What to record at seeding and planting.

Start with the field, crop, and work date

Use the same field name throughout the season. Record the date the seeding or planting actually happened, even if you add the entry later. Write the crop name consistently so that “Spring wheat” and an abbreviated name do not become confusing when you review the journal.

My Farm Assistant has separate Seeding and Planting activity types. Choose the type that describes your operation and use it consistently for similar jobs. Put a variety or other useful identifying detail in the crop text or notes according to a convention you can maintain.

Make quantities understandable

An amount without a unit or explanation is difficult to reuse. If you record seed used, include its unit and say whether the amount covers the full field or only the pass in that entry. If you record plants, use a plant count and explain where they were planted.

The app accepts an optional quantity and unit for an activity. Use the quantity for one clearly described amount. If you also need to remember a rate, area covered, seed lot, or variety split, explain it in the notes. The app does not calculate a seeding rate from the entry.

This is an example of record structure, not a suggested seed quantity or rate. Your record should describe the work done on your own field.

Separate days, sections, and later passes

If work stops because of weather or another interruption, save what was completed and identify the unfinished area. Create a new entry when work resumes. A single date for a multi-day job can hide the sequence you want to understand later.

If you reseed part of a field, record the later operation separately and identify the section. Keep the original seeding record because both events happened. A note such as “Reseeded low area beside east approach” tells you more than another entry marked only “Seeding.”

Handle several crops or varieties clearly

Use separate entries when crops or varieties need separate quantities or dates. Add a location description within the field so you can tell which entry applies where. Avoid putting a whole-field quantity against each variety, which could make a later manual total misleading.

If a planting uses 600 plants in one section and 400 in another, two clearly labeled entries preserve that split. If one entry covers the entire job, say so. Choose a convention and use it consistently rather than changing its meaning from day to day.

Check the record before leaving the field

• Is the selected farm and field correct?
• Does the date match the actual work?
• Does the quantity have the right unit and describe only this entry?
• Would another person understand the completed area and what remains?

On mobile, a locally saved entry may still be waiting to sync. Check the sync status when connected before expecting the same record on the web app.

Connect planting to the rest of the season

Keep later scouting and harvesting entries attached to the same field. The activity history then shows the dates and notes together without rewriting the planting record each time you do another job.

Read our harvest record keeping guide for handling several harvest passes and keeping quantities clear at the other end of the season.