digitS'
Garden Master
I think that I have encouraged TEG folks quite a few times to note what the perennial plants are doing at about the time of important gardening dates, like the Last Frost. Here is an important indicator plant for when I think it is a good time to plant peas:
It is the Oregon Grape, Mahonia. There are plenty of them nearby, in yards, parks and growing wild. This is from today and I had to get kind of low on the plant to find blooms that aren't more fully open. The flower buds began opening about a week ago. It might be a little later than necessary to plant some varieties of peas but it works out well for me.
Examples of phenological correlations include:
• Plant peas when forsythia blooms.
• Plant potatoes when the first dandelion blooms.
• Plant beets, carrots, cole crops, lettuce and spinach when lilac is in first leaf.
• Plant corn when oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear.
• Plant bean, cucumber, and squash seeds when lilac is in full bloom.
• Plant tomatoes when lily-of-the-valley plants are in full bloom.
• Transplant eggplant, melons, and peppers when irises bloom.
the University of Wisconsin
This isn't advice from the U of W. These are examples of gardening lore, relating sowing of seed to what the plants are doing outdoors - phenology. Personally, I think that the forsythia blooms earlier than I want to plant peas. Probably, the breaking of lilac leaf buds is about right and it is about when I planted some carrot seed. The spinach seed was already in the ground.
I'm not sure if I will be jumping to plant bean, cucumber and squash seed when the lilac is in full bloom. The cucumber and squash seed has not yet been started in the greenhouse and it won't be long before the lilacs start to bloom.
The black locust tree leaf buds are green and beginning to break. I notice that it isn't on all sides of the trees so they aren't "fully committed" just yet. I've noticed that they are a little shy about getting their leaves frosted! The black locust seems a pretty good indicator that the last frost has passed. I remember once in the last few years that a frost has occurred after those buds are breaking on all sides of the trees.
Someone on TEG pointed out to us that these plant events indicate what "has" happened not what "will" happen. Of course that is true and it bears keeping in mind. They are not using foresight; rather, the seasonal warmth, perhaps the day length and some other factors are involved in leaf & flower bud breaks, etc.
The accumulated seasonal warmth is kept track of by the Weather Service: Growing Degree Days, US Cities. I'd guess that the lilac leaf buds break at just about 100 GDD. The first flowers of the Oregon Grapes require about that same amount of accumulated warmth.
Steve
Oh, and this is the 120th day of the year -- if you just want to do things by the solar calendar. And that, is an indicator of where the sun is in the sky.
It is the Oregon Grape, Mahonia. There are plenty of them nearby, in yards, parks and growing wild. This is from today and I had to get kind of low on the plant to find blooms that aren't more fully open. The flower buds began opening about a week ago. It might be a little later than necessary to plant some varieties of peas but it works out well for me.
Examples of phenological correlations include:
• Plant peas when forsythia blooms.
• Plant potatoes when the first dandelion blooms.
• Plant beets, carrots, cole crops, lettuce and spinach when lilac is in first leaf.
• Plant corn when oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear.
• Plant bean, cucumber, and squash seeds when lilac is in full bloom.
• Plant tomatoes when lily-of-the-valley plants are in full bloom.
• Transplant eggplant, melons, and peppers when irises bloom.
the University of Wisconsin
This isn't advice from the U of W. These are examples of gardening lore, relating sowing of seed to what the plants are doing outdoors - phenology. Personally, I think that the forsythia blooms earlier than I want to plant peas. Probably, the breaking of lilac leaf buds is about right and it is about when I planted some carrot seed. The spinach seed was already in the ground.
I'm not sure if I will be jumping to plant bean, cucumber and squash seed when the lilac is in full bloom. The cucumber and squash seed has not yet been started in the greenhouse and it won't be long before the lilacs start to bloom.
The black locust tree leaf buds are green and beginning to break. I notice that it isn't on all sides of the trees so they aren't "fully committed" just yet. I've noticed that they are a little shy about getting their leaves frosted! The black locust seems a pretty good indicator that the last frost has passed. I remember once in the last few years that a frost has occurred after those buds are breaking on all sides of the trees.
Someone on TEG pointed out to us that these plant events indicate what "has" happened not what "will" happen. Of course that is true and it bears keeping in mind. They are not using foresight; rather, the seasonal warmth, perhaps the day length and some other factors are involved in leaf & flower bud breaks, etc.
The accumulated seasonal warmth is kept track of by the Weather Service: Growing Degree Days, US Cities. I'd guess that the lilac leaf buds break at just about 100 GDD. The first flowers of the Oregon Grapes require about that same amount of accumulated warmth.
SteveOh, and this is the 120th day of the year -- if you just want to do things by the solar calendar. And that, is an indicator of where the sun is in the sky
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and I believe their was something to do with the moon when planting, but that might have been about werewolf.
