Signs, signs, everywhere a sign…

by Cathy Flashman

for the Roane County Master Gardener Class

May, 2008

When you go to see your doctor, someone takes your pulse before the doctor takes any action.  We need to give the same attention to our gardens.

Long before we had easy access to libraries and the internet, the Greeks were taking the pulse of the earth by noting the dates of the first occurrence of natural events in their annual cycle.  This practice is called “phenology”.  Today, we still watch for these events.  Just think-don’t we all know that Spring is here when we see a Robin? Some other things we gardeners notice are the appearance of certain leaves and flowers (think forsythias!).  We also notice the appearance of butterflies and migratory birds and, of utmost importance to us, the sighting of honey bees.  By tracking changes in the timing of these events from year to year, scientists are able to better understand how our world is changing and track the effect of climate change on organisms as well as make predictions about the future health of the environment.

For centuries farmers have used phenological observations, more commonly known as “signs”, to predict the weather and maximize crop production.  You may already know some of these signs.  If you are out cutting hay, you’ll remember that rain is coming when swallows swoop close to the ground.  Chances are good that you’ll pay more attention to the swallows than you will to any weatherman!  My mother grew up on a dairy farm, and she always said that if the cows are lying down, it’s going to rain.  My Dad, who was in the Navy, often said, “red sky at night, sailor’s delight.  Red sky in morning, sailors take warning!”

While calendars with pretty pictures and bold letters that indicate planting dates are nice, signs from nature are much more reliable. One plant that has often been used as a guideline for research is the lilac.  For example, if a pretty lawn is important to you, then it’s important to know that pre-emergent crabgrass controls must be spread before the lilacs bloom if the material is to do any good.  When the lilac blooms, it is an indication that it is safe to plant beets, carrots, spinach and lettuce.  Some gardeners wait for the lilac to be in full bloom to plant their squash so the vines will be strong enough to withstand the damage when the vine borers arrive on the scene.

 A lot of gardening wisdom derives from phenology.  How many of us know this one? ''When the forsythias bloom, it’s time to prune the roses.''  At this time of year, the roses have buds.  By waiting, you are able to see what wood survived the winter and what did not.  Now you can safely prune a branch with any browned or blackened wood back to an outside live bud, which will force the rose bush to grow out and open and keep the new growth well aerated.

Around here, if you wait to plant cabbage until the dogwood blooms, you’ll miss the dreaded cabbage maggot. 

Another useful piece of advice is found in the American Indian adage that says, ''Plant your corn when oak leaves are the size of a mouse's ear.''  Waiting until the oak leaves are out is practical advice anywhere, because it indicates that the ground is warm enough for the corn seeds to germinate. There is a good chance that corn seed planted in cold ground will rot before it germinates, and that translates to a waste of valuable planting time as well as a waste of the money that was spent on seed. 

Think of it like this…we are living in a world that seems to spin faster and faster every day.   Part of the joy of gardening is being able to slow down…take the time to smell the roses, so-to-speak.  In other words, we need to take time to notice what’s happening in the world of living things that surround us.  

In some ways, our plants can be considered our children.   Whether we grew them from seed or acquired them as seedlings, we enjoy watching them develop.  We gladly take on the chore of nurturing them, we take note of every inch they grow; we celebrate the first blossoms, and we can’t wait to tell our friends about the success of our endeavors.  If you’re anything like me, you’ll also have at least a few moments of wondering just what you were thinking when you took on some of these plants.  J  Just as we watch for signs from our children to know how best to proceed, we must watch for signs from nature to do what is best for our gardens.

Remember that without the library and without the internet, we still have a vast amount of gardening knowledge available to us.  If you pay attention to the signs the Earth shows you, your gardens will benefit.   So will you for that matter, since a successful garden makes a happy gardener! 

  I have here a couple lists for you with some of the phenological signs I have found that I think will interest you.  One concerns plants and the other insects. 

 

THE END

 

It’s safe to plant:                                                                when:

Cool season flowers (Pansies, snapdragons…)

Aspen and choke cherry trees leaf out

Morning Glory seeds

Maple leaves reach full size

Beets

Daffodils bloom; lilac is in first leaf

Beans

Lilac is in full bloom

Broccoli

Lilac is in first leaf

Fall crop of broccoli

Catalpas and mock oranges bloom

Bush beans, pole beans

Petals drop from apple trees

Cabbage

Lilac is in first leaf

Fall crop of cabbage

Catalpas and mock oranges bloom

Carrots

Lilac is in first leaf

Cauliflower

Lilac is in first leaf

Corn

Apple blossoms start to fall

Cucumbers

Lilacs are in full bloom; petals drop from apple trees

Eggplant (transplant)

Irises bloom

Kidney beans

Elm leaves are the size of a penny

Lettuce

Lilac is in first leaf

Melons

Irises bloom

Onions

Daffodils bloom

Peas

Maple trees flower, forsythia and daffodils bloom

Peppers

Irises bloom

Potatoes

White oak leaves are the size of a colt’s ear; when the serviceberry flowers

Spinach

When daffodils bloom; lilac is in first leaf

Squash

When lilacs are in full bloom

Tomatoes

Lilly of the valley is in full bloom; when peonies flower

 

Insects:

-Aphids will soon appear when black locust blooms.

 

-There will be fewer root maggots when dogwood petals drop.

-Eastern tent caterpillar eggs hatch at the time of bud break on the flowering crabapple and wild plum. These trees happen to be their favorite hosts. This is the best time to look for and begin controlling tent caterpillars. Far better than waiting until you see they are defoliating your plants.

-Gypsy moth eggs hatch when the shadbush (serviceberry) flowers.

-Flowering of chicory is a signal to be on the watch for the moth of squash vine borers. The moth is active for about two weeks, during which it lays its eggs on susceptible plants.

-When the gnats swarm, rain and warmer weather is said to be coming.

-At the time of full bloom in the common lilac it is time to set out pheromone traps for the Lilac borer.

-Wasps building nests in exposed places indicate a dry season.

-When hornets build nests near the ground a harsh winter is expected.

-Mexican bean beetle larvae appear when foxglove flowers open.

-Seeing caterpillars about later than usual in fall indicates a milder winter.

-Japanese beetles often arrive when morning glory vines finally start to take off and begin to climb.

-Slugs will come out in droves prior to rainfall.