Welcome to 2011 – now several days old!
I must say I’m trying to get excited about the 2011 gardening season but that’s difficult considering most of the United States is getting zapped repeatedly by cold and snow.
Not only is it cold and snowing where it’s supposed to, it’s cold and snowing in the Deep South – where it’s NOT supposed! How can we talk about plowing and planting when the garden’s buried beneath the white stuff!
But I have faith the thaw will come and in the meantime we can use these days to make plans for our gardens in 2011 and in those plans I hope you’re planning to utilize planting by the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac to make your good garden even better.
With prices continuing to rise on just about everything, I imagine more and more people will be wanting to raise at least some of their own food, even if it’s just a few tomato plants by the deck or in a barrel. Every veggie we grow is one we don’t have to buy, plus there’s the satisfaction of watching it grow.
No matter the size of your “garden” – be it a quarter of an acre or a couple of pots – planting by the phases and signs can enhance your efforts. At its base it’s just about planting when the moon and zodiac signs are most favorable and that’s not hard to do at all when you follow what I’ll tell you through the planting season.
I know there are other sites that provide similar information. Why I’m suggesting mine is simple: It’s SIMPLE! I’ll just tell you what to plant when based on the phase of the moon and sign of the zodiac without any in-depth explanations of astrological tables, etc.
I’ve learned all this by listening to those who follow this system, by reading material written about and by those who have – and perhaps most importantly in my own garden.
What I have here for you today is an overview of what’s left of the month of January – moon’s phases and zodiac signs. I’ll do this at the beginning of every month or you can visit @plantingbysigns on Twitter and see the information more narrowly defined there if you’re a member of Twitter.
And if not, then you can see my tweets at twitter.com/plantingbysigns.
For my blog, which is before you, go to plantingbythesigns.net.
Now, the rest of January.
The Moon
Please note: All times given here are Eastern Daylight Time. Just adjust for your time zone.
The moon is in the light phase now and will remain there until the first full moon of 2011 comes into force at 4:21 p.m. Jan. 19.
The dark moon then rules for the remainder of the month and until the new moon at 9:31 p.m. Feb. 2 – Groundhog Day! Thus the first full day of the dark moon’s rule is Jan. 20 and it continues through most of Feb. 2 with the new moon coming to rule at 9:31 p.m. that day.
The Signs
Remember: Check to see if the moon is in the light or dark phase (information above) before proceeding with planting or other activities, indoors or out.
Fertile signs: the most fertile signs in the zodiac rule these days. Jan. 13-14, Taurus (the neck); Jan. 17-18, Cancer (the breast); and Jan. 26-28, Scorpio (the secrets).
Killing signs: No planting, transplanting, or dealing with things you want to thrive should occur on these days. Reserve them for cultivating, cleaning out fence rows, removing debris from your old garden – anything but planting: Jan. 11-12, Aries (the head); Jan. 19-21, Leo (the heart).
So-so days: These aren’t particularly fertile nor destructive, just so-so: Jan. 29-30, Sagittarius (the thighs); Jan. 31, Capricorn (the knees).
Flowering days: These are “bloom days” and well suited for planting flowers but only indoor ones in pots, planters, and/or that greenhouse you got for Christmas since it’s the blooms we’re after: Jan. 22-23, Virgo (the bowels); Jan. 24-25, Libra (the reins).
Gemini days: Gemini (bean days) rules the arms and is in force on Jan. 15-16.
And there you have what’s left of the month of January.
If you’re planting in a greenhouse, potting, re-potting, etc., remember if it’s veggies, plant below-ground producers during the dark of the moon and above-ground producers during the light phase. And do so during a fertile sign!
