A useful watering log needs one short entry after watering: when, which plant, how much water, why you watered and what you noticed. Add pH, EC and feeding details when you actually measure or use them. You can start with a notebook and a measuring jug.
Measured, estimated and unknown volume
GrowerHub's electronic journal labels the source of litres. A supported meter report provides measured volume; runtime with configured pump flow gives an estimate. Missing reliable information remains unknown rather than zero. Shared irrigation volume must not be assigned in full to each plant.
The new daily and monthly water view counts repeated reports of one operation only once and shows missing coverage. This helps compare history without implying more precision than the data provides.
Download the printable watering log
Open the blank watering log — PDF, A4, one page.
The sheet has eight blank rows, a period and zone field, and space for a weekly review. Print in landscape orientation using “Fit to page”. Use one sheet per plant, or per irrigation zone when the plants are watered together. This records completed watering; it is not a schedule telling you when to water.
Filled example
These entries illustrate record keeping. The amounts and intervals are not recommendations for a particular crop.
| Field | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Date and time | 17 Sep, 09:00 |
| Plant / zone | Pot 1 |
| Water | 250 ml |
| Reason | Substrate checked before watering |
| Solution and feeding | pH not measured; no feed |
| Observation | Substrate surface moist after 30 minutes |
Write “not measured” for an unknown amount. Zero would mean no water was delivered. For a pump, record duration separately. Converting minutes to litres requires a known delivery rate; without a flow meter, the result is an estimate.
Make a watering journal in a notebook
- Label the plant or zone and the observation period.
- Create columns for date, volume, reason, feeding and observations. Add plant names when one sheet covers several pots.
- Write the entry after watering. A scheduled run does not prove that water reached the plant.
- Include units: “250 ml”, not just “250”.
- Leave room for a weekly note: what changed and what needs checking.
Start with fewer columns if detailed records become a burden. A broader plant diary can hold repotting, photographs and observations between watering events.
Record pH, EC and feeding with context
For pH, say whether you measured source water or the finished solution. Include the meter's units for EC. Mark values that were not measured. A soil-moisture reading does not replace a pH or EC measurement.
For feeding, record the product, the actual amount added and the volume of solution it was mixed into. “Fertilizer” alone cannot reconstruct the dose. The pH and feeding guide explains the minimum useful context.
Review the week
Compare the total known water volume, the gaps between watering events and your observations. If some amounts were not measured, the total is incomplete; do not replace missing values with zero. Keep totals separate for each plant or shared irrigation line.
If the pump ran but the substrate stayed dry, check the reservoir, tubing, drippers and actual delivery. A log entry alone cannot diagnose the cause. Compare moisture trends and observations and review greenhouse water accounting.
Try an electronic watering history
Open manual watering in the GrowerHub demo farm. Open the pump log on a greenhouse card to inspect its prefilled history. To add your own example, start a one-minute watering cycle. The log opens automatically; after the run finishes, it shows duration, volume when the delivery rate is known, and the completion reason.
The demo uses virtual devices and needs no account or hardware. For observations, open a plant's journal in Plants; you can add a note and export the records. Guest changes remain available for 24 hours, and you can save the demo farm to an account.
Common questions
Do I need sensors?
No. Record manual watering and observations, measuring water with a jug. Leave pH and EC blank when you do not measure them.
Does an empty row mean I should water today?
No. Fill a row after watering. The template does not prescribe frequency or replace checking the plant and its substrate.
Can I use it in a greenhouse?
Yes. Replace the pot name with a greenhouse, bed or irrigation line. Record litres and make clear whether the amount covers the whole line or one plant.