Grain Buds: wheat ripens, harvest approaches
Xiaoman, the eighth of the twenty-four solar terms and the second solar term of summer. Falling on May 20-22 each year when the sun reaches 45° of ecliptic longitude, Xiaoman means "grain slightly full." The name refers to agricultural seeds becoming plump and ripening but not yet ready for harvest—a state of partial fullness. This solar term reflects the promise of approaching abundance.
At this time, temperatures continue to rise, and in southern regions convective rainfall increases as the pre-flood season begins. Northern winter wheat enters the grain-filling stage and requires intensive field management and pest control. In the Jiangnan rice-growing regions, farmers are busy transplanting seedlings and preparing nurseries, making water management especially critical.
First Aspect - Bitter Vegetables Flower: Bitter vegetables send up flowering stalks; wild vegetables become increasingly abundant.
Second Aspect - Shade-Loving Plants Wither: Yin-nature plants cannot withstand summer heat and gradually decline.
Third Aspect - Wheat Autumn Arrives: Wheat crops prepare for maturity; "wheat autumn" refers to the wheat harvest season, which differs from the seasonal autumn.
Rest: Days are long and nights short; favor late sleep and early rising with appropriate midday rest. Maintain regular ventilation indoors, prevent dampness, and avoid prolonged sun exposure and stuffiness.
Diet: Focus on light, easily digestible foods with bitter and minimal spicy flavors: bitter melon, lettuce, celery, lotus leaves, mung bean soup, Job's tears, and red beans. Reduce oily and spicy foods; avoid cold water and iced drinks.
Exercise: In early morning or evening, engage in gentle movement such as walking, jogging, tai chi, and swimming; maintain mild perspiration as the ideal level and pay attention to hydration and electrolyte balance.
Emotions: Summer damp-heat can create sluggishness; focus on clearing the heart and descending fire. Practice quiet sitting and breathing exercises, and enjoy short outings in nature to soothe the liver, resolve depression, and nourish the heart-spirit.
Seedling Transplanting: Jiangnan rice-growing regions busy themselves with transplanting seedlings before and after Xiaoman, managing water and protecting young plants while praying for favorable wind, rain, and seasonable weather.
Sericulture Festival: Certain silk-producing regions hold ceremonies to honor silkworms or offer gratitude to the silkworm and mulberry deities, expressing hopes for successful cocoon production and abundant silk harvest.
Eating Bitter Vegetables: Folk custom includes consuming seasonal bitter vegetables for their heat-clearing properties, taking the meaning "bitterness yields sweetness."
Three Wheels in Motion: Oil presses, silk-spinning wheels, and spinning wheels all work together—symbolizing the onset of summer labor and family prosperity.
Xiaoman follows Lixia and precedes Mangzhong. Its seasonal characteristics include continued temperature rise, increasing thunderstorms, the pre-flood season beginning in the south, wheat entering the grain-filling stage in the north, and field management of water, fertilizer, and pest control becoming especially critical.
Astronomical Significance: At Xiaoman, the sun reaches 60° of ecliptic longitude. Solar illumination strengthens, days grow longer and nights shorter, and convective development becomes more vigorous.
Agricultural Guidance: In North China and the Huai River basin, intensify monitoring of wheat water, fertilizer, pests, and disease in the late stage to prevent lodging; in the Jiangnan and South China regions, proceed with early rice transplanting and seedbed management, watch for severe convective weather and heavy rainfall causing waterlogging, and drain timely to protect seedlings.
