Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Planting by the Moon's Phases

Phase: New Moon - First Quarter
Application: Sow and tend hardy above ground plants, Best time for pruning & cutting
Plants: Broccoli, Cabbages, Cauliflower, Celery, Corn, Flowers, Grasses, Herbs, Lettuces, Spinach, Sprouts


Phase: First Quarter - Full Moon
Application: 

Plant cane fruits and watery/fleshy fruits, Sow vine plants


Plants: Beans, Cantaloupe, Cucumbers, Currants, Eggplant, Flowering Sweet Peas, Gooseberries, Grapes, Loganberries, Melons, Peas, Peppers, Raspberries, Runner Beans, Squash, Tomatoes

Phase: Full Moon - Last Quarter
Application: 

Plant root crops, bulb plants, large rooted plants

Plants: Beets, Bulbs, Carrots, Garlic, Irises, Onions, Peonies, Parsnips, Peanuts, Potatoes, Radishes, Root crops, Spring bulbs, Turnips

Phase: Last Quarter - New Moon
Application: Weed and turn the flower beds, prune deadwood and burn leaves
Plants: --

Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Root crops - potatoes, carrots, radishes
Transplanting

Air Signs: Libra, Gemini, Aquarius
Harvest & cultivate
Harvesting (4th Quarter) - preserve fruits & vegetables for storage
Libra - flowers & herbs
Gemini - melons
Aquarius - onions

Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Harvesting
Seed crops
Leo - weeding & cultivation
Harvesting (4th Quarter) - preserve fruits & vegetables for storage

Water Signs: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio
All planting

Aries- A fire sign. Barren and dry. Harvest root and fruit for storage. Cultivate, destroy weeds and pests.

Taurus- An earth sign. Productive and moist. Second best for planting and transplanting. Good for root crops and potatoes, especially when hardiness is important. Also a good sign for leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage and spinach.

Gemini- An air sign. Barren and dry. Harvest root and fruit for storage. Cultivate, destroy weeds and pests. Melon seeds respond well in this sign.

Cancer- A water sign. Very fruitful and moist. The best sign for all planting and transplanting. Also good for grafting, and irrigation.

Leo- A fire sign. Very barren and dry. Cultivate, harvest root and fruit for storage. An excellent time to destroy weeds and pests in the fourth quarter.

Virgo- An earth sign. Barren and moist. Some flowers and vines are favored by it. Cultivate and destroy weeds and pests.

Libra- An air signs. Semi-fruitful and moist. Best sign for planting beautiful and fragrant flowers, vines and herbs. Good for planting pulpy stems like kohlrabi, and root crops.

Scorpio- A water sign. Very fruitful and moist. Best planting sign for sturdy plants and vines. Tomatoes like to be transplanted in Scorpio, and it is a good sign for corn and squash. Graft or prune in the third and fourth quarter to retard growth and promote better fruit. A good sign for irrigation and transplanting.

Sagittarius- A fire sign. Barren and dry. Harvest roots and onions for storage, and plant onion sets and fruit trees. A good sign in which to cultivate the soil.

Capricorn- An earth sign. Productive and dry. Good for planting potatoes and other root crops, and for encouraging strong hardy growth. Good for grafting, and pruning to promote healing, and applying organic fertilizer.

Aquarius- An air sign. Barren and dry. Harvest root and fruit for storage. Cultivate, destroy weeds and pests. Good for planting onion sets.

Pisces- A water sign. Very productive and moist. Second best sign for planting and transplanting. Especially good for root growth and irrigation.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Ramblings

Wow, do the chicks grow fast! Its almost time to move them to a larger place. They're beginning to smell up the house like "chickens". I don't want a hen-house smelling home! Unfortunately that means moving them downstairs into the barn, but its still too cold, so I'll have to set up a heater and a nice place for them to keep warm. They're not completely feathered out, of course, so keeping them warm is very important.


The smallest one, the black Showgirl, died. I buried it under the Hydrangea in front of the barn. Once its had time to completely decompose I'll dig up the bones. Can't have enough bones!


The Curly Willows that I have grown from cuttings are now planted and, like their parent trees, are budding out and looking great. I transplanted a small apple tree (one of those 5-fruits-on-one-tree deals) which looks like it will do fine also. There are 4 more I need to transplant as well, leaving 1 other where it is (there are 6 total 5-fruits-on-one-tree's that we bought 2 Springs ago). I also dug up a shitload of Daffodil bulbs from the pasture and transplanted them around Czar's Memorial Tree and the mailbox. They're taking nicely and should be blooming soon - some already have.


I've seen the Robins returning. They're our definite signs of Spring. Plus the flocks (I'm mean flocks!) of Blackbirds. The Geese have been flying overhead also. We seem to be at the "meeting" point where they all join together and continue on. We see 2 or 3 flocks calling from a couple of miles apart, join together almost directly above our property, maybe divide up a bit, but in larger groups, and then continue on. Very interesting to watch as they get all mixed up, decide who will lead, then straighten out into their V-formation and fly off.


We've been looking at property in Idaho - wow is it gorgeous there! Awesome views. If we do move, it will totally suck getting all the animals and everything else packed up and on the road! Moving is bad enough, but when you have a whole farm to move - damn! :)


I'll be doing another money ritual for the full moon....lots we need, and lots we want! I have my Magick Lamp and my Money Jar Spell which I'll use for the ritual. They're full of energy and will certainly bring manifestation. They've certainly helped so far!


Thank you, to the Gods!