February 2014 Overview

Welcome to the 2014 gardening season! Here’s the planting by the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac overview for February.

The moon

This being our only 28-day month is divided this year equally between light-moon and dark-moon days — just like the cycle of the phases and signs.

February begins with the moon in the light phase, the new moon having come into force Jan. 30. The light moon continues to rule until 6:53 p.m. E.S.T. Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) when the full moon takes over for the rest of the month and until the new moon comes back at 3 a.m. March 1.

When when the new — or light — moon rules, only light-moon activities. When the full — or dark — moon rules, proceed only with dark-moon activities.

Check “General Tips” for dark- and light-moon activities.

Light moon: Until 6:53 p.m. Feb. 14.

Dark moon: Remainder of Feb. 14 until 3 a.m. March 1.

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: Pisces (the feet), Feb. 1-2; Taurus (the neck), Feb. 5-7; Cancer (the breast), Feb. 10-12; and Scorpio (the secrets), Feb. 20-21. There are 10 days this month ruled by the fertile signs — Pisces, Taurus, Cancer and Scorpio. Would we could get that many in May and June —and maybe we will; I haven’t looked that far ahead.

Killing signs: No planting, transplanting, or dealing with things you want to thrive should occur on these days. Reserve them for cultivating, cleaning out fencerows — anything but planting: Aries (the head), Feb. 3-4 and Leo (the heart), Feb. 13-14. There are four killing days this month.

So-so days: These aren’t particularly fertile nor destructive, just so-so: Sagittarius (the thighs), Feb. 22-24; Capricorn (the knees), Feb. 25-26; and Aquarius (the legs), Feb. 27-28. There are seven days this month ruled by the so-so signs, Feb. 22-28.

Flowering days: These are “bloom days” and well suited for planting flowers — if there are any we can plant now and there aren’t unless they are indoors. There are five “bloom days” this month: Virgo (the bowels), Feb. 15-17; Libra (the reins), Feb. 18-19.

Gemini days: Gemini rules the arms and is in force Feb. 8-9.

General tips

Again, here are a few general tips for activities other than planting:

• If you have gravel to pour on a drive or roadway, do that in the light of the moon (through most of Feb. 14) so the gravel won’t sink. Same applies for stones on a garden path: Place them when the moon is in the light phase so they don’t sink.
• If you’re setting fence posts, do that in the light of the moon so the posts don’t sink.
• If you’re putting on a new shingle roof, do that when the moon’s in the dark phase so that the shingles stick down and don’t curl up on the ends. While this originally applied to cedar shakes, it is nonetheless applicable to modern shingles since the idea is for them to stick down, too, to keep the nasties outside!
• If you have changes to make like stopping smoking, starting a diet or exercise program, weaning small animals or children, scheduling elective surgery — anything that requires a change — here’s the formula: The moon in the dark phase and the signs are going out of the body, past anything that “functions” so that means thighs, knees, legs and feet — Sagittarius through Pisces.

We have seven full days perfectly suited, Feb. 22-28. On these days the moon will be in the dark phase and the sign in Sagittarius (the thighs) for three days, Capricorn (knees) for two and Aquarius (feet) for two days. All are signs ruling something that doesn’t function.

If you have elective surgery to schedule, there’s time and if you have changes to make there’s plenty of time to get yourself all psyched up to begin on the 22nd. There’ll be more and more days that perfectly suit the formula each month now as we move through the rest of winter into spring!