The Long-Range Forecast

One of my readers has kindly brought to my attention that posting the moon signs only from week to week makes it difficult to plan gardening activities in advance. For example, I might post one week that it's a great time to pull weeds and destroy all kinds of pests, but upon reading that, he has no idea how long it will be until there comes a favorable time to plant most common garden vegetables again, and thus doesn't know how to plan for the following week. I will therefore try to give a long-range forecast.

According to my information and based on my experience, all warm-weather crops should be planted before the end of July. Crops that do well in cool weather may be planted anytime from the beginning of August to about the middle of September, depending a little on how far north you live. Almanacs show that there's a real possibility of cold weather setting in sometime after the equinox, probably about October or November, effectively putting an end to all but the hardiest of crops. This will be followed by a period of several months of which the only recommended gardening activity will be browsing through seed catalogs.

All right! All right! I admit I got a little carried away. I'm teasing! Seriously though, I have an announcement to make. Now that spring is officially over and, at least around here, it is very difficult to start any more plants because of the heat and drought, I have decided to take a break from my weekly posting of the moon signs. True, there are still things like weeding, watering, fertilizing, mowing, and harvesting that a person could try to coordinate with the celestial signs, and there will no doubt still be some of my readers that want to plant more vegetables this year. I'm going to give you some general advice about how to do these things in accordance with the moon's phases. The only thing we'll be lacking is the specific dates that the moon is in fertile or barren constellations. If that really matters to you, let me hear from you.

Just about any calendar will tell you on what date the full moon and the new moon occurs. At least they used to. I'm not so sure they do like they used to. If your calendar does not, you can easily figure it out for yourself. Everyone knows what a full moon looks like. Full moon is when the moon reaches a point exactly opposite from the sun. On that day the moon rises right after the sun goes down. For about seven days after the full moon, you are within the period of time that is ideal for planting potatoes and all other root crops, trees, shrubs, etc. The idea is that anything planted when the moon is "waning" or diminishing will put most of its energy into establishing big, strong roots. Things to plant at this time would include all biennials and perennials.

Next comes a seven-day period (approximately) wherein it is best not to do any planting at all, but to destroy weeds and pests of all kinds. Mulching at this time to suppress weeds is most successful. Mowing or trimming during this time tends to slow top growth.

About two weeks after the full moon, the moon will have caught up with the sun and instead of being opposite the sun it will be traveling right with the sun. On the day that the moon rises with the sun and/or sets with the sun it is officially new moon. Since you can't see the moon at this time (the light of the sun makes the moon invisible) you might have to make a guess at the exact date. The best way to do this is to get up at dawn each morning as new moon approaches and look towards the east. Make a mental note of how high in the sky the moon is each morning when the sun rises, and you will soon learn how fast the moon moves against the backdrop of the stars. Once you see the moon rising just minutes before the sun rises, or you can't see the moon at all anymore you will be within 24 hours of the new moon.

Immediately after the new moon it is time to plant garden crops that bear their edible parts above the ground. The reason for this is that things planted when the moon is "waxing" or increasing, plants will devote more energy into making strong stems and developing healthy seed. Some people plant specific vegetables in the first week after new moon, and then others in the second week after new moon, but there's no clear distinction or hard and fast rules about which week works better. For more details, see some of my earlier posts. Mowing or trimming during this time will stimulate growth.

Blessings to all!

Notice!

Because of circumstances beyond my control, I won't be able to post the moon signs this weekend. I have a few other articles almost ready to go, but it will be at least a week before you're going to hear much from me.

Blessings to all in the meantime!!

P.S. Take some time off and go camping or fishing or something!

Next Week's Moon Signs

Here are a few tips for those who are interested in gardening by the moon.

This week starts off with the moon in Taurus, but moves into Gemini shortly after midnight (at 12:24 am CDT Sunday morning, June 17). Gemini is barren, dry, and airy. The moon is still waning and in the fourth quarter, so you should continue to focus on cultivating, turning sod, pulling weeds, mulching, and destroying pests. Harvest fruits and root crops for food.

New moon occurs on Tuesday, June 19 (at 10:02 am CDT). A few hours later, at 12:34 pm, the moon moves into Cancer. This sign is very fruitful and moist, and is considered the most fertile of all the signs in the Zodiac. Since the moon just passed new moon, plant such vegetables that produce the edible parts above ground. Focus on planting annuals of the leafy kind, generally which produce their seeds outside the fruit. Some examples are asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cress, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsley, spinach, and sweet corn. Cucumbers, even though they bear their seeds inside their fruit, also do best if planted in the first quarter. Also plant grains at this time. This is not a strict rule, just general advice. Many plants seem to do equally well whether planted in either the first or second quarter, such as watermelons, hay, corn, and grains. Fertilize, irrigate, or graft while the moon is in Cancer. Trimming or mowing now will stimulate growth.

On Thursday, June 21 (at 10:47 pm CDT) the moon moves into Leo, which is barren, dry, and fiery. Because the moon is waxing, don't get too carried away with mulching, weeding, cultivating, or spraying, unless of course it's something that can't wait two more weeks. Don't prune any trees, vines, shrubs, etc. in Leo unless you really don't care if they die, although this may be less likely while the moon is waxing. This would be an excellent time to catch up on activities that do not directly affect planting or pest control. If you need more raised beds, make them now. You can even mix your soil and get the beds ready for planting. If you need trellising or protective covers, now's the time to make them. If you need to remove rocks from your garden, you could do that now too. Otherwise, just leave your garden alone. Go focus on hobbies or interests unrelated to agriculture. Studies show that seeds planted in Leo tend to do very poorly. This coming week will bring you more favorable days for starting seeds and transplanting.

The moon stays in Leo the rest of the week.

Blessings to all!

Next Week's Moon Signs

Here are a few tips for those who are interested in gardening by the moon.

This week starts off with the moon in Pisces and in the third quarter. Pisces is very fruitful, moist, and watery, and is especially good for root growth. You may plant biennials, perennials, bulbs and roots, trees, shrubs, berries, grapes, strawberries, beets, carrots, onions, parsnips, rutabagas, peanuts, radishes, rhubarb, turnips, etc., with the idea that whatever you plant now will focus its energy on the underground part of the plant. Some people recommend not to plant potatoes under Pisces or they may grow spindly. Also, this is a good sign in which to prune, irrigate, and fertilize.

On Monday, June 11 (5:41 am CDT) the moon enters the fourth quarter. It is generally recommended during the fourth quarter not to do any planting at all, but to focus entirely on cultivating, turning sod, pulling weeds, mulching, and destroying pests of all kinds, especially while the moon is in the barren signs of Aries, Leo, Virgo, Gemini, Aquarius, and Sagittarius. Use common sense, of course. If you have plants that are out-growing their pots, or for some other reason can't wait one more week, go ahead and transplant during the fruitful signs anyway.

On Tuesday, June 12 (at 11:21 am CDT) the moon enters the sign of Aries. This sign is barren, dry, and fiery. Cultivate and destroy weeds and pests. Trim plants or cut grass in order to slow its growth. Mulch to suppress weeds. Harvest fruits and root crops for food.

On Thursday, June 14 (at 11:22 pm CDT) the moon enters Taurus. This sign is productive, moist, and earthy. The next few days are the best days within the next two weeks to plant potatoes or other tubers, if you failed to plant them last week while the moon was in the third quarter. Trim or mow to inhibit growth.

The moon does not move into a different sign until after midnight Saturday night.

Blessings to all!

This Week In Pictures

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) starting to bloom.

First tomatoes ready for picking this past week!

Lush and beautiful, our Sun Leaper tomatoes are some of our healthiest vines right now.

Gladiolus are finally blooming.

Bell peppers are getting big.

Rutgers tomatoes are starting to ripen.

The strawberry pyramid is getting established.

Next Week's Moon Signs

Here are a few tips for those who are interested in gardening by the moon.

I know, some of you are interested in more than the moon signs, or not even interested in the moon signs at all. Lord willing, now that spring planting is officially over for me I'll be able to post on other topics of interest. I'm working on a few right now, as a matter of fact.

Today the moon is in Scorpio, and in the second quarter. Scorpio is very fruitful and moist, almost as productive as Cancer, and emphasizes sturdiness. This is the weekend you should plan to finish your spring planting. If you have been following the guidelines for planting by the moon up until now, most of what you have left should be annuals which produce their crops above the ground, generally of the kind that produce their seed inside their fruit. Some examples include beans, eggplant, melons, peas, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, etc. Now is the time to fertilize, graft, and irrigate. Trim to increase growth.

On Sunday, June 3, 2012 (at 7:32 am CDT) the moon enters the sign of Sagittarius, which is a barren, dry, and fiery sign. This is a good time to seed hay or cover crops, until we pass full moon. You may also want to pull weeds at this time.

Full moon occurs on Monday, June 4 (at 6:12 am CDT), after which, because the moon is now waning, you may become more aggressive about destroying all sorts of weeds and pests. If you have been waiting for a favorable sign to spray for insects and disease, you can now let loose. Cultivate, hoe, spray, trap, or whatever else your situation requires. This is actually also a good sign to plant onions or garlic. Harvest fruits or root crops for food in the dark of the moon so they keep longer. Trim or mow to slow growth. Mulch now to suppress grass or weeds. Mulching in the dark of the moon will be much more likely to kill the plants covered than if you do it when the moon is waxing. Under a waxing moon plants that are covered tend to just stay alive or even keep on growing.

The moon enters Capricorn on Tuesday, June 5 (at 7:31 am CDT). Capricorn is productive, dry, and earthy. This sign is especially good for planting potatoes and tubers. You may also plant biennials, perennials, bulbs and roots, trees, shrubs, berries, grapes, strawberries, beets, carrots, onions, parsnips, rutabagas, peanuts, radishes, rhubarb, turnips, etc., with the idea that whatever you plant now will focus its energy on the underground part of the plant. Trim or mow to retard growth.

The moon enters Aquarius on Thursday, June 7 (at 9:17 am CDT). Aquarius is barren, dry, and airy. Use for cultivation and for destroying noxious growths and pests. Harvest fruits and root crops for food if they are ripe. Trim or mow to retard growth. Spray with fungicides if necessary. Mulch to suppress grass or weeds.

The moon moves on into Pisces on Saturday, June 9 (at 2:22 pm CDT). Pisces is very fruitful, moist, and watery, and is especially good for root growth. You may pursue the same activities as stated for Capricorn above, although some people recommend not to plant potatoes under Pisces or they may grow spindly. Also, this is a good sign in which to prune, irrigate, and fertilize.

The moon remains in the third quarter through the weekend.

Blessings to all!

Next Week's Moon Signs

Here are a few tips for those who are interested in gardening by the moon.

The moon is in the constellation Leo as we enter the weekend. Leo is barren, dry, and fiery. Because the moon is waxing, don't get too carried away with mulching, weeding, cultivating, or spraying, unless of course it's something that can't wait another week. Pruning in Leo can cause the subject to die, although this may be less likely to happen while the moon is waxing. This would be an excellent time to catch up on activities that do not directly affect planting or pest control. If you need more raised beds, make them now. You can even mix your soil and get the beds ready for planting. If you need trellising or protective covers, now's the time to make them. If you need to remove rocks from your garden, you could do that now too. Otherwise, just leave your garden alone. Go focus on hobbies or interests unrelated to agriculture. Studies show that seeds planted in Leo tend to do very poorly. This coming week will bring you more favorable days for starting seeds and transplanting.

The moon enters Virgo early Monday morning, May 28 (1:06 am CDT). This is also a barren sign, and is usually used for cultivation and destroying weeds and pests. But since the moon is still waxing, don't bother with these activities unless you have a situation that is getting to be a problem. Continue on the same projects suggested above, with the moon in Leo.

The moon enters the second quarter later the same day (3:16 pm CDT).

Libra is the next constellation we visit, which happens Wednesday, May 30 (at 5:46 am CDT). Libra is semi-fruitful, moist, and airy. Use for planting crops that need good pulp growth. Things like celery, rhubarb, lovage, and farm crops such as hay and corn fodder should be seeded now. This is also a very good sign for flowers and vines, to emphasize fragrance and beauty. If you have vegetable plants that are outgrowing their pots, you can go ahead and transplant them now, though there will be a more favorable sign coming up immediately after this. Trim or mow while the moon is waxing to stimulate growth.

Coming up next is Scorpio, the one you've been waiting for if you live in the north half of the United States. We enter Scorpio Friday morning, June 1 (at 7:31 am CDT). Scorpio is very fruitful and moist, almost as productive as Cancer, and emphasizes sturdiness. This is the weekend you should plan to finish your spring planting. If you have been following the guidelines for planting by the moon up until now, most of what you have left should be annuals which produce their crops above the ground, generally of the kind that produce their seed inside their fruit. Some examples include beans, eggplant, melons, peas, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, etc. Now is the time to fertilize, graft, and irrigate. Trim to increase growth.

 The moon will be in Scorpio and in the second quarter through Saturday, June 2.

Blessings to all!

