It is a sensible idea when growing orchids to keep some kind of record of your activities. If you make a note of when you did certain jobs, it will help you to no end when it comes to the same time next year to remind you of tasks that need carrying out, like orchid potting or which orchid fertilizer you used and when.

It is important to make records as you go – fall behind and you will find it a difficult task to catch up with yourself.

When did you pot those Phalaenopsis Orchids? Was it March or April? When did you take those pots from the conservatory to the garden?

By keeping a record of what you did and when you did it, you will be teaching yourself some valuable lessons.

You can keep records in a notebook, or on your computer. The most computer illiterate person could even set up a spreadsheet, but this may be too much effort for most people. Another way is to start a blog and just write about your gardening activities.

There are many sites that allow you to post information about your activities for free, and you can share info with others. They may even have welcome advice for you.

One such site is at How Do You Keep Garden Records. Although this site is not specifically about orchids, more about general gardening, the advice given here can be used by anyone with an interest in horticulture. As you can see, a well-organized website like this gets plenty of feedback, with fellow gardeners only too willing to share their stories with others.

It may be that there are not too many other orchid growers in your area to meet up and chat with, so having friends on the internet is a great way to share your enthusiasm.

Having a particular problem to solve is made so much easier if there are like-minded people who keep an eye on your blog. They may not be able to help you themselves, but one or other of them is sure to be able to point you in the right direction.

Any advice or thoughts on record keeping? Please submit a comment below!

For more information on how to care for your orchids, here are orchid care instructions.