Phenological seasons are not an abstract theory, but a practical guide for all gardening work. If you follow the natural development cycles, you can sow, plant, prune and harvest exactly when the plants are ready. This way, you benefit from healthy crops and reliable yields - without rigid calendar dates.
You can use the phenological calendar to adapt to rising temperatures and changes in nature's development. It helps you to find the optimum time for sowing, planting, pruning and harvesting. As the weather and climate are unpredictable and climate change favors extreme events such as late frosts after warm phases, hail and heavy rain, you need additional protective measures for your plants.
The phenological calendar is based on the developmental stages of certain indicator plants, which are used to define the ten seasons. In this article, you will Find Out What the Phenological Calendar Is and Which Indicator Plants Determine the Individual Seasons.
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Explore the Lexicon NowInstead of fixed dates, you follow the natural rhythm of your garden. The phenological calendar helps you to be aware of climatic changes and adapt your work flexibly. This reduces the risk of crop failure and allows you to align your activities with the natural schedule. Phenology can also be used to predict the emergence of certain insects - bees or pests. Beekeepers can, for example, recognize when their bee colony will end hibernation.
Hazel blossom
Hazel blossom
Early spring marks the end of winter dormancy. The vegetation is slowly coming to life and you too can slowly become active in your garden again.
Forsythia blossom
Forsythia blossom
The first signs of spring are heralded by the forsythia blossom. The beautiful yellow flowers show you that the awakening of spring is well under way.
Apple blossom
Apple blossom
Spring has reached its peak. Numerous plants such as apple, lilac and horse chestnut are now in bloom. Other biomarkers are the foliage development of oak and hornbeam.
Elderflower
Elderflower
After spring, the phenological clock slowly turns to summer. In phenology, this transitional phase is early summer and is initiated by the flowering of elderberries.
Lime trees in bloom
Lime trees in bloom
In midsummer, many plants are in bloom and bear fruit. Now you can find fresh cherries from the tree on a warm summer walk and the summer lime trees are in full bloom. The vegetation is now in full swing.
First early ripe apples
First early ripe apples
Summer is coming to an end and many fruits are ready to be harvested: there are plums, quinces, apples and many other delicious fruits. You can enjoy the fruits of your gardening labor and, in the best case, have a rich harvest. Now it's time to enjoy and use them.
Holunderbeeren
Holunderbeeren
Autumn begins: Elderberries are ripening and autumn crocuses are blooming. There is still plenty to do in the garden to bring the season to a fitting close.
Acorns
Acorns
The forests are beginning to turn beautiful colors and the falling leaves create a sea of colorful foliage. Many people love autumn because of the many colors in nature. The plants slowly but surely go into hibernation. Full autumn is characterized by the fruits of the pedunculate oak.
Colorful autumn forest
Colorful autumn forest
Winter is knocking on the door and it's time to prepare our garden for winter. Most deciduous trees are already losing their leaves and you can see that nature is retreating further and further. This means that the garden is also becoming a little quieter, as many plants do not grow at all or only very slowly during the winter dormancy period.
Hibernation
Hibernation
The trees are bare and nature has finally retreated. Now the cold and dark season begins, in which nature regenerates in order to blossom anew next year. Peace returns to the garden and you have time for reflection.
When gardening with phenology, the most important thing is to systematically link your own observations and empirical values and refine them over the years: note which indicator plants occur in your garden, which ones flower first and what conclusions you have drawn from them. Document every adjustment - such as changes to sowing or pruning dates - and their successes. If you don't have such a practiced eye for identifying wild plants, you can use apps such as Flora Incognita or PlantNet to identify indicator plants . These usually recognize the common species reliably.
It can help to establish a clear observation routine here by regularly walking the same path through flower beds or the surrounding nature. This allows you to react in good time and take additional protective measures if necessary. You can also find numerous long-term data for Germany as well as lots of information on phenology on the Website of the German Weather Service (DWD). You can see data from your local weather service phenological calendar for orientation.
If you have any questions or comments, please write to us at [email protected].
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Marie is an agronomist. She is particularly interested in the sustainable and organic cultivation of vegetables and other plants. In her own garden, she gained experience and likes to try things out to learn from nature. She is particularly interested in the values and principles of permaculture, in order to contribute not only to the well-being of nature, but also to the well-being of people and future generations.
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We held a chili workshop on Friday. Together we cooked a sweet and sour sauce, a chili oil and a sriracha. Beforehand, there was a visit to the tunnel where most of our chillies grow and a short tasting ranging from mild to super hot 🔥 The participants were then able to adjust their sauces accordingly. We had great fun and would like to thank Fryd for the goodies 😍
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Ground frost, cold nights and little sun during the day - time to sum up my gardening year: I concentrated on container planting on the patio, I also cultivated two raised beds there. The carrots and radishes have thrived very well, regardless of the variety. Kohlrabi suffered from the cabbage white butterfly. With the cucumbers, I had to contend with downy mildew during the hot period and powdery mildew during the rainy period. Vorgebirgstrauben were very successful, Marketmore were mediocre and unfortunately I had little success with Diva and other smooth varieties. With tomatoes, the small Supersweet were outstanding, San Marzano, Montfavet, Matina, Ranger quite ok and Marmande and the small bush tomatoes of various varieties were disappointing. I wasn't happy with the beetroot either, but the spring onions and garlic did well. Strawberries disappointed me, but pineapple cherries bore abundantly. All the lettuce varieties were more or less successful due to the weather, as were the various herbs. Zucchinis on the compost were mediocre, watermelons and pumpkins were very poor. In 2026, I will switch back to smaller pots of 15 and 30 liters and plant blueberries in the 80-liter pots. I didn't have good experiences with the planting bags, firstly they were difficult to move in the 30 and 60 l sizes, and secondly I couldn't really regulate the water balance well. What is your conclusion?
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What are phenological seasons?
Phenological seasons are ten periods of the year that are defined by the developmental stages of certain indicator plants instead of fixed calendar days.
Which indicator plants mark the seasons?
Examples of indicator plants are hazel blossom in early spring, forsythia blossom in early spring, apple blossom and the foliage unfolding of oak and hornbeam in full spring.
Why is it worth gardening according to phenology?
Because you can react flexibly to climate fluctuations and thus achieve healthier crops and more reliable yields.
How do I switch to phenological gardening?
Systematically document flowering dates of indicator plants, use identification apps and adjust sowing and pruning dates accordingly.