I must be a dummy!

I have never went to plant files before. apparently I need to be a professor or something so I know all there is to know about the plant before I search.
What I was trying to find, a simple cucumber, said no results.
I tried Sweet corn, got all kinds of vegetables, but no corn.
Oh, well---
Bernie

You're no dummy Bernie :) I just popped in under search the common name: cucumbers and lots of them came up. Maybe it was just a momentary glitch?

I'm gonna get in trouble with Dave here, but the search function could be so much better.

For instance, if I want to check on the Brugs listed... I go to www.brugmansias.com which brings me back to the Plant Files but I have the ability to then check by name in Alpha order. I wish I could do a search by color!! WOW that would be nice.

If we only have a few characteristics to go by when searching for a plant, like " red leaf, ground cover" there is no way the Plant File will be of benefit.

Dave, please do not take offense.

Judy

Heck, I can never discern between, "family, genus, species, cultivar" etc. so I don't get many answers.

I have a lot of trouble with the advanced search ( I, too, can't always discern between "family, genus, species, cultivar"). But I am usually able to find what I am looking for by using the generalized search option, which is located right above the advance search boxes. Look for: "This is an advanced search. If it confuses you, you may like our generalized search."

I used the general search.

The search engine is very specific and doesn't do what is called a 'fuzzy' search. If you mis-spell it won't find the item or if upu use the singular when it is listed in plural.
I have found when searching, if say 'cucumber' doesn't produce results, putting an 's' on and searching for 'cucumbers' often does the trick. The same applies in reverse.
Hope this helps.

I use google a lot.

I'm talking " Plant Files", not google!

I find that the less information I put in, the better search results I get.

I usually search for a cultivar though. If it doesn't bring it up in the advanced search, I use the generalized search. If it still doesn't bring that cultivar up, then I assume nobody has added it to PF yet.

CountryGardens I know your were talking "PlantFiles", what I was trying to say (and didn't) is I have to use Google a lot because I can't fine what I'm looking for in PlantFiles.

Ruth

Ah--
Yes google works.
Bernie

Bernie sometimes, it is faster to google, which usually refers you back to specific areas of plant files. The Plantfiles seach is tricky, but not too difficult if you know two parameters. I. common name, 2. cultivar name. You have to type these in the two seperate boxes, whic are set to "contains". Common name is almost always singular. (Cucumber not Cucumbers). If you don't know the cultivar, then the common name cucumber will pull up anything in the database that have cucumber in the common name category. Open up one that is the type of cucumber you are looking for, and click on the species. That will give you an alphabetical listing of cultivars in that species.and you won't have to wade through cucumber trees, lilys and other stuff like that.

Beans, corn, peppers, tomatoes, squash and potatoes have been categorized. and you can use the seach box where the cultivars are listed alphabetically.

If you install the Google toolbar in your browser, you can search the Plant Files using their page search feature. I know this doesn't address the PF's own search engine, but it does bring up a lot of results. You can also go to Google.com and type site:plantfiles.com, add a space, and type your search term. That does the same thing.

If you're having trouble finding something or want to know more about which name to fill in where in any part of the PF you can always come and talk to your PF Admins :)

It's all well and good that you all can tell us how it's suppose to work, but what about all the people who don't bother to approach the subject, just find it is "not their cup of tea" and move on with a negative opinion. I would just like for it to be more "user friendly", so it would impress anyone who visited DG and tried to use it.

(You can throw seeds or plants at me, just not rocks!!! lol lol )

Judy

Trust me, the goal is user-friendly.

That is an elusive goal, we've found.

If you make the search too easy (a la the general search) it returns dozens, hundreds, perhaps thousands of results - eeek!

This type of thread is the main reason I asked Dave for a Plantfiles forum (which is open to all registered users, not just subscribers) - to help answer user questions and elicit feedback and suggestions for making PF easier to navigate and contribute to ;o)

What's going on here ? I just went to plant files, typed in cucumber. It started off with a sunflower, then some gourds, then some cucumbers.
Yesterday with the same key word, All I got was a bunch of flowers & no cucumbers.

If you type "cucumber" in the common name, here are the 548 results: http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?search_type%5Bcommon%5D=contains&searcher%5Bcommon%5D=cucumber&search_type%5Bfamily%5D=contains&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&search_type%5Bgenus%5D=contains&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&search_type%5Bspecies%5D=contains&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&search_type%5Bcultivar%5D=contains&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&search_type%5Bhybridizer%5D=contains&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&Search=Search

If you type Cucumis in the genus field, here are the 1,287results you'll see: http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?search_type%5Bcommon%5D=contains&searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&search_type%5Bfamily%5D=contains&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&search_type%5Bgenus%5D=contains&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=cucumis&search_type%5Bspecies%5D=contains&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&search_type%5Bcultivar%5D=contains&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&search_type%5Bhybridizer%5D=contains&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&Search=Search

If you type "Cucumber" in the common name field AND "Cucumis" in the genus field, it narrows it back down to 515 results: http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?search_type%5Bcommon%5D=contains&searcher%5Bcommon%5D=cucumber&search_type%5Bfamily%5D=contains&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&search_type%5Bgenus%5D=contains&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=cucumis&search_type%5Bspecies%5D=contains&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&search_type%5Bcultivar%5D=contains&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&search_type%5Bhybridizer%5D=contains&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&Search=Search


This message was edited Aug 9, 2005 2:18 PM

I also agree it could be easier to use. I would like to use the advanced search more often...but can't seem to get the results I need. So...oftentimes I will just go into google and search for the plants. But...I really just want to use Dave's. I too have trouble with the family, genus, species, cultivar. Thanks for any help that can be given on this.

Remember, the fewer fields you complete, the better the results often are, unless you are 100% certain you can match PlantFiles on all fields. (I often use just genus and part of the cultivar OR species name.)

If you're unsure of the spelling of a name, the Advanced Search will try to guess if you can get close.

And Terry, some of those guesses are hilarius. Sometimes, I will type in something just to see what the puter will come up with. Does not take too much to entertain me.