This Week In Pictures

Mimosa trees blooming bring back many fond memories from my childhood. Although quick to become a pest here in the south, we let this one stand because it shades the kitchen from the hot morning sun.

Cilantro in a pot by the front gate, convenient for harvesting a few leaves to add to a salad or other dish.

The green beans are blooming. Won't be long before we have some on the table!

I'm always amazed at how fast the Concord grapes go from the bloom stage to almost full-sized! Looks like another abundant crop this year!

Broccoli ready to eat.

Easter Lily finally decided to bloom mid-May. Wonder if it would bloom earlier if it got more sun?

Next Week's Moon Signs

Here are a few tips for those who are interested in gardening by the moon.

As of Saturday, May 19, 2012, the moon is still waning in the fourth quarter. It is located in the constellation Taurus, which is productive, moist, and earthy. Plant potatoes and other tubers before new moon for best results. Also cut grass or trim shrubs while the moon is waning in order to slow their growth.

The moon moves into Gemini on Sunday evening (6:05 pm CDT), May 20. Gemini is barren, dry, and airy. Destroy noxious weeds and pests. Cultivate. Harvest fruits and root crops for food.

New moon occurs that same hour (6:47 pm CDT), after which it is unfavorable to either plant or weed until the moon goes on to Cancer. However, if you have any weeds that you didn't get rid of during the past two weeks, get them now rather than letting them grow another two weeks.

The moon enters the sign of Cancer on Wednesday, May 23 (at 6:31 am CDT), which is very fruitful and moist. This is considered the most fertile of all the signs in the Zodiac. With the moon waxing again (being in the first quarter) plant such vegetables that produce the edible parts above ground. Focus on planting annuals of the leafy kind, generally which produce their seeds outside the fruit. Some examples are asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cress, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsley, spinach, and sweet corn. Cucumbers, even though they bear their seeds inside their fruit, also do best if planted in the first quarter. Also plant grains at this time. This is not a strict rule, just general advice. Many plants seem to do equally well whether planted in either the first or second quarter, such as watermelons, hay, corn, and grains. Fertilize, irrigate, or graft while the moon is in Cancer. Trimming or mowing now will stimulate growth.

The moon enters Leo on Friday, May 25 (at 5:11 pm CDT) and remains there through Saturday.  Leo is barren, dry, and fiery. Because the moon is waxing, don't get too carried away with mulching, weeding, cultivating, or spraying, unless of course it's something that can't wait two weeks. Pruning in Leo can cause the subject to die, although this may be less likely while the moon is waxing. This would be an excellent time to catch up on activities that do not directly affect planting or pest control. If you need more raised beds, make them now. You can even mix your soil and get the beds ready for planting. If you need trellising or protective covers, now's the time to make them. If you need to remove rocks from your garden, you could do that now too. Otherwise, just leave your garden alone. Go focus on hobbies or interests unrelated to agriculture. Studies show that seeds planted in Leo tend to do very poorly. This coming week will bring you more favorable days for starting seeds and transplanting.

Blessings to all!

Should You Add A Grid?

Mel Bartholomew promotes putting a grid on your square foot garden. Here's what he says about it:

"When I wrote the first book on Square Foot Gardening more than twenty-five years ago, I advocated laying out a 12x12-inch grid for the garden. Then, in my travels around the country, I heard a lot of people say, "Oh, I do Square Foot Gardening," or "I have a Square Foot Garden." But when I went to see them, the size was right but they had no grid!

"In our introductory film, we show the people in our class how a 4x4-foot garden looks without a grid and ask them, "How many plants could you plant there? How many different crops?" They draw a blank because it looks like a small area that isn't going to contain very much. As soon as we lay down the grid, they suddenly light up and say, "Aha! I see! Sixteen spaces, so it'll take sixteen different crops! Later, as soon as one square is harvested, I can add a trowel full of compost and replant that square foot with a different crop without disturbing anything else around it." Bingo! They see the light."

There are many interrelated reasons for the "different crop in every Square Foot" rule. They deal with nutrients used, limiting over-ambitious planting, staggered harvests, weed and pest control, companion planting, simplification of crop rotation, and other factors that result in a very unusual and innovative gardening system.

If you use string or twine to mark off the squares, it will eventually rot or break. More often than not it is cut by a spade. After years of experience, Mel's advice is: Do not use anything floppy. A firm, rigid, prominent, and visual grid permanently laid on every one of your boxes will make all the difference in the world as others see it but mostly in how you use and enjoy your garden. And he adds, Without a grid, your garden is not a Square Foot Garden. So there you have it!

What do I think about it? I hesitate to say anything about it, because I have mixed feelings about it. When I first started, I put a grid on all my boxes. I encourage you to do the same, especially if you have a 4x4 box. Some of the advantages of the grid do not exist or are less important when it comes to a 2x2 box, such as being able to visualize where to plant each crop and how close to space them. There are times that I find the grid to be an inconvenience. It is harder to weed if the weeds are growing under the grid. It is harder to mix in more compost, although that can be done in spring or fall when you take the grid off anyway for winter storage. One strong point that Mel makes is the improvement of the appearance of your garden, which is especially striking if you have a white grid. However, if you use grass clippings for mulch the way I like to, the grid is completely covered up. Not only that, the grass clippings get matted to the grid, stain it, and it no longer looks good. If you want to plant a box full of just one crop (which Mel does not recommend) it is not practical to have a grid. I also find it harder to dig root crops if you have a grid, which is why I plant mine in tubs with Mel's Mix (he recommends making separate boxes for root crops anyway, 12 inches deep instead of 6).

So I say, start out with a grid, especially if you have a box bigger than 2x2. Plant a different vegetable in every square. And go from there. I want you to at least experience the potential of a real Square Foot Garden! Here is an example of the volume of vegetables you can harvest from a 4x4 box in one season, with sixteen squares: one head of cabbage; one head of broccoli; one head of cauliflower; four heads of romaine lettuce; four heads of red lettuce; four heads of leaf lettuce, then sixteen scallions; four heads of salad lettuce; five pounds of sugar peas; eight bunches of Swiss chard; nine bunches of spinach, then nine turnips; sixteen small carrots; sixteen beets, plus four bunches beet greens; sixteen long carrots; thirty two radishes. Look on your seed packets for the recommended plant spacing after thinning and follow those guidelines when you plant your Square Foot Garden.

Grid material can be found at home improvement stores. Lowe's has the ideal strips for it. Go for the 1-inch wide or inch-and-one-eighth. An inch-and-a-half is too wide; it'll take up too much of your garden space. A 3/4-inch strip will be more likely to split, or twist, or break. Make your squares equal sizes (it looks goofy if you don't). If you're putting the grid on a 2x2 box, it is as simple as finding the center of the sides (which is 12 3/4 inches if you rotated the corners of the box) and centering your strips there to fasten them. If the box is bigger than 2x2, measure the inside of your box. Write down the measurement (for example, if you made the box 4x4 and rotated the corners, it will be 46 1/2 inches). Now figure the total width of the strips you're going to use. If you have a 4x4 box it will take three strips across it. If you have 1 1/8-inch strips, your total width would be 3 3/8 inches. Subtract that from your first measurement. In our example, the result would be 43 1/8. Now divide this by 4 to find out how much soil is going to show in each square. That's about 10 3/4 inches. Measuring inside the box, make a mark at 10 3/4 inches, then another at 11 7/8 (if your strips are 1 1/8 inch wide). That is where your first strip is going to go. Then starting at your second mark, measure another 10 3/4 to 11 7/8 inches for your second strip. Continuing in this way should give you the most uniform squares and the best appearance.

Pilot drill holes about 3/8 inch from each end of all your strips, and attach to your box with short screws. If you made a 4x4 box with rotated corners, and cut your grid strips 4 foot long, the ends of the strips will only reach halfway across the 2x6 sides of your box. That is okay. The only alternative is to either shrink the size of your boxes by another inch and a half, making them exactly four foot when measuring the outside of the box, or to cut your strips each 49 1/2 inches long, both of which has its own set of complications.

Blessings to all!

This Week In Pictures

Bird feeders and bird baths are good additions to any garden. Birds help to keep insects under control.

Mulberries are ripe. Grandma makes some of the best mulberry desserts!

Kohlrabi ready to eat! What? You've never had any?! This is a favorite with the children!

The strawberry roots from E&R Seed are doing very well! These are Albion everbearers, and I have extra. $2.00 a plant.

Kohlrabi, zucchini, and strawberries from our garden.

This Amaryllis bloomed just in time for Mother's Day.

Next Week's Moon Signs

Here are a few tips for those who are interested in gardening by the moon.

The moon goes into the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon (4:47 pm CDT), May 12, 2012. It remains in Aquarius throughout the day, which is a barren, dry, and airy sign. Cultivate, and destroy weeds and pests. Trim plants or cut grass in order to slow its growth. Mulch to suppress weeds. Harvest fruits and root crops for food.

 It is generally recommended during the fourth quarter not to do any planting at all, but to focus entirely on cultivating, turning sod, pulling weeds, mulching, and destroying pests of all kinds, especially while the moon is in Aries, Leo, Virgo, Gemini, Aquarius, and Sagittarius.

The moon enters Pisces on Sunday morning (6:42 am CDT), May 13, 2012. This sign is considered very fruitful, moist and watery. This sign is especially good for root growth. If you have any biennials, perennials, bulbs or roots left to plant (except potatoes), do it now, in spite of the moon being in the fourth quarter. Some people report that potatoes planted in Pisces do not do so well. This would be an excellent time to do last-minute pruning. It is also a good sign to irrigate and fertilize in. If you're caught up with your gardening activities or the weather is unfavorable, go fishing for a while.

The moon leaves Pisces and moves into Aries (at 4:45 pm CDT) on Tuesday, May 15, 2012. This sign is barren, dry, and fiery. This continues to be an excellent time (with the moon in the fourth quarter) to cultivate and destroy weeds and pests. Trim plants or cut grass in order to slow its growth. Mulch to suppress weeds. Harvest fruits and root crops for food.

On Friday, May 18, 2012 (at 5:03 am) the moon moves into Taurus. This sign is productive, moist, and earthy. This is probably the best time within the next two weeks to plant potatoes or other tubers, in spite of it being so close to the new moon. Trim or mow to inhibit growth.

The moon remains in Taurus and in the fourth quarter through Saturday, May 19.

Blessings to all!

The Perfect Soil

All right, folks! I know you're all anxious for the next step in your special gardening experience. Well, here goes! Having made your box, we need to put soil in it. But not just any soil will do. Many soils around the country are not satisfactory for raising healthy vegetables (I never understood this while living in Indiana). There are many ways to improve your existing soil, but we won't even give any space to that at the moment. We're going to start out with great soil instead of working towards great soil. Surveys show that it usually takes about seven years to get your soil the way you want it if you practice general soil improvement, and that involves adding lots of manure or compost, and sometimes things like vermiculite or perlite, plus calcium and other minerals. And guess what the average American does after seven years? They move! And the odds are that the people moving in behind you don't garden. Just think of all that hard work and money invested, now being idle, or worse yet, forever sealed by a building project or maybe a parking lot! That's why I recommend putting some kind of barrier between your raised beds and the existing soil. It makes it easier to take the soil with you if you ever decide to move. Or you could even sell it, if for some strange reason you don't want to garden anymore. It is after all a better growing medium than the potting soil you buy in the store!

Obviously, having perfect soil in your entire garden might be too cost restrictive to try to do it all at once. But remember, one 4-foot by 4-foot bed will grow the same amount of vegetables as an area four times that size in a regular garden. And with this special soil mix you don't need to do a soil test! We already know it's just right for vegetables.

What You Need
In his book, Mel Bartholomew recommends using equal parts of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost. All three of these ingredients are natural. The mix is a pleasure to work with, has a light fluffy texture, and smells good. The first two ingredients have no nutrients; they are sterile. Compost, however, is loaded with all the nutrients and minerals that you could imagine. If you think making your own garden soil is too unusual or too extreme, ask yourself this: "What do professional greenhouse growers use for growing crops in their greenhouses? Do they go out and dig up the fields for soil?" Of course not! They mix up their own potting soil from carefully selected ingredients and never use outside soil. We will use the same concept, but let me say again: start in small. Don't think you have to convert your whole garden to square foot gardens in one year. You don't have to do it all at once.

Using a five-gallon bucket, I discovered that three buckets full was just right to fill a 2-foot by 2-foot box made out of 2x6s. This made it very simple, since I needed equal parts of three different ingredients to make the mix. Multiply that times four to fill a 4x4 box. I mixed it together in a big wheelbarrow with a hoe (three buckets was all I had room to mix in the wheelbarrow at a time). You can also dump the ingredients on a tarp and mix it by tumbling it from side to side. However you do it, be careful not to waste any. This is too precious to allow a lot of waste. If it's too dusty, you can spray it down with water, although I prefer to just do it when there's not much wind rather than soaking it before it's in the box.

