[heavyplot!]

  well hello all

I have started to plan my allotment (still digging - and have made a shed, door just to go on now, from bits n pieces! very impressed!)  any way I digress.

Technical advice if possible please.

I want to put my plan onto a spreadsheet and set up each cell to be 1cm x 1cm, but I can't make squares - ok, so not technically about growing, but I wanted to create this and then try to post it on the forum for feedback.

Many thanks from a lady gardener in herts!

[Ruth Cross]

I tried this and got myself into a real mess!
I use more of a diary system now, rather than a planner.
I found my planner got messed up if the weather wasn't doing what it was supposed to  :roll: and if I went on holiday or was ill for a few days things get behind.

I find a diary much better, its less strict and you can still look back to see what you were doing last year. I also used an excel spreadsheet for a plot layout, printed it out and just wrote in hand on the beds when and what was planted.

[Aunt Sally]

What version of excel are you using heavyplot  :!:

[WhippetMaster]

I am trying to maintain a diary but I think it would be better if I had labelled my pots and drew a diagram showing where I planted stuff!!!!

OOOPS Is that a weed? :oops:

[Bombers]

Iv'e done the same trick..... I'm using excel 2003 and you hi-light the numbers (on the left hand side) and right click, select "Row Height" select 40. Then hi-light the A-Z line along the top and right click. Then select colomn width and select 8. That should give you roughly the required boxes............ Phew and if you understand that then....  :roll:

[davesplot]

It is quite easy to use excel spreadsheets to create an easy allotment plan for each year. It's not too techical.

Basically open excel and you will see a blue bar at the top of the page called book1. right click your mouse in the grey area below the blue bar and ensure that "Standard" - "formatted" and "Drawing" are ticked.

Put you mouse anywhere over the spreadheet and right click and holding the mouse down select any number of cells or squares to form a big square, (the cells will turn grey as you drag over them). Then go to the little icons at the top of the spreadsheet just below the blue bar area and just run the mouse over them until you find one called "borders" select the arrow and click on the little square.

You will now have a square on the spreadsheet. You can fill the square with colour from the icon called "fill" and you can write anything inside the box area. You can repeat this for any number of squares on the sheet.

Finally go to "File" at the top of the page and press "Save as" and type in your file name such as Allotment Plan 2008

Sorry this is quite a long response. Have fun.

[heavyplot!]

for all your replies

i will draw out my layout (visual kind of person - like to see what I am aiming for).

I shall also start some sort of diary system ........


I am going to take a piccie of our shed and post it when I can too

its very green coloured!
 :shock:    :o

[wellingtons]

... and I've tried at least three different methods of recording what I'm doing or supposed to do ...  

My tips are to make a month by month list of what to sow.  Then add in major jobs (in my case create lavender bed, sort out new strawberry bed) but move them to the next month if they haven't been started or finished.

It means I'm not tempted to plant too soon and I know if I'm running on schedule or behind.  And if I refer to last year's plan I'll realise when I need to cut myself some slack in the schedule etc.

This year I've started scribbling notes about what I do each week, not sure what it will add to the equation but we shall see.

However, in my sum of four years allotmenting experience, the one thing I have realised that I must do is label each pot of seedlings, because otherwise it goes horribly wrong every year ... last year's prize cucumber was in fact a courgette!!!

[Eristic]

Can I just say that it is more important to record what you have done rather than what you might do later. Record all seed sowing, planting, harvesting etc. plus comments for reference later.

Next year and subsequent years you can refer back, copy what worked and modify methods, timing for those that failed or did poorly.

[Dominic]

Honestly, a file, and paper will work so so so much better.

And my job is pretty much using excel...

[Clampit]

Blimey! You all sound so organised, you put me to shame. :oops: .
I just kind of 'wing it' :roll:

[shaun]

I keep it all in my head  :?

[Alfie]

I'm with shaun on this one ..... organised chaos   :roll: