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: New Moon, Saturday May 21 - Saturday-Sunday: Moon in the sign of Sagittarius - Harvest, cultivate, plant fruit trees, tubers- Leaf Lettuce can be harvested several weeks after planting. The outer leaves are best harvested with a pair of scissors. You can repeat this weekly until the plant(s) goes to seed or bolts.
Later in the Week
- Tuesday/Wednesday: Moon in the sign of Aries - Plant for root growth… The next crop of radishes, turnips and beets can be planted now. Beside being planted in the ground, they thrive in rectangular planters.
- Thursday-Friday: Moon in the sign of Aquarius - Harvest, cultivate, and control pests… Starting thinking about mulching, it is an excellent way to conserve moisture around landscape trees and shrubs.
Other Things To-do
- It is advantageous to prevent Ivy and other vines from climbing up the trunk and into the canopy of trees. In time, the vines will damage the trees.
- Cymbidium Orchids are heavy feeders so monthly applications are recommended through October. In November, you switch fertilizer to 0-10-10 or Bloom.
- Most hedges are showing a new flush of growth. Before the new growth matures, it's a good time to prune them. To keep a hedge tight and compact, they should be trimmed three times a year.