Now, for those of you who live in the south where heat and drought are common, I'm going to recommend a slight change from the original Mel's Mix. Mel was trying to make it very simple by saying to use equal parts of everything. Also, he was concerned about over-watering. His mix is so light it is impossible to over-water! The soil will soak up what it can (which is a lot) and the excess will drain right out. Here in central Arkansas, I found that Mel's Mix dries out too fast during hot weather. So I made a few changes which are actually helpful in more than one way. I cut back on the vermiculite (which saves money, since that is the most expensive part of the mix around here). And I made up the difference with compost (which saves money again, because compost is free around here). And this gives the mix more bulk and holds the water a little better. This could be the wrong thing to do in cool or damp parts of the world, but it works great around here. I've never had anything suffer from over-watering yet!

Vermiculite
Vermiculite comes from mica rock, which is mined out of the earth, ground into small particles, and heated until it explodes like popcorn. This makes a sponge-like "puff" which makes your soil extremely loose and serves to soak up water and hold it until your plants need it. Vermiculite comes in different grades - fine, medium, and coarse. The coarse agricultural grade holds the most water and also does the most to keep your soil loose, which is important for root development. Call around to your local nurseries, garden supply centers, greenhouse supplies, and major home improvement stores, and even farm feed stores and ask if they have large 4-cubic-foot bags of coarse vermiculite. If you happen to live in an area where it isn't sold locally, try the internet. For my local friends, I've already done the research. It is available on the internet, but I haven't found a cheaper source than our local stores, especially once you consider shipping. The cheapest place I know of is E&R Seed in eastern Indiana, where they sell it for about $15.00 a bag. To have it shipped here, however, more than eats up all the savings. They don't have a website, because it is Amish owned and operated. It is available at our local 270 Feed and Farm Store for about $23.00 for a 4-cubic-foot bag. Breshear's Nursery has it here at the Highway 5 and 7 Junction between Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village. They charge about $25.00 a bag. Lowe's has vermiculite in 8-quart bags, but the problem is that it's the finer grade and prohibitively expensive. Last year the general manager of our local Lowe's store, who is a personal friend of mine, sold a bunch of his vermiculite to me at a very special price after spring planting was about over, and I told him I would buy it in quantity to save him the warehouse space required to store it. I figured if he could match the price per cubic foot to that of the bigger bags, I'd find a use for it or be able to re-sell it after my gardening class. So I've been using some of it along with the coarse kind in my raised beds, with satisfactory results.

Using Mel's method, one 4-cubic-foot bag of coarse vermiculite is a little bit more than you need for one 4x4 raised bed. Four cubic feet fills a five gallon bucket five times. With my modifications a 4-cubic-foot bag will be enough for two 4x4 beds. If you are making a 2x2 bed like I am showing the children how to make, all you need is three gallons. I figured my local gardening friends might not want to buy a big bag of it for such a small garden, so I am offering it for sale in 3-gallon increments, at $3.00 a piece. I also still have 8-quart bags from Lowe's which I can sell for $2.50 a bag.

Some people always ask if they can use perlite instead of vermiculite, because it is cheaper. The answer is NO. What is the difference between the two? Perlite is good only for drainage; it has no water holding capabilities at all.

Peat Moss
This also is a natural product that comes from bogs and marshes. It acts like a sponge and will absorb tremendous amounts of water. It helps to keep your soil loose and light. The most economical way to get it is in the compressed bales. 270 Feed & Farm has it for about $19.00 for a 3.8-cubic-foot bale. Breshear's Nursery is asking $15.00 for the same size bale. Lowe's has them a little bit smaller, a 3-cubic-foot bale for $10.00. Per cubic foot, those at Lowe's are cheaper by a narrow margin.

As you take it out of the bales and loosen it up, it will expand quite a bit. A 3.8-cubic-foot bale will fill a five-gallon bucket approximately nine times. There is more variation here than with the vermiculite because of all the compression and expansion involved. You need one bucket for a 2x2 bed, four buckets for a 4x4. One bale will be enough for two 4x4 beds, with a little left over. You can either divide what you have left over between the two beds or save it for some more beds in the future. Or perhaps mix a small batch of the special soil for a container-grown plant. The smaller bales from Lowe's will give you about seven buckets full. If you want to skimp, you can just divide that between two 4x4 beds and make up the difference with compost. Once again, for those who are local here and only need a little bit, I can sell you smaller portions. A 5-gallon bucket full, just enough for a 2x2 bed, costs $2.00.

Compost
Around here, the cheapest and most readily available of these ingredients is compost, because the city of Hot Springs has a program where they dispose of brush, yard waste, leaves, tree trimmings and similar materials with a large composting operation. It is possible to buy compost from greenhouses, nurseries, and home improvement centers, and sometimes farm stores, but this can be very expensive. Mel stresses the need to use a blended compost, meaning if you do buy it bagged you need to buy 5 or 6 different kinds of compost and mix them together. This is the only way to ensure that you get the full spectrum of nutrients that your plants need, because most commercial composts are made from only one material, which is usually not nutritionally balanced if left by itself. The compost from our local composting facility already has a variety of materials in it, so it qualifies as a blended compost. Visit this link for more information on their hours of operation. There have been a few times during the spring that their supply of compost ran out due to high demand, so if you want you can call the number on their website before you go to make sure they have some. You may load all you want for free, but you can pay them to load it for you on certain days if you choose to do so. For $6.00, they will load your pickup, and do it in a matter of seconds. One 5-gallon bucket full is what you need for a 2x2 bed. However, compost is the one ingredient in this mix that you will need to add more to at least twice a year, so I suggest you get more and store it somewhere free of weeds. Storing it outside is all right; but in a garage or shed is better. Store it in a garbage bag or extra trash can or similar sturdy container.

One drawback about this compost is that it does have some weed seeds in it. The reason for this is that their composting process is not hot enough to kill all the undesirable seeds and stuff in the materials that are brought in. The best thing you could do is make your own compost, and make it hot. The easiest way to do this is with some kind of a compost tumbler. Maybe we'll write an article about composting later. In the meantime, my opinion is that free compost with weed seeds is better than not having compost, and even better than paying five to ten dollars per cubic foot for compost.

The cost of the soil for a 2x2 raised bed? Five dollars. The total cost so far for making a 2x2 bed with 2x6s (with the soil in it) is about $10.00. Start-up cost for a 4x4 bed is about $30.00. You never have to add more vermiculite or peat moss. All you ever have to do in the future is add more compost. Every time you want to take one crop out and plant something else, add some more compost. How is this possible? Because if you have a living soil, full of microbes and healthy bacteria, they are constantly "digesting" the soil, breaking it down and releasing nutrients to your plants. Using compost is gardening God's way!

Blessings to all!

