Gardening by the Moon Weekend To-Do
An idea as old as agriculture, based both folklore and superstition but there are scientific ideas to back it up.
- Lunar Phase: Full Moon, December 7: Pearl Harbor Day
- Saturday-Tuesday: Moon in the sign of Aries/Taurus - Plant seasonal color, leafy vegetables, and control pests.
- Zygocactus, Christmas Cactus, can be used in protected areas as a substitute for Poinsettias. They're available with red or white flowers.
- If you are finding holes in the leaves of your winter leaf vegetables, it is probably the Cabbage Worm or Lopper. They are safely controlled with Bt or Spinosad.
Later in the Week
- Persimmons are harvested when they are hard. You then allow them to soften at room temperature.
- The first application of dormant spray can be applied to fruit trees now, weather permitting.
Other Things To-do
- Nothing is more upsetting than having to replace a cut, decorated Christmas tree that has dried up before Christmas. Although the tree was standing in water, I'd make a fresh cut by removing at least an inch of the trunk. A tree will reseal itself within two to three hours so get the tree in a water stand ASAP.
- Junipers, pines, redwoods, and other conifers can be trimmed at this time, and you can use the trimming in your holiday decorations. It would help if you sprayed them with Wilt Stop or Cloud Cover to keep them fresh. Wilt Stop or 'Cloud Cover' helps prevent moisture loss through the needles.