Topic: Traditional Sowing Dates

[1066]

Hi I’ve read a few posts recently that have mentioned traditional planting dates and I’m curious about them. Such as St Patrick's day for potatoes, the shortest day (21st Dec) for planting garlic and longest day for harvesting garlic, Valentines day for chillies. Does anyone know of any other traditional dates for sowing and planting?

[Tee Gee]

I always used to plant out at 'Whitsuntide' simply because it was a holiday, thus giving me time to do.

Plus the weather was generally OK to do it.

[Lauren S]

(Whitsuntide this year is...May 31st)

Good Friday this year is...April 10th

Planting potatoes on Good Friday was a tradition going back many many years, simply because Good Friday was the only holiday available then and working in the garden on a Sunday was definitely not the done thing.

[1066]

Planting potatoes on Good Friday was a tradition going back many many years, simply because Good Friday was the only holiday available then and working in the garden on a Sunday was definitely not the done thing.

Makes a lot of sense to me I thought it must have more to do with practicalities of life such as about having the time and the decent weather. But what if Easter is early?!

[tonybloke]

how can easter be early / late? isn't it supposed to be a significant date for some folk? If your birthday never varies (dec 25) how can your deathday?  ;)

[1066]

how can easter be early / late? isn't it supposed to be a significant date for some folk? If your birthday never varies (dec 25) how can your deathday?  ;)

Its a different date every year - weird I know! Can't remember the exact reasons why

[pippy]

To quote the Wikipedia:

"Easter falls at some point between late March and late April each year (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity), following the cycle of the moon. After several centuries of disagreement, all churches accepted the computation of the Alexandrian Church (now the Coptic Church) that Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first moon whose 14th day (the ecclesiastic "full moon") is on or after March 21 (the ecclesiastic "vernal equinox")."

The full moon in April this year falls on Thursday 9th April.  It's quite interesting that Good Friday was the traditional potato planting day as this also fits in quite well with the biodynamic time for planting spuds.   Strange but true!!  Personally I don't follow biodynamics to the letter - I plant when I have the time and the weather is right, but I do find it interesting! :)

[1066]

Thanks Pippy - cycle of the moon alters the dates for Easter.

I plant when I have the time and the weather is right, but I do find it interesting! :)

Me too  :)

[asbean]

Whit Sunday is 50 days after Easter (Pentecost).  Traditionally we had the bank holiday (Whit Monday) which always moved to and fro to fit in with Easter.  Somehow we couldn't cope with two moveable holidays, and the dumbing down tsars decided to de-religionise it and fix it to the last weekend in May.  In a few years time they'll rename Easter and fix that too.

And with the 1st May holiday (in other countries) - we have to have all our bank holidays on a Monday, so that became fixed as the first Monday in May.

Curiously we have more holidays than other European countries - if the holiday days fall on a Saturday or Sunday - that's tough for them - they don't get time off in lieu.  We are the only country in Europe with 28th December as a public holiday this year.

[powerspade]

The old farmers used the Church calendar as their planting and sowing guide as many folks years ago couldnt read nor write but they where the days when most if this countrys population went to Church. I`ll see if I can find out more from my local church.

[PurpleHeather]

I was told not to continue to cut asparagus after derby day and not to pull any more rhubarb after august bank holiday.

These date systems are a good idea because you do remember them better.

Another one was to give the trees a spray on boxing day.

It is a good tip for making up pin numbers for cards.  Eg Visa= tree spray

so the pin is 2612 Just an idea.

[Kea]

Curiously we have more holidays than other European countries - if the holiday days fall on a Saturday or Sunday - that's tough for them - they don't get time off in lieu.  We are the only country in Europe with 28th December as a public holiday this year.

If you need more holidays...move to New Zealand! First thing I noticed when I moved to the UK is there a quite lot fewer holidays!

[1066]

Thanks for the replies. Purple Heather I think you have a good point there - memorable dates are more likely to stick in the mind - whether or not they are religious / festival dates.

It is a good tip for making up pin numbers for cards.  Eg Visa= tree spray
so the pin is 2612 Just an idea.

and a sneaky idea!

[thifasmom]

we have 14 per year ;D and we also plant certain crops according to some public holiday dates.

[PJW_Letchworth]

It's not so much a tradition just a wierd idea.

I've heard you should not plant potatoes in the ground unless you're willing to drop your trousers and sit on the soil.  :o If it's too cold to sit on it, then it's too cold to plant your spuds!

Personally I've never tried this apart from when I slipped whilst planting spuds and fell rear end first into the trench!  ;D

[star]

And was it cold PJ??

[PJW_Letchworth]

Fortunately not.  My cheeks were red though and I'll leave you to decide which ones!   :-[

[1066]

Laugh? I'm crying with laughter! Or is it the thought of cold cheeks that's making me cry?!

[Robert_Brenchley]

The bare bum test does actually make sense, as plants will only start to grow as the ground warms up. The actual date isn't so important, though some are sensitive to day length.

[1066]

though some are sensitive to day length.

definitely the case LOL  ;D