It would seem, neighbors, as if we’re in a “betwixt and between” time here with the statistical danger of frost and/or freezing weather – a topic we’ve certainly beaten to a pulp – still in the equation for the next couple of weeks, but the feel of almost-summer is in the air as I write this on Thursday.
And I fully realize that may have changed by now with the high just forecasted to be in the upper 50s today!
Keep in mind these warm, sunny days but cool nights when the furnace still comes on, provide a formula for keeping the soil temperature cool. That’s fine for those veggies that love cool air and soil but not good for those that love the heat.
Just try to be patient for another couple of weeks if you’re planting in the unprotected garden. It’s really not long now.
Here’s what’s up for the week ahead according to the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac.
The moon is in the light phase now, the new moon – or no moon visible in the night sky at first – having come into force at 3:19 a.m. Saturday. Until the next full moon on at 11:35 p.m. on May 5 – might as well wait until May 6 – plant only those veggies that produce above the ground.
The signs find the very fertile sign Taurus (the neck) ruling today and Monday. With the moon in the light phase, plant above-ground producers from the list.
And then we find a dilemma: Gemini (the arms) comes into force Tuesday and Wednesday with the moon in the light phase. Gemini is the bean sign and beans planted when Gemini is in force and the moon is in the light phase – which is what we will find – produce incredibly. This is, in fact, the perfect formula for beans!
Here’s the problem: There is still that statistical danger of frost we’ve been talking about for another two weeks. If you decide to take a chance and plant beans, there’s the risk you’ll lose them to a late frost or the ground may not be warm enough for them to even germinate – but there’s also a chance you could be the first around to have a mess of green beans!
Depending on the variety, bush beans take 50-60 days to mature. And if the soil’s warm, they’ll germinate in about 7-10 days. You do the math; you decide – all I’m doing is giving you the information!
Beans are warm weather and soil lovers. They don’t react well at all to very cool conditions – let alone frosts or freezes.
Two great general planting days for above-ground producers (still from the list unless you’re a risk taker) are on tap for Thursday and Friday. The moon is in the light phase and the sign will be in Cancer (the breast) one of the four most fruitful signs.
All planting should cease Saturday and next Sunday when the sign moves to Leo (the heart), one of the killing signs. And here again we have a killing sign falling on the weekend when so many of us do our gardening. We ran into this pattern last summer; I hope it doesn’t continue much further this year.
Anyway, don’t plant Saturday and next Sunday. Reserve the days for any gardening activities but planting.
Finishing out April and turning the page to the gorgeous month of May, we find a series flowering signs beginning on Monday, April 30 and continuing through Friday, May 4. Virgo (the bowels) rules the first three of those days, April 30-May 2, with Libra (the reins) finishing it out May 3-4.
Hit the flower outlets and put out your flowers, whether plants or seeds. They should bloom you proud!
Cool-weather lovers
Here, according to Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky, are those veggies that can be planted now, the ones that enjoy cool soil and air temperatures and can withstand frost, even light freezes: peas, snow peas, spinach, onion sets, radishes, rhubarb crowns, rutabaga, Irish potatoes and turnips, leaf lettuce, Bibb lettuce plants, lettuce head plants, onion plants.
How to be in touch
>E-mail pcase211@gmail.com or pcase@state-journal.com.
>Call or text (502) 682-5995 or call The State Journal at (502) 227-4556.
>My Twitter account is at full speed so join me @plantingbysigns. You can also visit plantingbythesigns.net and join in a more detailed discussion on my blog found there.
>And now I’m on Facebook. Just type in facebook.com/plantingbysigns and you’ll go to the site.
Please note there is no “the” in the Facebook address. You do not have to be a member of Facebook and this site is dedicated just to planting by the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac, not all that other information folks choose to share on Facebook.
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