Have you heard of the phenological calendar? In this article we explain what it is all about and how you can use it in the garden.
Phenology is a very old science that has been practiced for well over a century. It collects the occurrence of certain natural phenomena every year and thus defines 10 phenological seasons. We explain what phenology is and how you can use the natural seasons in the form of a Garden planners can use to cultivate your garden very close to nature and thus rich harvests drive in
contents
- What is phenology?
- Phenological indicator plants and seasons
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Gardening according to the phenological calendar
- Phenological calendar as a garden planner
- Advantages of the phenological calendar
What is phenology?
Phenology deals with developmental steps or behavior in plants and animals that occur anew every year, but on different dates depending on the weather. Observations such as flowering times or the fleeing of the migratory birds
to the south are documented in order to be able to provide useful recommendations for agriculture, climate research or beekeepers.The word "phenology" means "the study of phenomena". Phenological studies deal with when and why which weather-related events occur over the course of the year. Both the behavior of the animals and the behavior of the plants can be studied. Because both react very sensitively to small changes in temperature or weather and adapt their behavior as best they can to the respective conditions. Examples of phenological observations on plants are the times when the leaves sprout, when they flower, and when the fruit or leaves drop. In the case of animals, for example, points in time such as the beginning of hibernation, the mating season or the laying of young can be recorded. However, most phenological calendars are based on plants because they can be easily located and checked regularly.
Phenological indicator plants and seasons
Phenological calendars are created by documenting developmental stages of certain indicator plants agriculture, climate research, the pollen information service and even by the tourism industry be able. The so-called "early spring" begins, for example, when the hazelnut (Corylus avellana) blooms. The seasons of the phenological calendar always begin and end with such a natural event.
Phenological calendars are created annually with the help of indicator plants. Developmental steps of these phenological indicator plants are called phenophases - they mark the beginning of phenological seasons. The phenological calendar has a total of ten seasons and natural events that characterize each of them. As with the classic seasons, one of them always ends with the beginning of another, i.e. when the next natural event occurs.
The highlight of the phenological seasons: they are not the same everywhere. Have you ever noticed with surprise that the snowdrops in the neighboring village start to bloom much earlier or later than in your place? That's because the phenological seasons are different everywhere - that's quite logical, after all, in some places it stays cooler longer, it rains more, freezes more or the sun shines more. The phenological calendar is therefore individual at each location. The following indicator plants and their stages of development classically define the beginning of the ten phenological seasons:
- Blossom of hazelnut (Corylus avellana): early spring
- bloom of forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia): first spring
- blossom of apples (penalty): full spring
- Black Elder Flower (Sambuccus nigra): early summer
- Blossom of the small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata): Midsummer
- Ripeness of the early/August/Clear apples (Malus x domestica): late summer
- Ripeness of the elderberries (Sambuccus nigra): early autumn
- Horse chestnut ripeness (Aesculus hippocastanum): full autumn
- Autumn colors of the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur): Late autumn
- Leafless English Oak (Quercus robur): Winter
If one of the indicator plants mentioned above is missing in an observed area, other plants are used as a substitute. For example, the flowering of hazelnut (Corylus avellana) and snowdrop (Galantus nivalis) at the same time and the ripeness of early apples (Malus domestica) can be caused by the fruit ripening of the mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) be replaced.
Tip: If one looks at the phenological seasons in comparison to the calendar seasons of recent years, one can see a shift As a result of climate change, the "natural" seasons no longer occur exactly in the periods in which we see them in the calendar assume. That is why we often feel that spring comes “too early” and winter “too late”: after all, the classic calendar cannot adapt to the climate.
Gardening according to the phenological calendar
As a gardener, beekeeper or allergy sufferer, you can benefit directly from phenology. You can identify sensible times for sowing, transplanting and harvesting or predict the imminent appearance of pollen or plant pests. The mechanisms of nature are used to cultivate the plants under the best possible conditions.
If you garden according to a phenological garden plan, you use the indicator plants as a kind of "Measuring instruments" that probe their environment with complex biological mechanisms and sensitive to react to that. Gardeners can use the phenological calendar to make recommendations for irrigation, for example Occurrence of certain pests and at the right times for sowing, planting and harvesting derive In addition, the requirements of vegetables, fruit or ornamental plants can be described using the phenological seasons: Some one will tolerate planting in early spring, another should not be brought outside until full spring has begun will.
Incidentally, many beekeepers also get help from phenology: they know which honeycomb plants bloom in which phenological season and in which bees wake up from hibernation and start flying or making honey.
Tip: Year after year, many people benefit from the documentation of phenological events: The pollen information service receives its information and above all forecasts by the German Weather Service (DWD), which in turn uses phenological data for this collects. In this way, pollen allergy sufferers can be notified in good time and are prepared for annoying hay fever.
Phenological calendar as a garden planner
A phenological calendar as a garden planner will help you align gardening with the phenological seasons. Recommendations for action in the garden are given for each phenological season.
Phenological garden planners are usually books, tables or charts that are published annually Can be reused and different garden activities to the phenological tie seasons. They answer questions like the following: In which of the ten natural seasons can I sow something? In which phenological season do I have to be particularly careful about aphids? And above all: How do I recognize the seasons that I want to use as a guide?
Of course, using a phenological garden plan means that the gardener himself has to be aware of when the season change occurs in his garden. In the best case, there are suitable indicator plants in the vicinity, from which the natural seasons can be read.
Tip: In Germany, the German Weather Service collects phenological data in all regions of Germany with the help of around 1,200 volunteers. He is constantly looking for new committed observers who are of course instructed in their work and receive an expense allowance for their service to research.
Advantages of the phenological calendar
As you could read above, gardening according to the phenological gardening calendar requires a few small observations of nature. The use of phenology has a number of advantages for you:
- A phenological garden calendar does not have to be bought anew every year.
- A phenological garden calendar works the same everywhere and can be used anywhere in Germany.
- Working in the garden is more often rewarded with success: you experience fewer failures due to frost, heat or pests and bring in richer harvests.
- Incidentally, your eye will be sharpened for events in nature and you will experience that seasons are not “worse” or “not the same as they used to be”, but simply change change dynamically.
With so many good reasons, some of you may already be wondering: why didn't I start using phenology in the garden long ago? The beginning is not that difficult: A phenological garden planner is needed, look for suitable indicator plants in your area - and off you go!
By the way: Of course, there are also garden planners who cling to the months of the year in a very traditional way (and somewhat inflexibly). And if you don't want to start phenological gardening right now, take a look at ours sowing calendar past.
