Keeping track of your collection?

[Saxicola]

I'd recommend not getting so fixated on finding a cactus database. Look for any plant collection type database. When it comes to record keeping a cactus is no different from an oak tree or a petunia. I've been meaning to do this myself. I'm looking into it and will let you know if I find anything good.

[Sharpy]

I'm racking my head with this for ower a year. I'm still thinking about takeing a MS Access course or maybe do it in MS One Note maybe. I now have it in MS Word, but I'm not too satisfied with it. It is too awkward to find things or to add new pics to it.

I don't know yet how would that work on Access. With adding pics I mean.

So I will keep an eye on this topic very carefully.

I just finished up my database in Access. I had never used that piece of software before and no need to pay for a class Maj. I found a 16 part tutorial on youtube that is excelent. I don't think I can post the link because it is linked to this guys pay site, for the advanced stuff.

But the free set will get you going pretty good. Pretty much all you will need in order to make whatever you want.

It is actually a LOT easier then I would have thought.

The only thing I had a "little" trouble with were the dropdown menus. But after a little bit more searching, found some video lessons on how to do those also.

[majcka]

I'm active on thi too. Found that lesons myself and watched them. But I'm still working on that. Yesterday I recived another database file almost as I wanted it. Now I will have to draw together things I need.

[Joel143]

I use Microsoft excel and it works fine for me.

I can see you do it in an Excell. But do you put your pics in too? And if you do, how do you do it?

Thank you.

Yes I put my pics too. You can insert them. Plus size them. I've seen databases on Access as well but I've never worked with Access. Am more familiar with Excel.

[promethean_spark]

I use excel and leave the pics in picassa, I do try to label the pics with tags, but not always. I'm not really concerned about pictures so much as when I got the plant/seed, and the full name+collection number+description (I only write the name on the tag/pot).

[AKNicolle]

Does anyone know of any cacti collection database apps for iPhone or iPad to keep track? I'm not too fond of Excel or Access myself!

If there's nothing available, I'm considering writing one myself. I've developed a popular one for bonsai, but I'm curious whether anyone would find a similar one for cacti to be useful?

[BobbyZ]

I keep most of my cacti documented in Powerpoint. I have one for my Florida and one for my Canadian collection. My Agaves are also documented in powerpoint, but my succulent catalogue has not been updated. I usually take a picure of a cactus when it comes in. I have Picasa but I am a microsoft person, and it has not been used much.
Bobby Z

[CactusFanDan]

As part of my endeavour to become a national collection holder I'll be trying to make a very detailed database of my plants, with field numbers and names and dates and all the rest. Should be fun!

[AKNicolle]

Well, I've taken the plunge and started working on a cactus / succulent tracking app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. It's called Cactus Album, and it'll be similar to my other app for bonsai. Should be done early next year

[promethean_spark]

I use excel for records about when I got/sowed things, and use picassa to organize the pictures. I put the names as a picture tag when possible. Then when I upload the pictures google searches for that species will get my picassa pics.

[Bonsai2]

Have you seen 'Cactus Album', available for Windows and Mac. Initial free downloadable version allows you to record up to 3 Cacti with up to 3 photos per cactus. To buy the whole program costs between £23 and £28.00

[Macpeters]

I'm building myself a little webapp - it's open source, if you want to get into a little coding I haven't filled in all the info yet, but you can kind of see what I'm going for here:
https://cactus-bartik-2ca70d.netlify.com/ Full disclosure - many of the pics are stolen off the internet because I want to see what the mature cactus looks like, and I have only seedlings in a lot of cases. I'll replace those when I can.

[Pereskiopsisdotcom]

I'm only recently getting a handle of all of this. I bought a notebook that I keep next to my collection so that I can take notes of what works, what doesn't, any successes, flowering times, germination rates, etc. I also upgrade my plant tags from simple chicken scratch to a professional Brother PT Labeler. It allows me to fit a lot of description information that is neat and waterproof. For me that is a start.

[nachtkrabb]

I have a self made Access database which I improve and extend (DE & mostly EN). It does not contain pictures, but I name my pictures with the latin name + plant number, so they are easy to find. (Of course I could include links to pictures easily.) The problem is that I have an old Access-version, that is not 100% stable with current Windows. But I never lost information up to now. There are information on genera, plants, a general history of the collection, ....
This year I have added a hierarchy of genera + botanists.
If somebody is interested, I am ready to send my version incl. information on botanists, types and genera (mostly EN; if somebody is just interested in these data please say so).

I do not understand how you use Excel: If I have one genus with one or many types,
then none, one or many plants to the type,
then none, one or many notes per plant....
And Excel is 2-dimensional only....?!
It might be perfect for a general history of the collection. But for the plants...?
Then I definitely would prefer index cards.
N.

[mikethecactusguy]

Has anyone had experience with this software?
https://www.databasebase.com.au/cactus- ... -database/