Next Week's Moon Signs

 Here are a few tips for those who are interested in gardening by the moon.

The moon is in Scorpio today, which is very fruitful and moist. Today is the last day to plant above-ground crops for the next two weeks, because full moon occurs tonight. This is the day you want to really focus on getting your last seeds and transplants out if you live in Arkansas. If you live in the northern USA, you should wait until May 20 to transplant your frost-susceptible vegetables, unless you plan to cover them up. Plant annuals which produce their crops above the ground, generally of the kind that produce their seed inside their fruit. Some examples include beans, eggplant, melons, peas, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, etc. This is just general advice, not any hard-and-fast rule. Many plants seem to do equally well whether planted in either the first or second quarter, such as watermelons, hay, corn, and grains. Now is the time to fertilize, graft, and irrigate. Trim to increase growth.

Sunday, May 6, 2012 the moon is still in Scorpio, but since it is past the peak of its fullness the next two weeks are considered the "dark of the moon" as it wanes toward new moon. Today would be a good day to plant potatoes and other biennials, perennials, bulbs, and roots. It is a good time to prune, to irrigate, and to fertilize. If you have any plants that are out-growing their pots or anything that can't wait for two more weeks to be planted, go ahead and do it now anyway. They just might do better than if they have to suffer through two more weeks of being pot bound.

At 8:39 pm (Central Daylight Time) Sunday evening the moon enters Sagittarius. This sign is considered barren, dry, and fiery. Now is the time to cultivate and destroy weeds and pests. Harvest fruits and root crops for food if you have any that are ready. Trim or mow to slow growth. Mulch now to suppress weeds. Covering any plants during the dark of the moon makes it much more likely that they will die, especially during the barren signs. If you cover a plant during the "light of the moon" (when it is waxing) it will probably just grow right out from underneath the cover.

The moon enters Capricorn on Tuesday evening (at 9:00 pm CDT), May 8, 2012. Capricorn is productive, dry, and earthy. Plant potatoes and tubers, and follow the same activities we outlined for Sunday when the moon was in Scorpio.

Around midnight on Friday (12:03 am), May 11, 2012 the moon visits Aquarius. This is a barren, dry, and airy sign. Cultivate, and destroy weeds and pests. Trim plants or cut grass in order to slow its growth. Mulch to suppress weeds. Harvest fruits and root crops for food.

The moon enters the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon (4:47 pm CDT), May 12, 2012. It remains in Aquarius throughout the day, so continue with the same activities. It is generally recommended during the fourth quarter not to do any planting at all, but to focus entirely on cultivating, turning sod, pulling weeds, mulching, and destroying pests of all kinds, especially while the moon is in Aries, Leo, Virgo, Gemini, Aquarius, and Sagittarius.

Next Week's Moon Signs

 Here are a few tips for those who are interested in gardening by the moon.

After noon on Saturday, April 28, the moon is in Leo. This sign is barren, dry, and fiery. Because the moon is waxing, don't get too carried away with mulching, weeding, cultivating, or spraying, unless something is an emergency. The results could be disappointing. Be careful about pruning with the moon in Leo, unless you want something to die. This would be an excellent time to catch up on activities that do not directly affect planting or pest control. If you need more raised beds, make them now. You can even mix your soil and get the beds ready for planting. If you need trellising or protective covers, now's the time to make them. If you need to remove rocks from your garden, you could do that now too. Otherwise, just leave your garden alone. Go focus on hobbies or interests unrelated to agriculture. Studies show that seeds planted in Leo tend to do very poorly. This coming week will bring you more favorable days for starting seeds and transplanting.

In the early morning hours of April 29, the moon enters the second quarter.

Monday, April 30, at 7:02 pm the moon enters Virgo. This sign is also considered barren, and is usually used for cultivation and destroying weeds and pests. But since the moon is still waxing, don't bother with these activities unless you have a situation that is getting to be a problem. Continue on the same projects suggested above, with the moon in Leo.

The moon enters Libra after dark Wednesday night, May 2. Libra is semi-fruitful, moist, and airy. Use for planting crops that need good pulp growth. Things like celery, rhubarb, lovage, and farm crops such as hay and corn fodder should be seeded now. This is also a very good sign for flowers and vines, to emphasize fragrance and beauty. Trim or mow to increase growth. If you have vegetable plants that are outgrowing their pots, you can go ahead and transplant them now, though there will be a more favorable sign coming right up!

Scorpio will be the next constellation that the moon visits, starting late Friday evening (May 4). Scorpio is very fruitful and moist, almost as productive as Cancer, and emphasizes sturdiness. Saturday, May 5, is going to be the last day to plant above-ground crops for the next two weeks, because the moon enters the third quarter Saturday night. In other words, full moon occurs then. This is the day you want to really focus on getting your last seeds and transplants out if you live in Arkansas. If you live in the northern USA, you should wait until May 20 to transplant your frost-susceptible vegetables, unless you plan to cover them up. Plant annuals which produce their crops above the ground, generally of the kind that produce their seed inside their fruit. Some examples include beans, eggplant, melons, peas, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, etc. This is just general advice, not any hard-and-fast rule. Many plants seem to do equally well whether planted in either the first or second quarter, such as watermelons, hay, corn, and grains. Now is the time to fertilize, graft, and irrigate. Trim to increase growth.

Blessings to all!

This Week In Pictures

Our old-fashioned fragrant rose bush is in full bloom, and shedding fragrance far and wide.

Here I attempted a picture of the entire row of irises. It didn't turn out so well, except for the girl at the other end!

Forget-Me-Nots starting to get really pretty! Thank you, Sister Anna!

A few more pretty shots of the irises.

Peas blooming.

Yukon Gold potatoes doing well.

Elizabeth's personal rose bush. Pretty in pink!

Zucchini squash blooming in the early morning. Some squash forming on the vines now!

Repelling Rascally Rabbits

A friend of mine that planted a garden this spring had pretty much the whole thing wiped out by some raiding rogue rabbits. I have never had that problem, but I'm trying some of the suggestions below to keep cats out of my raised beds. I will let you know how they work. In the meantime, take your pick of any one of these measures and give it a shot. Be sure to let me know how they work! Post your comments in the box at the bottom of this blog. I have already tried Repels All granules (by Bonide) to keep the cats away. My cats didn't care. Almost seems as if my one cat doesn't have any sense of smell left! It's a mix of dried blood, egg, and garlic, and is supposed to be repulsive to a wide range of animals. I got it at our local Tractor Supply store.

