Final answer:
Seasonality is the environmental and biological changes linked to the seasons. It matters for gardening and farming due to its influence on plant growing seasons, watering needs, and pest activity. Plants use photoperiodism to detect seasonal changes and trigger growth cycles.
Step-by-step explanation:
Seasonality refers to the changes that occur in the environment and organisms due to the annual cycle of seasons. In terms of gardening or farming, it is significant because it impacts the growing season of plants, the availability of water, and the presence of pests. Phenology is the study of these seasonal changes and their timing, which is particularly important in agriculture and horticulture for determining the best times for planting and harvesting crops.
Plants use the phytochrome system to sense changes in day length, known as photoperiodism, which is a reliable indicator of the time of year. This response controls vital activities such as flowering, bud setting, and vegetative growth. Temperature and light intensity can influence plant growth but are not as consistent as the photoperiod.
Understanding seasonality is essential because warmer temperatures can either reduce or extend the growing season, affecting water requirements and impacting the ability of plants to recover from the lack or excess of nutrients. Also, milder winters may fail to kill pests, increasing the risk of infestations and subsequently affecting plant health and crop productivity.