Use this Editor to create or change husbandry entries in the Diary.

This is a very typical editor for a diary entry, most other editors can be used in the same way.

  1. Date

    Use this field to enter (or change) the date of the entry. For a new entry the value defaults to ‘today’ but any value can be used.

    You must give a valid date.

  2. Husbandry class

    Use this field to say what type of Husbandry (life cycle) event you are recording; you may change the value of an existing entry. You must give a value for this. You can select a value from the drop down list or type in a new value, which will be added to the database immediately. Do not try to change an entry in the drop down list, you'll end up with a new (probably mangled) value.

  3. Plant species

    Use this field to say which plant species this entry is for - all Husbandry entries must say what sort of plant they refer to. You can select the species from the drop down list; this list gets very long so you can start typing the name and the list will scroll to the value (or close to it), then just click on the value you want to enter it. You can enter the name of a new species here, of course, and it will be added to the database straightaway. When you choose a species, the Plant variety drop down list will be set to the known varieties for this species.

  4. Plant variety

    Use this field to say which variety of the current species this Husbandry entry refers to. It is not mandatory to enter a value here (not all plants are of known variety, such as various herbs). You can select a value from the list or enter a new value, which will be added to the database as a variety of the current species.

  5. Pest or Disease

    Use this field to say which pest or disease caused the death of the plant. This option is only available if the Husbandry class is marked as 'terminal'. You can select a value from the drop down list or type in a new value, which will be added to the database immediately. Do not try to change an entry in the drop down list, you'll end up with a new (probably mangled) value.

  6. Watch for

    This is a handy way to build the History tree. If you enter a value here (for instance, if you are recording sowing seed you might set this to ‘germination’) an entry is added in the To-do list. When the event occurs (e.g. when the seeds germinate) you can just use the Complete context menu option to add a filled in Husbandry entry for the germination, linked in to the original entry's History tree.

  7. Comments

    Use this area to add (or change) comments on this entry. You do not have to add a comment but I find them very useful for Husbandry events, for instance to say what quantity of seed I sowed and how (a short row, or 6 seeds in modules, etc) and where (which bed or greenhouse or windowsill). To add a comment just click in the ‘comment’ column (you might need to do this twice), enter your comment then click the ‘Enter’ key on the keyboard.

  8. Cancel button

    If you click this button the editor will exit without saving the new or changed entry. Note that if you added a new entry in the plant species, plant variety or husbandry class or watch for fields, those values will already be on the database.

  9. Save button

    Use this to save the new or changed entry to the database.

  10. Delete button

    Use this button to delete the current entry. You will be asked to confirm the deletion. Once you delete an entry, it's gone forever, there is no ‘undo’ option. You are not allowed to delete an entry which already has descendants in the History tree. Note that if you added a new entry in the plant species, plant variety or husbandry class or watch for fields, those values will already be on the database.