Jerry Baker
The following solutions are from Jerry Baker. He is said to be America's foremost authority on lawn, garden, and plant care and has written over 50 books, including the bestsellers Backyard Problem Solver, Kitchen Counter Cures, and Supermarket Super Products! All of Jerry's books are jam-packed full of old-time advice, down-home wisdom, and the best remedies on earth. For more of his amazing tips, tricks, and tonics, visit his website at: www.jerrybaker.com.

Solutions
Rabbits HATE dusty millers, scientifically known as Centaurea cineraria. Especially the variety known as Diamond, which is one of the prettiest. Plant some of these among the vegetables that are at high risk. Also try planting onions or garlic as a companion to the victims. Tansy, rue, and rosemary are also repellants.

Dusty Miller var. Diamond

Sprinkle some dried blood or blood meal around the plants. Most garden centers carry this, because it is sold as a natural fertilizer. So you can use it to serve a double purpose. Shake wood ashes, ground pepper, chili powder, talcum powder, or Cayenne pepper on plants when they are wet, applying them evenly and lightly with a discarded kitchen flour sifter.

All Purpose Varmint Repellant
2 eggs
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tbl. of hot chili pepper
2 Tbl. of ammonia

Put all this in 2 cups of hot water. Let the mixture sit for 3 or 4 days in a bucket, then paint it on fences, trellises, or wherever else unwanted varmints are venturing.

'Hit The Trail' Mix
4 Tbl. of dry mustard
3 Tbl. of cayenne pepper
2 Tbl. of chili powder
1 Tbl. of Tabasco sauce
2 quarts of warm water

Mix all together, and sprinkle the solution around your plants. Jerry says this spicy concoction will make any critter hightail it out of your garden.

Hot Bite Spray
When furry munchers are after your plants, whip up a batch of this timely tonic:
 3 Tbl. of cayenne pepper
1 Tbl. of Tabasco sauce
1 Tbl. of ammonia
1 Tbl. of baby shampoo
2 cups hot water

Mix the cayenne pepper with the hot water in a jar, and shake well. Let it sit overnight, then pour off the liquid without disturbing the sediment. Mix the rest of the ingredients in with the liquid and spray directly on the plants you want to protect.

You get the idea. Most of these recipes work because of the 'heat' of the hot peppers. Garlic really works well for most critters as well. I don't have a recipe handy right now, but you could just follow your instinct and come up with your own. Other ideas worth a try are to string up strips of aluminum foil around your at-risk area. Cut strips of foil 1 inch by 5 inches and tape them to a string of some sort around the perimeter of your plants. If you want to try blood meal, put some in cheap containers (spray can caps are perfect) sunk into the ground around your plants. In each cap mix 2 Tbl. of blood meal and 2 oz. water. This keeps the blood meal from washing away with the first rain, and also prevents your plants from getting a nitrogen overdose because of your critter control efforts.

The recipes listed here are not only for rabbits, but should work equally well for most other garden raiders such as deer, chipmunks, squirrels, groundhogs, and as far as the garlic and pepper goes, even dogs and cats! Let me know how they work!

Blessings to all!

Why Raised Beds Are Better (And How To Make Them)

If you've already used raised beds and had less than grand results, or you're just convinced you don't have the time or energy to make them, please hear me out! Read at least this one more post before you decide it's not for you. This is not traditional raised bed gardening, although some of the benefits I'm about to list also apply to traditional raised beds. Here are some reasons why Mel Bartholomew's raised beds are better.

Benefits Of Square Foot Gardening
Less Space - In a traditional garden, at least half of the space is used up just to walk on. Yet you plow it, you till it, you fertilize it, you water it, and you have to weed it! Just to walk on it! What a waste! With raised beds, you don't walk on them at all. The entire bed is used for planting. One 4x4 raised bed will hold 64 corn plants 6 inches apart, the same amount as you would normally put in a 30 foot single row. Most single rows are 2 1/2 to 3 feet wide (between rows) which means each 30 foot row takes up 75 to 90 square feet of space! With raised beds, that same amount of corn is raised in 16 square feet of space. Because you don't count the space you walk on.
No Tiller - You can sell your tiller. You don't need it anymore. Since you won't be walking on your garden, there won't be any of that compaction that's so bad for the plants. In fact, the only tool you really need is a cheap planting spade.
Less Fertilizer - And it takes less fertilizer. Mel Bartholomew says it doesn't take ANY with his special Mix. It's true that a steady supply of fresh compost provides a steady supply of nutrients, but so far I've still done better with adding some organic fertilizer. But at least you're only putting it on the planted area instead of where you walk!
Less Water - Once again, you're only watering the planted area instead of where you walk. And our special Mix is designed to stay moist a long time, and yet not become water-logged.
Less Weeding - The kids are going to love this one! Our special Mix can be made with no weeds in it (we'll discuss that in more detail later). Even with weeds, you have only a quarter of the space to weed compared to a traditional garden. And you don't have to hoe them. The soil is so light and loose they just come right up when you pull on them.
Depth - In Mel's first book 'Square Foot Gardening' he tells you how to dig deep and add peat moss and compost to the existing soil. I remember helping (or mostly watching) my Mom do that when I was about 5 or 6 years old. While this does greatly improve almost any soil, people said there was still too much back-breaking labor involved. So with further experimentation, Mel discovered that it isn't necessary to go that deep at all. In fact, most garden vegetables do just fine in only 6 inches of Mel's mix. You might want to have a few deeper boxes on hand for carrots and similar root vegetables, or use tubs or buckets. But for the main garden, use 2x6s. Everything I've seen so far had incredible root systems using this rich, loose mix that we'll show you how to make. I had some onions last winter in Mel's mix, and when I pulled them up in the spring some of them had roots 18 inches long!
Location - You can put it anywhere. You don't have to hide it behind the house. You can put it on rocky, barren ground, on pavement, or on your deck. If your roof is flat, you could put it on your roof! And your garden doesn't have to all be in one spot. If some of your crops want more shade than others, put them in a shady spot while the rest of the garden enjoys the sunlight.
Convenience - If you ever have to move, you can take your garden with you! You can bag the soil (it's a very special soil, after all) or, if you have lots of it, load it on a pickup. If you give your boxes a plywood bottom you can move your plants into your garage to protect them from frost or hail.

