INTRODUCTION
The first rays of spring sunshine get every gardener excited. The smell of the earth, the chirping of birds and the awakening of nature all encourage us to get out the seeds and embark on the great adventure of growing our own food. But success is not just about enthusiasm. Experienced gardeners know that the secret lies in timing. When should peas be planted in the ground so they’re at their tenderest? When to plant tomatoes to avoid frosts? These questions are answered by the sowing calendar, the organic gardener’s most faithful companion.
In this article we delve deeper into the world of sowing calendars. We’ll show you why such a tool is essential for biointensive gardening, how you can create your own personalised calendar, and how the Biogarden365 app’ s built-in smart sowing calendar is revolutionising planning. Stay tuned to discover how you can get more out of your garden through conscious planning!
Why is a planting calendar essential in an organic garden?
🌿 The art of conscious timing
Nature has its own rhythm. Plants have specific needs in terms of temperature, light and soil conditions. If seeds are sown at the wrong time, germination will be slow or uneven, and young seedlings will be exposed to diseases, pests and extreme weather.
The benefits of the sowing calendar in the organic garden:
- Maximum yield: When plants are in the ground at the optimum time, they grow more vigorously, are more hardy and produce more abundant crops. One of the foundations of a bio-intensive approach is to produce large quantities of healthy food from a small area – and perfect timing is essential.
- Disease and pest prevention: a strong, healthy plant is more resistant to pathogens. A planting calendar will help you to avoid periods when certain pests are most active or when fungal diseases (such as peronospora) are most threatening.
- Continuous harvesting: who wouldn’t want to have fresh vegetables on the table from spring to autumn? With a well-organized sowing calendar, you can plan for phased sowing and planting. That way, you don’t have to harvest everything all at once, but can enjoy the bounty of your garden continuously.
- Organise your work efficiently: gardening is a lot of work, but good planning can save you a lot of unnecessary effort. A sowing calendar is a kind of road map that helps you anticipate what needs to be done and allocate your energy.
- In harmony with nature: the sowing calendar is not just a table. It teaches us to listen to nature’s signals and work in harmony with it.
Types of traditional sowing calendar
Before we move on to digital solutions, it is worth looking at the traditional sowing calendars that have helped farmers for centuries.
1. General sowing calendars by region
These are the most common calendars you can find in gardening books, magazines or online. They usually list, by month, which vegetables to sow in a particular region (e.g. Central Europe).
- Benefit: They give a good starting point for beginners.
- Cons: They don’t take into account the local microclimate, the weather of the year or the specific characteristics of your garden.
2. Lunar calendar-based sowing calendars
Many people swear by gardening according to the phases of the Moon. According to the lunar calendar, the moon’s gravitational pull affects the circulation of moisture and the growth of plants.
- Waxing Moon: an ideal time to sow and plant above-ground crops (e.g. lettuce, tomatoes, peppers).
- Waning Moon: favours sowing root vegetables (e.g. carrots, beetroot, radish), pruning and weeding.
- Benefit: Helps you tune into the subtler rhythms of nature.
- Cons: Not all of its claims are scientifically proven, and it can be difficult for beginners to follow.
3. Homemade sowing calendar
Over time, the most experienced gardeners create their own calendar based on their own observations and experiences.
- Benefit: It’s completely personalised and takes into account the specific characteristics of your garden.
- Cons: Preparation is time-consuming and requires years of experience.
How to make your own sowing calendar? Step by step
While digital solutions like Biogarden365 take the burden off your shoulders, it’s worth understanding how a sowing calendar is built.
Step 1: Know your climate! 🌦️
There can also be significant differences within Hungary. In the Great Plain, spring comes earlier than in the Alpine region. It is important to know when the last spring and first autumn frosts occur in your area. These two dates mark the growing season for frost-sensitive crops.
Step 2: Gather information about the plants! 🥕🍅
Every plant has different needs. You can usually find the most important information on the seed bags:
- Sowing time: in the open ground or for seedling nursery?
- Breeding time: how many days from sowing to harvest?
- Space requirements: how far apart should you plant the plants?
- Light and water requirements: do you prefer a sunny or semi-shady spot?
Step 3: Plan the rotation! 🔄
Crop rotation is a cornerstone of organic gardening. This means not planting the same family of plants in the same place year after year. This prevents soil depletion and the proliferation of specific pathogens.
Step 4: Make a table! 📝
A simple spreadsheet (on paper or in Excel) will do just fine. Write the vegetables in the rows and the months in the columns. Tick what you plan to sow (in the open ground or as seedlings), plant and harvest, and when.
The digital revolution: the Biogarden365 sowing calendar
While traditional methods have their charms, technology can help enormously. The Biogarden365 app is not just a calendar, but an intelligent, personalised gardening assistant.
🌍 Why is Biogarden365 more than just a calendar?
- Location-based data: the app knows exactly where your garden is based on your phone’s GPS data. So you get a microclimate-specific planting calendar, rather than a generic one, that takes into account local frost risk and weather patterns.
- Detailed plant database: Biogarden365 contains detailed plant datasheets for dozens of vegetables and herbs. No more browsing through seed bags – all the information is in one place, in your pocket.
- Smart Reminders: the app sends you notifications when it’s time to sow, plant, plant or harvest. So you never miss an important task again.
- Integrated lunar calendar: if you want to garden according to the moon, Biogarden365 can help you. The app shows you the current phase of the moon and gives you suggestions for what to do that day.
- Logging function: you can record exactly what you sow and when. You can take photos of your plants’ progress and add notes. This digital diary will be invaluable when planning for the coming years.
- Planning a staggered sow ing: the app helps you plan a staggered sowing to ensure a continuous supply of lettuce, radish or dill throughout the season.
Practical example: the tomato journey from seed to jar with Biogarden365
Let’s see how the application helps in the case of a specific crop, tomatoes:
- End of February – beginning of March: Biogarden365 sends you a notification “It’s time to plant your tomato seeds!” You can check out the app for detailed instructions on how to start seedlings.
- April: the app reminds you to prick out (transplant) the seedlings to strengthen their roots.
- Mid-May: After the last frosts, Biogarden365 announces “It’s time to plant your tomato plants!” Tips on the right planting distance and nutrient replenishment.
- Summer: the app helps you keep track of watering and warns you when to cut (remove side shoots).
- July – September: you will be notified when the crop is ripe. You can record in the diary which varieties have done best and how much you have harvested.
- Autumn: at the end of the season, you can use your diary to evaluate the year and plan for the next season.
To sum up: plan consciously for a bountiful harvest!
The sowing calendar is one of the most effective tools for the organic gardener. It helps you to farm in harmony with nature, chemical-free, yet efficiently. While traditional paper calendars are useful, a digital solution like Biogarden365 takes garden planning to a new level.
Personalised, location-based data, smart reminders and a detailed knowledge base all serve to make gardening not just a job, but a source of real pleasure.
Don’t leave success to chance! Plan consciously with the Biogarden365 planting calendar and enjoy your own healthy, chemical-free vegetables and fruits all year round!