I use excel for the task. I size the cells so they're square, and every square represents 1 square foot. Then I number all of the planting spaces and have a key to show me which plants are in which number ... more »

I use excel for the task. I size the cells so they're square, and every square represents 1 square foot. Then I number all of the planting spaces and have a key to show me which plants are in which number hole. That way I can easily make changes, print it and haul it out to the field with me, etc. - and I don't have to worry about the kids messing with it.
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Not sure. Never tried to count them. So far, I don't grow flowers (I think I grew 1-2 types one year as part of an experiment with attracting/repelling certain types of bugs). I'm more about function than ... more »

Not sure. Never tried to count them. So far, I don't grow flowers (I think I grew 1-2 types one year as part of an experiment with attracting/repelling certain types of bugs). I'm more about function than form - I leave my wife to handle the "looks good" department. I grow for food and that's it so far. That said though, I might venture into them sometime in the near future as she provides feedback on what she would like to happen with the front yard.
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We'll check it out, in the meantime, have you heard of or utilized Mycorrhizae? We got introduced to this product (naturally occur... more »

We'll check it out, in the meantime, have you heard of or utilized Mycorrhizae? We got introduced to this product (naturally occurring fungus to be correct) by Ian Cooke of Ask Ian and will be running some tests with it here this year. (less)

I'm familiar with it, though not the company you're referencing. While I'll agree it's important, I've never felt it was a real concern for my garden given the soil, the organic matter I'm adding in, the w... more »

I'm familiar with it, though not the company you're referencing. While I'll agree it's important, I've never felt it was a real concern for my garden given the soil, the organic matter I'm adding in, the worms in the soil, and that I don't sterilize or use sterilized soil anywhere (there is a potting mix I tend to start the year off with, but given what grows in it, there's no way its sterilized. I can see this being a big issue for nurseries that utilized sterilized soil. All the same, your results should be interesting. If you find it makes a significant difference, I'd like to see the details on the soil involved and how you go about amending it. Might provide some important clues for the rest of us.
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