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: 2nd Quarter begins on Wednesday; June 20 Thursday, June 21 Summer Solstice ( aka the longest day of the year)
- Saturday-Sunday: Moon in the sign of Leo -
- With temperatures above eighty degrees, water in the morning on a rising temperature. My rule of thumb is to have all your watering completed by 11:00 am.
- Saturday-Sunday: Moon in the sign of Leo -
Later in the Week
- Monday/Tuesday: Moon in the sign of Virgo - Plant Vines
- Trumpet Vines large green leaves with cluster of lavender, yellow and yellow and red flowers. They are evergreen but do suffer from cold temperatures during the winter.
- Wednesday/Thursday: Moon in the sign of Libra - Plant Seasonal color
- Vinca Rosea tolerates the hot sun and is pest free. The lush green foliage is cooling to look at on those warmest of warm days.
Other Things To-do
- June is the last month to fertilize turf until after Labor Day. Fertilizing during July and August is discouraged as fungus problems can develop from the lush growth. I'd use a complete fertilizer that will release nitrogen over an extended period of time.
- Bonide Wilt Stop helps prevent leaf scorch on Japanese Maples. It's best applied in the morning before a heat spell. Cloud Cover coats the leaf with a clear membrane that reduces the excessive loss of moisture through evaporation on hot days. It's applied monthly now through August.