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.
Excessive Heat Warning This Weekend ---Water, Water,Water- Lunar Phase: New Moon, Monday, July 17
- Saturday-Sunday: Moon in the sign of Cancer - Water and Fertilize
- The summer months are crucial for Camellias, so don't ignore them. Irregular watering from July through September will affect the flowering next year. Camellias require regular watering, and they should be mulched.
Later in the Week
- Tuesday and Wednesday: Moon in the sign of Taurus: Fertilize and prune
- July is the month to switch fertilizer on Fuchsias and Tuberous Begonias to 0-10-10. 0-10-10 is the fertilizer for bigger and better blooms.
Other Things To-do
- Cosmos produces large, single, petal, daisy-like flowers with light green, feathery foliage. They require little water and grow twenty-four inches tall in full sun.
- To keep Poinsettia plants compact, they need to be pruned often. I'd trim back the leggy branches at least 50%. The rest of the plant is pruned to keep it shapely. Also, feed them monthly through September with any liquid fertilizer to encourage new growth and the side shoots.
- If your blackberries or raspberries never matured or were only half ripe, you probably have Berry Mites. When you see the Berry Mite damage, it's too late to do anything about it. This insect is controlled during the winter months with a dormant season spray.