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, Saturday, February 8 Valentine Day is Friday, February 14
- Saturday-Monday: Moon in the sign of Leo -
- It's not too early to start tomatoes, peppers, squash, and others from seed. Start your seeds in pots indoors.
- Best started indoors in pots, the seedlings germinated now will be ready to set out into the open ground in the middle of April. You should pre-moisten the soil before sowing as dry soil is hard to get wet, plus you disturb the seed placement.
Later in the Week
- Tuesday/Thursday: Moon in the sign of Libra, Scorpio - Plant for root growth, divide perennials.
- Fruit trees are now available. You'll find the best selection of Peaches, Plums, Apricots, and others at your favorite garden center. When selecting varieties, check the ripening dates. You'll like to stagger the ripening times over the summer.
Other Things To-do
- Extend the life of cut roses and other cut flowers by first removing the foliage from the base of the stems as vegetation will foul the water in the vase. And second, recut the stem 1/4 inch daily. Finally, change the water daily to eliminate bacteria growth. Also with Carnations remove apples, bananas, and other ripening fruit from the room as the ethylene gas given off causes the flowers to droop or flag.