May Overview

Phases and signs for May

Here is May’s Overview if you are planting your garden by the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac, and I certainly hope you are, whether your “garden” is an acre or a few pots on the patio

Since it is impossible for me to write specifically about every planting zone in the northern hemisphere, what you have before you is information based on planting in Central Kentucky, which is Zone 6 or 7 depending on who’s map you reference.

Just do an internet search or look in a gardening book for “planting zones” or “plant hardiness zones” and match up the colors with where you are then adjust this information accordingly. You can’t, for instance, be planting hot-weather-loving crops yet in Minnesota while we can in Kentucky!

The same goes for time zones. Times given here are Eastern Daylight; simply adjust for where you are.

Caution: Don’t plow if your ground is wet unless you want cloddy soil for the rest of the summer. And, of course, don’t plant in wet ground – that’s like setting plants or seeds in wet concrete!

Ember Days: May is one of those months that has three Ember Days, May 18, 20 and 21. Ember Days are super killing days when no planting should occur no matter what the phase of the moon or sign of the zodiac. Consider them like Aries and Leo days – no planting!

If you have questions, comments or need clarification, don’t hesitate to be in touch.

The moon

May begins and ends with the moon in the dark phase. The full – or dark - moon rules until 3:29 p.m. EDT on May 6 when the new moon – or no moon visible in the sky at first – comes to rule.

The light moon is then in force until the full moon returns at 5:14 p.m. May 21. The dark moon then rules until the new moon returns at 11 p.m. June 4.

“General Tips” for dark- and light-moon activities are below and for veggies, it’s above-ground producers in the light moon and below-ground producers when the dark phase is in. See below, too, about another bunch of great days for making changes.

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.

May begins with a very fertile sign in force, so that’s where we will start, too.

Fertile signs: The most fertile signs in the zodiac rule these days, in order of appearance this month: Pisces (the feet), May 1-2, 28-29; Taurus (the neck), May 5-6; Cancer (the breast), May 9-10; and Scorpio (the secrets), May 19. Nine days this month are ruled by the most fertile signs — Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus and Cancer.

Extra info: Since these are the absolute best signs to plant in, here’s how the moon phases match up for you to decide what to plant. Dark moon: May 1, 2, 5, 28-29, all days but May 5 are ruled by Pisces and it is ruled by Taurus. Light moon: May 9-10 (Cancer); 19-20 (Scorpio). May 20, however and unfortunately, is an Ember Day (see above for explanation) when no planting should occur.

The moon moves from dark to light in the mid-afternoon on May 6 with the fertile sign Taurus in force. You could conceivably plant below-ground producers until lunch and then above-ground producers after supper.

There are enough days ruled by fertile signs in May in both phases of the moon to plant your entire garden, if the weather permits and the ground is dry.

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), May 3-4, 30-31; and Leo (the heart), May 11-13. There are, unfortunately, SEVEN killing days this month ruled by either Leo or Aries, and that is unfortunate for a month so crucial for planting.

When coupled with the three Ember Days, that brings the total of no-plant days to a whopping 10 – and that’s a third of the month.

So-so days: These aren’t particularly fertile nor destructive, just so-so. And in a switch from the last couple of months, all occur at the end of May in this order: Sagittarius (the thighs), May 21-23; Capricorn (the knees), May 24-25; and Aquarius (the legs), May 26-27. There are seven days in May ruled by the three so-so signs.

All of these days - except May 21 when the moon moves from the light to the dark phase late in the afternoon - are under the dark moon, which makes them perfect for making changes, and when you include the four Pisces (feet) days on May 1-2, 28-29, there are 10 perfect days this month. See more about that below.

Flowering days: These are “bloom days” and well suited for planting flowers. It’s time now to hit the garden centers in your area and plan to make your yard the envy of the ‘hood this summer! If you plant on these bloom days and take care of the flowers, you will have a real show.

Virgo (the bowels), rules May 14-15; and Libra (the reins) is in force May 16-18. There are five flowering days this month. May 18, alas, is another of the three Ember Days when no planting should occur so that reduces the number to four.

Gemini days: Gemini (the arms) rules May 7-8. Gemini is the “bean sign” and well suited for peas, too, but it’s too late for peas now since they prefer cool weather (unless you are in a cool-weather location). But beans, now they love it hot. Both of these days are with the light moon in force so if you want to get out your first planting of beans and the danger of frost is in the past where you are, then these are your days.

General tips

Here are a few general tips for activities other than planting:

>If you have gravel to pour on a drive or roadway, do that when the light moon rules beginning May 7 through all but the evening hours of May 21. The 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.

>As mentioned above, there are 10 perfect days this month for making changes when the moon is in the dark phase and the signs are going out of the body past anything that functions. Those days are May 1-2 and then 22-29.

So, if you have changes to make like weaning babies or small animals, scheduling elective surgery – not emergency surgery since that usually can’t be “scheduled,” stopping smoking, starting a diet or exercise program then you have a lot of opportunities this month.

>If you are starting your own plants, remember: If the grown plant produces above the ground, plant the seed and transplant to peat pots when the moon is in the light phase and a fertile sign rules. The converse, of course, is true for below-ground producers: dark phase/fertile sign.

Then when you plant in the garden follow the same formula. At that point you’ve done all you can do to ensure success – coupled with good gardening practices.