Can I use flower blooms to remind me of gardening chores?

ASK THE HORT AGENT

Question Can I use flower blooms to remind me of gardening chores?

Answer They can certainly be used to coincide with some annual events. The study of recurring biological events and their relationship to weather is called phenology. Bird migration, flower blooming and insect emergence are examples of phenological events that have been recorded for centuries. Any event that is temperature dependent can be tracked by the development of certain plants.

Dogwoods usually begin blooming in mid-April. They reach full bloom during the last two weeks of April, and begin to fizzle out by early May. In eastern North Carolina, fishermen watch flowering trees with anticipation. The blooming of the dogwoods means the herrings are running (a fish that enters fresh water from salt water in large numbers). It also means that speckled perch (also called crappie) are bedding.

In Oklahoma, morels are found in the spring when dogwoods bloom. The morel, Morchella esculenta, is the most popular mushroom collected from the wild. Do not confuse morels with morals which are also found in Oklahoma, but not California.

Avid gardeners realize blooming dogwoods signal the emergence of euonymus scale. Some vegetable gardeners use it as a sign that it is safe to plant veggies. Although, the conservative vegetable gardeners wait until the oak leaves are as big as a mouse's ear.

Before the age of television and the OFishel (WRAL) forecast, phenology played a major role in the lives of people. Their powers of observation were more focused on emerging nature than the pattern on Bill Leslie’s tie (news anchorman). Scientist, Carl Linnaeus, and conservationist, Aldo Leopold, both recorded phenological observations. Today, outdoorsmen, farmers and gardeners are the only folks using nature’s cues.

Should we blame the computer and tv? While technology is a useful tool and a major distraction, the largest factor contributing to the loss of modern day phenology was it’s use as a predictive tool. Events in nature tell what is happening, not what is going to happen. When over observant folks claimed a groundhog could pop out of his den and predict the weather, phenology credibility suffered. We all know it is the hatching of fleas which makes a groundhog leave his den.

Stick your head outside and see what is going on. Write it down so you can compare your observations from year to year. For record keeping ideas, visit http://www.uwm.edu/~mds/pguide.pdf and http://www.uwm.edu/~mds/preport.pdf

For more info about phenology, visit http://wihort.uwex.edu/landscape/Phenology.htm If you don’t have internet access, then call 910-893-7530 or email gpierce@harnett.org

Gardeners and non-gardeners can still use blooming plants to remind them of birthdays, anniversaries and other annual events. If you use dogwood blooms as an income tax notice, you will be cutting it very close. Most people don’t even realize the dogwoods are blooming while they are washing the pine pollen off their car.

Gary L. Pierce

Horticulture Extension Agent

Harnett County