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: Monday, August 7, Full Moon

• Saturday-Sunday: Moon in the sign of Capricorn
  • To prevent the annual fall visit from raccoons now is the time to apply Beneficial Nematodes or Bonide Annual Grub Beater to turf and other areas that are perennial feeding grounds. It’s not advisable to wait until they show up as raccoons will do a lot of damage before they move on.

Later in the Week

• Wednesday/Thursday: Moon in the sign of  Pisces - Plant for root growth.
  • It’s not too hot to sow another crop of radishes and beets, especially to replace those that have gone to seed or bolted.  A three foot by one-foot rectangular planter is ideal for root crops. They can also be moved out of the heat day sun when temperature soar.

Other Things To-do

• Support the limbs of apples, peaches, pears and others that are over loaded with ripening fruit and sagging. The major branches are in damage of breaking or cracking from the increasing weight of the ripening fruit.
• When removing spent roses, be sure to cut the flowers off close to a leaf bud. When you leave too much of the stem it will die back naturally, leaving black tips.