"Spring drought is not drought, sting early to see the sky" Is there a lot of rain this spring? Here's the answer
On hibernation day, there is no rest in ploughing"
In the first two months of 2024, on March 5, farmers will celebrate another extremely important holiday: hibernation.
As the previous proverb says, in the sting season, as the temperature rises and the rain increases, farmers begin to enter the busy phase of the New Year, from south to north, everywhere is a lively and extraordinary scene.
When the spring plowing and spring planting season comes, rain is naturally indispensable. How much rain will there be this spring? The ancients used to say"The spring drought is not drought, and the dormant looks at the sky in advance"In other words, if there is not much spring rain, there will be no drought, because the meteorological phenomena around the dormant season can be predicted in advance.
What is the situation? Will there be more or less rain this spring? Let's take a look.
The sting is the third of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms, which occurs around March 5 or 6 of the Gregorian calendar every year when the sun reaches 345 degrees of ecliptic longitude. One of the biggest features of the stinging solar term is the spring thunder. The ancients believed that it was the spring thunder that woke up the sleeping insects. And the ancients also summed up some laws through this characteristic.
The meaning of the above proverb is that the natural phenomenon of thunder appears before the arrival of the solar term, which often indicates that the rain will arrive at the beginning of spring this year, and the rain will be abundant, because it will be rainy for the next 45 consecutive days.
Similar proverbs are:"Before hibernation, thunder comes first, and the sun is not seen for forty-eight days"。The message of this proverb is that if you hear thunder before hibernation, you will not see the sun for the next forty-eight days, i.e., it will be rainy.
These proverbs also reflect the meticulous observation of ancient farmers about the relationship between celestial phenomena and climate change. The appearance of thunder often indicates the strengthening of warm and humid air currents and increased rainfall, which is undoubtedly an important signal for the growth of crops.
Contrary to the meaning of the previous sentence, the ancients believed that if there was no thunder during the stinging solar term, and thunder occurred some time after the stinging solar term, this was not a good sign, indicating that the next spring rain would be very late, even very weak, and there might not be precipitation until after the beginning of spring.
This year, before the hibernation season has arrived in many areas, thunder has begun to rumble, especially in some places in the north, and snow thunder has appeared. And the old man thinks that this is a good thing, it is better than thunder after the hibernation season.
The ancients also believed that if a strong northwesterly wind blows on the day of hibernation, this is not a good sign and often indicates that the weather will continue to be cold for some time to come, and may even last until mid-May.
Similar proverbs are:"If the ground blows during hibernation, it will be cold for 45 days"。The idea is that if the wind blows all the dirt into the ground on the day of the sting, then the weather will continue to be cold for the next 45 days. This also reminds farmers to pay close attention to climate change and adjust their farming activities in a timely manner.
This proverb is a beautiful hope for abundant rain during hibernation. If there is plenty of rain and thunder during the sting season, this is a good omen, then it is a good sign that the wheat harvest will be very good that year, and the ears of wheat will be piled as high as mounds.
Actually, in the stunning solar terms, the farmers think"Sunny days are not as rainy as rainy days"That is to say, on the day of the solar term, rain and thunder are good signs, but sunny days are not good signs, which is not only the experience of farmers, but also has a certain scientific basis.
Because the hibernation season is also important for agricultural production. In the northern region, winter wheat is starting to regreen and is in dire need of water for regreening. Water supply during this period is crucial for wheat growth, and water scarcity can lead to reduced wheat yields or even death.
In the area south of the Yangtze River, wheat has been jointed and oilseed rape has begun to bloom, and the demand for water and fertilizer is greater during this period. Therefore, rainfall at this time is beneficial both for soil moisture retention and for the growth of these winter crops.