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: Full Moon on Saturday, April 16, Sunday, April 17, Easter: Friday, April 22, Earth Day
- Saturday-Sunday: Moon in the sign of Scorpio - Plant tomatoes, plant for root growth, transplant perennials, and prune.
- There are hundreds of tomato varieties now available. Your favorite independent garden center has a more extensive selection than other retailers. So be different and bold this year by planting a different tomato variety you've never planted before. You'll be pleasantly surprised this summer.
- It is not too late to prune spring-flowering shrubs such as Lilacs, Magnolias, and others that have finished blooming. Besides any dead wood, you should reduce the height and side to shape the plants.
Later in the Week
- Tuesday-Wednesday: Moon in the sign of Sagittarius/Capricorn - Plant potatoes, onion, and other root crops
- Potatoes can be planted and are easier to harvest if they are in ground containers rather than the ground. Non-conventional containers include a Potato Bag or a 2 cu.ft. bag of potting soil. Also, consider using cement blocks. They are used laid out on any surface in a two-foot by two-foot square, stacked three bricks high and filled with potting soil. Another option is several spare tires stacked.
Other Things To-do
- With warm weather approaching, it's time to reestablish the watering basins around trees and shrubs. The basin should be six to eight inches high and should extend from the trunk to just beyond the drip line.
- Sowbugs are controlled around edibles crops with Spinosad. Sowbugs are especially a problem in strawberry and melon patches.