
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: Sunday, May 11 Mother's Day
- Saturday-Sunday: Moon in the sign of Cancer - Best planting days for May
- Early-planted tomatoes showing little to no growth should be replaced. They will not rebound with the warmer weather. Tomatoes planted at this time often outperform those planted in March and early April.
Later in the Week
- Monday and Tuesday: Moon in the sign of Leo - Harvest, cultivate and control pests
- A handheld cultivator is an ideal method of controlling weeds. They are available with extended or short-handle.
- Attach copper Tape about two feet off the ground to the citrus trunk and other shrubs to keep snails from climbing into the canopy. The copper will not kill the snails but will halt their progress.
- Wednesday and Thursday: Moon in the sign of Virgo - Plant flowering vines
- Climbing roses and trumpet vines are now in bloom at your favorite garden center. Blooming vines are an excellent backdrop for any yard.
Other Things To-do
- There is still time to sow Sunflower seeds. Besides the giant edible seed varieties called 'Mammoth,' there are wide decorative varieties. Vanilla Ice is an heirloom variety with cream-colored flowers with a chocolate brown center. Crimson Thriller produces six-inch-wide mahogany flowers. Teddy Bear is a dwarf variety with double golden yellow flowers.
- Finally, plant corn close together in rows or hills when planting corn. The wind pollinates corn, and the lack of pollination is the primary reason a corncob is missing kernels.