Have you ever noticed how older gardeners seem to grow the biggest tomatoes, the most perfect corn, and most flawless carrots?
Maybe it has to do with all that old fashioned gardening wisdom that used to be passed down from generation to generation!
If you don't have a gardening grandma from whom you've inherited a treasure trove of ancestral aphorisms, not to worry. Here are some of our favorite bits of revered garden wisdom that older generations faithfully heeded, and many still swear by.
1. When Dandelions Bloom...
Old wisdom used to dictate that "When dandelions bloom, it's time to plant beets, carrots, and spinach."
Dandelions are one of the first blossoms to appear in spring, a few weeks before the last average frost date. Those cold-tolerant vegetables are happy to get going early in the spring, before days get too warm.
2. Snow is a Poor Man's Fertilizer
If you get a spring snowstorm, after the ground has already thawed, go ahead till it right into the ground. You can find a reference to this old adage in the book Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingall's Wilder.
"'Poor man’s fertilizer,'”' Father called such a snow, and he set Royal to plowing it into all the fields. It carried something from the air into the ground, that would make the crops grow."
In that instance, they'd received an early fall snow, before the ground was frozen, but the saying was common in reference to spring snows as well.
3. One For the Crow...
"One for the blackbird, one for the crow. One to rot, and one to grow."
There are many different versions of this time-honored saying, but the gist of them all is the same. For seeds like corn and beans, that critters love to find and eat, it's wise to plant them in multiples.
It may seem like a waste to put all that seed in the ground, but it's a lot more strategic not to have to go back and seed in empty spots later, once you've missed the optimal planting time.
4. When Oak Leaves are the Size of a Squirrels Ear...
It's time to plant corn. This one is a widespread saying that really holds up. Oak leaves are pretty reliably the size of a squirrel's ear right around the last average frost date.
Interestingly, as the climate shifts, evidenced even by the USDA growing zones map, I've come to rely more on these old fashioned natural guidelines, than my calendar.
5. The Time to Prune is When the Shears Are Sharp
I love this saying. It applies to so many things in life!
Another common iteration is "...when the saw is sharp." While there genuinely is a best time for pruning, depending on what you're pruning, and what your growing goals are, when it comes down to it, there's no time like the present.
It's so easy to get busy and miss those optimal pruning windows. If you do, that's ok. Better to prune at the "wrong" time, than not at all!
6. Knee High By the Fourth of July
Growing up, I always heard that every successful gardening should aim to have their corn "knee high by the Fourth of July."
It seems this saying has long been popular, and its reach extends beyond the small New England area where I grew up. For anyone in Zones 4 and 5, where the growing seasons are fairly short, getting corn planted as soon as the nights warm up enough, is critical to having enough time for a good harvest.
This is especially true if you'd like to grow some of the varieties that require more growing days!
7. When the Dew Is On the Grass...
"When the dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass".
While we may have weather reports to rely on these days, I love these old adages that help to predict the weather. Knowing whether to expect rain or not is helpful to a gardening when deciding whether or not run the garden sprinkler, whether to play on being able to pick beans the next day (not something you want to do when the leaves are wet!), or even whether to expect a good day for transplanting delicate plants.
8. One Year's Seeding, Seven Years Weeding
This one is just so true. Even one year of letting a big crop of garden weeds go to see can have you dealing with weed seed infested garden soil for years to come.
It's really pretty shocking how long weed seeds can sometimes last in the ground, popping up to create havoc ages after the weeds that created them were allowed to gain a foothold. This is one of those "a stitch in time saves nine" situations!
9. Planting By the Moon
I'm sure we all grew up knowing wonderful gardeners who absolutely swore by planting according to the phase of the moon.
While there are many subtleties to this, the basic idea is that you want to plant root crops during the part of the month when the moon is waning, and above-ground crops (like corn, tomatoes, and spinach) during the part of the month when the moon is waxing.
10. Cut Thistles In May...
The old saying goes, "Cut thistles in May, they'll be back in a day. Cut them in June, that is too soon. Cut them in July, then they will die."
So much of gardening comes down to timing, doesn't it? This adage is a good reminder that sometimes it's most effective to just target big perennial weeds once, when they're a little more established and have expended their stored root energy with putting out foliage, then chopping them down early in the season when they've just begun to grow.
11. Planting Potatoes on Good Friday
Depending on where you live, chances are you grew up learning to plant potatoes either on St. Patrick's day (if you're further south), or Good Friday (for those in northern climates.)
For this New Englander, getting potatoes in the ground around Good Friday is just about right!
12. Expect Colder Nights Around the Full Moon
Growing up, gardening wisdom was that you waited until after the full moon in May to plant tomatoes, corn, or other warm-weather crops. The idea was that if we were to get a late frost, it would most likely come during the full moon, "when the nights are coldest".
It was considered common knowledge that full moons brought colder nights. Historically, if you look at weather data, this doesn't actually hold up, but it's an old New England-ism that I like to observe anyway, just for nostalgia's sake.
13. Plant Your Asparagus as a Border
This bit of advice actually came straight out of an 1800's gardening guide. Rather than dedicating garden space to this delicious perennial, it was recommended to plant asparagus liberally as a border plant.
This way asparagus can spread slowly and steadily, be harvested while it's in season, and any lingering stalks can be allowed to mature and go to seed with that ethereal foliage that's so enchanting, and adds delightful texture to any border area.
21 Favorite Ways to Add Whimsy to Any Garden
Want to transform your bit of earth into a magical paradise? Here are some inspiring ideas that add a bit of fun and whimsy to any garden space.
Sweet little simple touches make it more fun to spend time in the garden, and more time in the garden is good for both body and soul!
21 Traditional Must-Grow Plants for Home Medicinal Gardens
There's a wonderful movement toward growing things more like our great-grandmothers did, establishing kitchen gardens just outside the kitchen door, and carving out space for medicinal gardens.
Here's a list of 21 treasured plants that have historically been grown in any well-supplied home medicinal garden. Some of these were included in herbal texts dating back as far as the 1500's, so you know they have a long history!
Any of these can easily be grown by the home gardener with a little care.
Anna Chesley
Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
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