Making Your Raised Bed
Here's how to make a 2x2 raised bed for the children. Remember, start small. You can always expand later. For a 2 foot square box, you need one 2x6, 8 foot long. You can get those at our local Lowe's Home Improvement store for just over $4.00 plus tax. Any cheap 2x6 will do, as long as it's untreated. Do NOT use treated wood, because of the risk of chemicals leaching into your soil and the plants taking them up. Regular untreated wood will last a number of years. If you would rather, you can use cedar or redwood for a more permanent bed. Or make it out of composite material (that man-made stuff made with plastic and sawdust). It'll last forever. Usually there's someone in the store that will cut your boards into whatever size you want if you ask them to. For the 2x2 you need four pieces of wood 2 foot long. Drill holes in one end of each board to keep them from splitting when you screw or nail them together. A 1/8 inch or slightly smaller drill bit is perfect. Draw a line 3/4 inch from the end of the board, then drill your holes along this line, one about an inch from either side and one in the middle.

If you're going to use screws, use 3 inch deck screws. Insert all of them into the pilot holes now (you'll need 12 screws or nails for each bed). If you're going to use nails, don't go smaller than 12d. If one side of the board is nicer than the other (as many are), then turn the nicer side up at this point. If you're going to stack the boards like I did, start putting the screws in the bottom board first so they don't get in your way as you proceed.

Now lay the boards out as shown and fasten them together.

And that's the frame. So simple, and yet so profound. If you're going to give it a plywood bottom, now's the time to do that. Remember to drill some drainage holes in the plywood. Use a half inch drill bit and drill a hole in each square foot. If you don't do plywood bottoms, then lay out some other kind of weed barrier. Around here, we have some very aggressive crabgrass which if it gets started will spread through your box like a spider web! If you're on concrete or pavement or wood, you'll be fine. Otherwise, you can use plastic. I do most of mine in plastic simply because I have plenty of it. I do know of a few weeds though that can grow through plastic. They send up a sharp spear that pierces right through it. Or use some good quality weed barrier (don't use the cheap kind from Walmart, it only lasts a few months and doesn't do a good job in keeping weeds down anyway). One of the best things to use is old carpet. Carpet readily lets excess water drain out and is superb at blocking weeds. You can even use it for your walkways, and if you don't like the looks of it, just add some decorative gravel or wood chips or whatever you find cheap or attractive. Carpet stays down well and will last for years.

Location
Besides needing decent lighting, put your garden in a convenient place. Close to a water supply. Not too far from the house so you can make a quick trip out to get some salad greens. You might want to put it where you can easily see it from a main window; for one, to enjoy the beauty; and also, so you'll be more likely to notice if any critters are showing too much interest in it. If you DON'T have a plywood bottom in it, be careful about getting it too close to trees or shrubs or they will grow their roots right into it and rob you of precious water and nutrients. Also, don't put your garden boxes where a lot of water runs through when it rains. You'll lose precious soil from washing. And you don't want them in low spots where water tends to puddle a lot. Plants need good drainage.

Cats
Just one word of advice before we move on. If you have cats, or someone in the neighborhood has cats, consider having a piece of chicken wire handy to lay on the raised bed right after you put the soil mix in. Cats and dogs love loose soil to dig in, and cats especially will think you made it just for them! Cats are like that. Dogs can be trained to a certain extent, but I've never yet been able to train a cat to not do something that they want to do. Chicken wire will discourage them and keep order until your plants are up. When your seedlings are established and the cats understand that this place is off limits you can lift the chicken wire right off the young plants without harming them. Or you could just leave it on for the season and let the plants grow right through it! On my next post I want to share some recipes you can use to teach intruders to leave your plants alone.

Spiritual types coming soon.
Blessings to all!

Next Week's Moon Signs

Here are a few tips for those who are interested in gardening by the moon.

Today the moon is in Taurus, and for the next two weeks it will be in the waxing stage, getting bigger and bigger as it heads toward the full moon. This two-week period would be the correct time, especially in this part of the world, to finish planting all the rest of your above-ground crops. Of course, if you have something you want to stagger the harvest for, you can still do another planting in May so it doesn't all ripen at the same time. There is a higher likelihood (if you live in central Arkansas) that your May plantings will not be as successful on account of high heat or drought which is common around here during part of the summer (not always the same part, so it's impossible to predict with any accuracy). In this first quarter, focus on planting annuals of the leafy kind, generally which produce their seeds outside the fruit. Some examples are asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cress, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsley, spinach, and sweet corn. Cucumbers, even though they bear their seeds inside their fruit, also do best if planted in the first quarter. Also plant grains at this time. If you won't be able to do any planting next week, then go ahead and finish all your planting either before Monday noon, or during the moon's passage through Cancer later in the week. Trimming or mowing now will stimulate growth. Planting in Taurus increases hardiness in annuals.

The moon enters Gemini at 1:05 in the afternoon on Monday, April 23. Gemini is considered barren, dry, and airy, and is generally used for destroying noxious weeds and pests, and for cultivation. Since the moon is in the first quarter, however, the effectiveness of these activities will be compromised. Do it anyway if the situation demands it. If you have any planting left to do, hold off if possible until the moon is in Cancer.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, April 26, the moon slips into the sign of Cancer, which is fruitful and moist. This is considered the most fertile of all the signs in the Zodiac. With the moon still in the first quarter, keep your focus on planting annuals of the same kind as we mentioned above. We will plant the kinds that produce their seed inside their fruit next week when the moon is in the second quarter. Now is also a good time to fertilize, to irrigate, or to graft plants. Trim or mow to stimulate growth.

Shortly after noon on Saturday, April 28, the moon passes into the constellation Leo, and remains there through the rest of the weekend. Leo is barren, dry, and fiery, similar to Gemini above. Because the moon is waxing, don't get too carried away with mulching, weeding, cultivating, or spraying, unless something is an emergency. The results could be disappointing. Be careful about pruning with the moon in Leo, unless you want something to die. This would be an excellent time to catch up on activities that do not directly affect planting or pest control. If you need more raised beds, make them now. You can even mix your soil and get the beds ready for planting. If you need trellising or protective covers, now's the time to make them. If you need to remove rocks from your garden, you could do that now too. Otherwise, just leave your garden alone. Go focus on hobbies or interests unrelated to agriculture. Studies show that seeds planted in Leo tend to do very poorly. Next week will bring you more favorable days for that.

Blessings to all!

This Week In Pictures

These went from completely green to fully ripe in one week! And they are so good! Yes indeed, I ate one right after taking the picture.

Zucchini squash are blooming. We're anxious to see them set fruit.

Peas are just starting to bloom. They disappointed us again - so far.

Made 2-ft.-square raised beds for the children to have their own personal square foot garden. Filled them with Mel's Mix, modified to my specifications. I know, I haven't posted instructions yet. That's coming up next!

Matthew eagerly helping Momma plant tomatoes.

The iris bed is probably at its prettiest right now. Thanks again to Karen Koenig!

 

And this one is my favorite! The camera didn't do justice to the color.