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, Saturday, August 9: Waning Half, Friday, August 15
• Saturday-Sunday: Moon in the sign of Pisces - Plant root crops
  • It's another opportunity to plant radishes, beets, carrots, and turnips. They can be sown in the open ground or in containers.

Later in the Week

• Tuesday-Thursday: Moon in the sign of Aries/Taurus - Cultivate, harvest, weed, fertilize
  • Harvest blueberries as they ripen. They are ready for picking when they turn a rich, deep blue color and feel firm to the touch. Keep in mind that the berry clusters do not ripen simultaneously, so the harvesting process will take several weeks.
  • After harvesting the crop of raspberries and blackberries, it's time to prune the old fruiting canes or vines down to the ground. Next, select strong and vigorous canes from the base of the plants to use as replacement vines, and tie them to the trellis. These chosen canes will produce berries in the next season. Be sure to cut off all the other basal shoots.

Other Things To-do

• Ensure that Camellias do not dry out in hot weather, as they have surface roots. If these plants do dry out, they will bloom poorly the following spring since bud development occurs during this time.