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: Second Quarter begins on Monday September 13
- Saturday-Sunday: Moon in the sign of Scorpio - Plant seasonal color
- Tulips, Daffodils and the other spring flowering bulbs should be arriving at your favorite garden center this week. Purchased them early for the biggest selection but hold off planting until late October or November when the days are shorter and cooler.
Later in the Week
- Tuesday - Friday: Moon in the sign of Capricorn/Aquarius - Prune and fertilize
- Before starting your fall rose feeding schedule, cultivate around each bush. You start at the trunk of each plant and extend beyond the drip line. Roses pamper with water and fertilizer will be in bloom for the holidays.
Other Things To-do
- Yellow Jackets are very active this month. They are easily agitated now as mating season is right around the corner. It is advisable to refresh you Yellow Jack Traps by adding new attractant.
- I'd stop watering Apricots, Cherries, Plums, Nectarines and early ripening Peaches. Although the foliage is still green, these trees are starting to go dormant and the water can encourage root rot problems in the future.
- Now is a good time to shear evergreen hedges and screens. This allows enough time for the new growth to mature before the first frost. The exceptions are Junipers, cedars, and cypresses, which are best pruned in February or March.
- And finally, it’s time to pamper Cyclamen plants that have been struggling with the heat all summer long. You should trim off any of the brown or diseased leaves along with feeding them. The fertilizer will encourage the new growth while the flowers develop with the shorter days and cool nights.