the second 151-B, etc. If you run out of letters you're obviously choosing too many seedlings and we'll have to have another talk.

I use it and love it. All my daylilies are in there and my crosses. Its very simple to use. There are many videos on "How To" online.

Thanks for all the info on the program and advice on using it.

You are very welcome, Gale! Have fun hybridizing and growing daylilies from seeds! It's a fun adventure with great rewards!

hi Gale,,

you can find Kent's video's on PlantStep on his website:
http://www.plantstep.com/video...

The 'Catalog' link is also worth looking at!

Mayo

hi Gale,

the programm is now on version 6.92 and it is even better than in the video's :-)

Kent has made a Facebook group called PlantStep where you can ask him everything you want to know, or even suggest new features.
He answers the same day or sometimes the day after (I have a time difference with you guys ;-) ) and helps you out.
He is a really terrific guy!

In v6.92 you get access to a daylily database of over 75,000 cultivars ánd over 40,000 irisses!
Like the others said: the best $30 spent ever

Mayo

Mayo, Thanks, I believe it is what I am going to use, sounds like a very useful tool.

Gale

I hybridize daylilies and have several hundred new bloom each year.
Plantstep is a great way to keep it all organized with pictures.
The only thing I don't like is the amount of time it takes to add pictures and fill out all the information for each cross.
In end up doing it during the winter because there is no way I can keep up during the bloom season.

All in all it's a great buy for the price, and will do everything you want it to do, but if your one of those that grows thousands of seedlings to bloom, be prepared to spend some time filling out all your crosses, plus it does lots more than just daylilies.
lots of extra features for many uses included with the software.

I've bought DL seeds on the Lily Auction and, while waiting for them to arrive, I have already entered all the data into PlantStep

That is what I will do when I get to hybridizing my own plants: when I plan a cross I will enter all the data that I can, when I collect the seeds I will enter that and when I plant them I will enter all the data for the coming seedlings, as far as I can.

That way I hope to make it easier on myself and don't have to do it afterwards all at once.

Making several hundreds of crosses may complicate things a bit...

Mayo

I just ordered the plantstep flower software, hopefully in a day or two I will be using it. Thanks again everyone for your input.
Gale