Back in the older days, when most people grew at least some of their food, if not all, they would notice that when certain plants or trees flowered or leafed out, etc, it was safe to plant certain vegetables.

For example: it's warm enough to plant corn when the leaves of the oak trees are as large as a squirrel's ear. Or, it's safe to plant peas once the crocus start blooming.

There must be a word for this, but I have never heard what it was, or didn't realize that's what it meant.

Thanks for any help!

Sue

idiom

Idiom doesn't quite capture it, as the statements mean what the words mean. (English is a language of inscrutable idiom loosely held together by a few indifferently applied rules. Kinda like democracy.)

Aphorism or maxim? Seems more like it. But it doesn't catch the local wisdom quotient.

Hmm, now you've got me puzzled too.

Pick one of these:

1)contingent modalities

2) rule of thumb

No, I mean specifically for the timing of the planting. If you were going to write a book on sowing seeds by these signs, what you call the connection?

For instance, the word for exposing seeds to cold temperatures to trigger their germination mechanism is 'vernalization' or 'cold stratification'.

Sue

Sue,

These may help to stimulate other word associations. Portions of these would seem to apply at least remotely to what your asking / looking for.

Rule of Thumb

Folk Sayings

Mnemonic

Regards,
Comanche7

Remember the old adage ...

(e.g.) If the corn is as high as an elephant's eye, run for your life! you have elephants in your corn! and you can't even see the lions! or the midgets!

(Okay, I'll stop now.)

Contingent modalities is a beauty though. Works well with plausible deniability. Great weasel words for a news conference when the incriminating photos have hit the Web.

Oh, that's easy - contingent agrarian modalities

See,I did stay awake in some of my classes.....

I think I know what you are getting at Sue.
I read a very old farming manual once that used a system like that. It was more concerned with how long you could sit your bare bum on the ground and be comfortable than on the calendar date.
They also mentioned not planting before some of the trees were in leaf or some of the flowers out.
They were quite specific about the flowers.

I have seen similar ideas expressed in some mushroom manuals, but I have no word that fits.

"Planting by the signs" has been taken already by the Astrologists for planting by the moon and by the zodiac.
------

OK, A Phenological planting guide?

Phenology comes close but I think it might not be catchy enough.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenology

Maybe we can put some makeup on it and tart it up a bit.
Phenochrony
Phenosynchronic
Phenosynchratic
Phenosynchristic
Phenochroidal
Phenomodal

I give up.

Good luck Sue. I know it can be really hard to coin a new word.

Ummm... agriculture?

Anecdotal evidence?