This is the list I keep on my laptop and refer to it each spring:
• Plant potatoes when the first dandelions bloom
• Plant squashes and tender annual flowers when lilacs are in full bloom
• Plant bush beans when apple trees bloom
• Plant pole beans, cucumbers and corn when apple blossoms fali
• Plant half-hardy vegetables like beets, Swiss chard and carrots when daffodils bloom
• Plant melons when peonies bloom
• Plant snapdragons and pansies when aspens have leafed out
• Plant peas, onion sets and lettuce when forsythia blooms
• Transplant tomatoes out when lily of the valley is in full bloom
• Transplant peppers and eggplant when bearded irises are blooming
• Watch for cabbage moths to appear when wild mustards begin to bloom
It looks like there is a lot of such lists in the Internet widely available these days and they are all pretty similar.
Bio Regions are very different. Then the micro bio regions within them can vary so much as well.
Joseph and I live in very similar climates. We live 75 miles apart. He has over an 80 day average between frost where I have between 50-60 day average. For us the bio signs are the same, they happen at different times like 2 weeks difference.
It is important to know your region and learn from others who have been gardening for years.
My dad could tell when to plant certain varieties of plants by the moisture content in the soil. He looked at it and felt it. I have no idea what the actual temperature was and I’m sure he didn’t either.
All these examples are awesome! Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been thinking a bit about eco-signs. In our garden, and gardens in this area generally, things like apple trees blooming are all mixed up. It’s past the autumn equinox here and some are blooming now. In a friends garden his spring bulbs are all attempting to flower now. Gardeners around here continually comment on the topsy turvy nature of things now. Climate change has us all discombobulated!
Work, and its associated experience, is only worthwhile when it’s in pursuit of a valued goal. Not all of us care to be able to intuit when to plant things without outside tools or help, and so working towards learning that skill would be pointless for us. That doesn’t mean we’re trying to cheat or are lazy; we’re just saving our time and energy for pursuing goals we do value, which might be different from yours.
Let’s be cautious about saying “it’s like that”. We are not all going to agree nor should we need to. But let’s feel free to keep to ourselves opinions that might contain a sharp edge for others
I personally like to learn everything I can from other people’s mistakes, because I don’t have time to make them all myself! And then I try to share what I’ve learned with others, hoping they can surpass me.
You’ve helped me! I had no idea not to mulch around our banana trees, nor that they needed so much fertilization. Now we’ve got it cleared of mulch and a compost pile right next to it, thanks to your extensive posts on the topic. Thank you!
And then I try to share what I’ve learned with others, hoping they can surpass me. 