Does anyone have an Excel Template for Evaluating Daylilies that you are willing to share? Even a list of specific column headings could be helpful.

Carol, I maintain a daylily database that I have used for years. It's just an annual record keeping document with the following headings:

Name
Appearance
Date Added
Height
Bloom size
Bud/scapes (this is from the hybridizer)
Bloom time
Hybridizer
Year
Source
Price
Foliage (EV, SEV, DOR)
Price
Ploid (TET, DIP)

I also keep an annual alphabetical bound notebook with a label on each page with a plant's name and a summary of info--hybridizer, year, bloom time, etc. This is where I keep notes detailing plant performance.
This notebook goes into the garden with me. The database doesn't.

Hope this helps!

For years I have used "Plantstep" aka "Flowers" ...... great bargain at abt $30, and all updates are free. It's the best money I have spent on my daylily obsession.

It has all the catagories listed above by florange ... and more .... plus sections where you can put personal notes and experiences. You can have several different "file cabinets" if you want to keep dips and tets separately for example.

I can't think of anything it can't do .... but if you do the creator of the program is open to suggestions and will try to implement them in the next update. How great is that?

www.plantstep.com
there is also a facebook page

TreeClimber said:For years I have used "Plantstep" aka "Flowers" ...... great bargain at abt $30, and all updates are free. It's the best money I have spent on my daylily obsession.

It has all the catagories listed above by florange ... and more .... plus sections where you can put personal notes and experiences. You can have several different "file cabinets" if you want to keep dips and tets separately for example.

I can't think of anything it can't do .... but if you do the creator of the program is open to suggestions and will try to implement them in the next update. How great is that?

www.plantstep.com
there is also a facebook page

Plantstep sounds great! However, it is available only for Windows systems, and I use an iPad. I wrote to Plantstep's developers just now to ask them to develop a version for iPads, but how likely is that?

Not likely it will be developed for a tablet, but doesnt' hurt to ask.

I am thinking about getting a 2 in 1 when I replace my computer. My sisters have them, and they are very thin and light .... about 11". Currently looking at "Lenovo Yoga" which is the one my very computer savy sister has.

The feature that drew me to the iPad is the seamless synchronization among Apple devices. E.g., photos taken on the iPhone automatically appear in the Photos app on the iPad (and the iMac, but I hardly ever use the iMac) because they automatically go to iCloud where they are stored. I don't need to do anything (such as put the photos into Dropbox) to make this happen.

Similar synchronization occurs with email and documents created in Pages (like MSWord) and Numbers (like Excel).

This automatic synchronization is SO good. Does the system you are considering collaborate like that with your cell phone, especially for photos taken on the phone?

I'm not sure, it's a windows system.

I use Amazon Prime Photos for my photos, and they automatically upload from my ipad or iphone if I set my preferences that way. I've never used my pad for much more than surfing the web, photos and Candy Crush type games. haha

TreeClimber said:I'm not sure, it's a windows system.

I use Amazon Prime Photos for my photos, and they automatically upload from my ipad or iphone if I set my preferences that way. I've never used my pad for much more than surfing the web, photos and Candy Crush type games. haha

Interesting! I didn't know about the existence of Amazon Prime Photos and the automatic uploading from an iPhone. Sounds like you are all set as long as that fabulous program Plantstep works on your new 2-in-1 system.

Ive used the Excel template for years, and it works well. When the Plantstep first came out, I considered it, but already keep folders of images that are easy to reference.
So my columns are very similar to what Arlene uses.
CULTIVAR NAME
HYBRIDIZER, YR. REGISTERED
PLOIDY
FOLIAGE TYPE
BLOOM FORM ( SP/UF/ DB/LG/MINI ETC)
SCAPE HEIGHT, BLOOM SIZE
BLOOM DESCRIPTION
SOURCE
COST
DATE ADDED
NOTES

I got my iPad last winter and found an app called "Plant Album". Paid $8 or $9 for it and have found it useful.

The "plants" screen

Induvidual entry page- there are more tags that didn't fit in the photo...

The photos tab for this entry


You can sort plants by "garden"- I sorted mine by dips, tets, seeds, seedlings and pollen. Can record value, where and when purchased, notes, logs, water schedules, fertilizer schedules, etc. It's been easy to use and navigate.

Part of my winter goal was to finish recording info for my daylilies. Stuff like height (I record scape), width (bloom size), and I've got to go back and put in the hybridizers and years still...

Arlene and Julie,
Do you have a way to distinguish a cultivar's evaluation-based particulars (e.g., scape height, bud count, appearance of foliage, saturation and streakiness of bloom color, etc.) for each year? Also do you keep notes about sun exposure of the garden(s) where a particular cultivar is growing?

Is it best to devote a separate sheet to each cultivar?

ShakespearesGarden said:I got my iPad last winter and found an app called "Plant Album". Paid $8 or $9 for it and have found it useful.

The "plants" screen

Induvidual entry page- there are more tags that didn't fit in the photo...

The photos tab for this entry


You can sort plants by "garden"- I sorted mine by dips, tets, seeds, seedlings and pollen. Can record value, where and when purchased, notes, logs, water schedules, fertilizer schedules, etc. It's been easy to use and navigate.

Part of my winter goal was to finish recording info for my daylilies. Stuff like height (I record scape), width (bloom size), and I've got to go back and put in the hybridizers and years still...

Diana,

Plant Album sounds ideal!!! Thanks so much for pointing me in that direction. I immediately purchased it ($7.99 as you recalled). I had previously searched the App store using the terms "plant" and "garden" but got too bogged down in all the games that those terms returned to find Plant Album.

Thanks SO much!!!

Oh gosh at one time I grew over 1100 registered cultivars. Don't have time to keep separate sheets on each cultivar. They're lucky to get one line. The notes part is where I keep notes about performance, any negative or positive attributes that are noticed during a bloom season, rebloom, etc. I know where every cultivar is located ( esp. now that garden size is down to about 400) so don't need to make notes on sun, etc. Just don't have the time because during bloom season I'm out taking pictures, hybridizing, or going off on weekends to judge shows, etc. Many notes are made in the off season or right after bloom season is over , If something had a sub-par bloom season, I'll either make a note to remove it/ sell or give away the following spring OR will make a note that this one needs moving, this one needs to be re-evaluated the next year, etc. Since I've been doing this for a long time, I'm mostly dealing with established clumps except for the handful of new ones each season. Also note here when a clump needs dividing. Hope this helps.

Carol, you're welcome : )
Hope it works as well for you as it has for me

Diana,
How is "Logs" supposed to be used?

Carol, if you hit the event line, it'll pull up some options and you can add in other events. I don't use it that often (I have two entries) and they sort out by date. I tend to use the notes feature more since it's already in the individual plant's section.
I added the "Cross pod x pollen" one.

Got a not-so-hopeful reply from the Plantstep developer today:

"Thanks for your interest in the Flower program. Currently the Flower program runs on the Windows platform. There is a way to run Windows programs on some Mac computers but not iPads, sorry.

We do have plans to make the Flower program internet based someday but not anytime soon."