Re: VMs: Re: VMS: Chinese theory, pushed against the wall...

[Koontz John E <John.Koontz@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 16 Oct 2004, Pamela Richards wrote:
> Okay, I'll bite.  In what part of the world do they plant crops in
> February/March (Pisces)?

Fairly asked, because I spoke without thinking, but it seemed to me likely
that life cycles in terms of the calendar year would be more likely to
apply to plants than humans.

The answer is, lots of places, though I admit I don't know schedules for
Europe, the Mediterranean or any part of China, and, of course, I am not
really a farmer.  Most of the things I plant are perennial flowers and the
occasional annual vegetable, and those are usually planted (in Colorado -
USDA Zone 5, arid, unreliable snow cover) in May through early June and
then again in late August to October.  Cold hardy vegatables are planted
about 6 weeks before the last fost, which would be mid-April here, though
optimists are often out earlier (and often right).  I have the impression
that the low end of the temperature ranges in northern Great Britain are
similar to those in Colorado, though the climate is quite a bit different
and it probably doesn't get as hot in the Summer (high 90s-100 F).
(Sorry for the non-Americans - I'm C-impaired, like most Americans.)  So,
by extension, I suspect there are parts of Europe where March, at least,
is a very reasonable time to plant grain and other agricultural plants.
But which and where - that's the question!  Of course, I'd expect the
author(s) of the VMs to be more interested in either cultivated or wild
herbs!

It looks like corn (maize) is planted commercially in Colorado in mid May
or so, and winter wheat is planted in the Fall.  It comes up but remains
dormant until March, when it gets serious.  It's harvested in the Spring.
Spring sown wheat doesn't do well in this climate.

Autumn-planted early bulbs start coming up in Eastern Colorado in late
January and peak in April.  The climate here is a lot like Central Asia
and agrees well with most of the Central Asian, Mediterranean, or South
African bulbs.  I've seen some very homey looking pictures of Mongolia -
not the Gobi Desert parts, though parts of High Plains Eastern Colorado
verge on desert and Western Colorado is even more convincing as you get
out of the mountains into the Basin.

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