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, Monday, November 9: Wednesday, November 11, Veterans Day
- Saturday-Monday: Moon in the sign of Scorpio - Fertilize
- Old-time gardeners switch to a 0–10–10 or bloom fertilizer during winter for Azaleas, Camellias, and other shade-loving plants. Every other gardener should apply 0-10-0 to Bearded Iris clumps to boost flowering next year.
Later in the Week
- Wednesday-Thursday: Moon in the sign of Sagittarius - Plant Onions
- Red, White, Yellow, and Brown Onion sets are available area-wide. Sweet Bermuda and Torpedo Onion Plants are also available at many independent garden centers
Other Things To-do
- If you notice holes in the leaves of Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, or other leafy vegetables, check beneath the foliage for a green Inchworm or Caterpillar. For minor outbreaks, remove the pests and discard them; for larger outbreaks, apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) or Spinosad to the leaves. Bt and Spinosad are environmentally safe insecticides suitable for all edible plants.
- Now is an excellent time to plant new perennials or add new ones to existing areas. Iberis, Palodsum Daisy, Foxglove, Larkspur, Coreopsis, and others, planted now will bloom this coming spring.
- It is time to remove all watering basins around trees and shrubs. During the rainy season, we need water to drain away from the base of the plants. Where drainage is poor, dig narrow trenches to redirect the flow.