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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Next Week's Moon Signs

For those that are interested in gardening by the moon, here are a few tips to help you along. Until early Saturday morning, April 21, the moon is still waning. In other words, it is heading towards new moon. If you want to plant corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, or any other above-ground crops, wait until Saturday if possible. Then it will be past the new moon and entering the first quarter. As of right now, the moon is in the constellation Aquarius, which is considered a barren, dry, and airy sign. This is the best time to cultivate and destroy weeds and pests. It is also a good time to trim plants or cut grass in order to slow its growth.

Early Monday morning, April 16, the moon leaves Aquarius and enters Pisces. This is a fruitful sign, moist and watery. (If you like to fish, now's the time to get on the water, too.) This sign is especially good for root growth. Plant biennials, perennials, bulbs and roots. This would be an excellent time to do last-minute pruning. It is also a good sign to irrigate and fertilize in.

About noon on Wednesday, the moon enters Aries. This is similar to the sign of Aquarius, listed above, and is used for the same activities.

Just after midnight Friday night the moon slips into Taurus. This sign is productive, moist, and earthy. Use for planting many crops when hardiness is important, especially root crops. However, a mere three hours later, at 3:18 Saturday morning, is when new moon occurs, after which planting potatoes is less favored. So if you still want to plant potatoes but don't want to do it in the middle of the night, go for second best, as I probably will. That would mean planting them in Pisces sometime between Monday morning and Wednesday noon, or planting them Saturday with the moon still in Taurus, but starting to wax, which is better for planting above-ground crops. Either way, though not ideal, you will probably still get a little something for your efforts. The next waning moon doesn't happen for another two weeks, which here in central Arkansas is a little late for planting potatoes. The longer you wait, the more chance there is of hot, dry weather setting in, and potatoes do not do well at all in that kind of conditions.

Blessing to all!