Derby Weekend great for planting, too!

Get lots of your garden in the ground

Welcome to Kentucky Derby 142 Weekend! If you’re in Kentucky, then it ranks right up there with Christmas as a national holiday. It’s our Super Bowl and World Series and we celebrate it for two or more weeks before the Run for the Roses on Saturday.

And, of course, don’t forget to honor Mom on Sunday – right before or after you’ve planted some bush beans or half runners.

Along with being a great weekend for horse racing and all the attendant festivities, it is going to be a dandy for planting if you’re ground is dry enough. Just adjust this information to your planting and time zones.

Unless we experience a true weather anomaly, the statistical danger of frost and/or freezing weather should pass this weekend from planting zones 6 and 7 on south. According to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, most of Kentucky is in Zone 6a.

Read on and see how you can conceivably plant your entire garden if you’re in Zone 7 on south beginning Friday and continuing through May 10. It is one great stretch, particularly for above-ground producers.

The moon is in the dark phase now but that will change at 3:29 p.m. EDT Friday, May 6, when the new moon comes to rule, heralding two weeks of light moon until the next full moon at 5:14 p.m. on May 21.

Planting: Through lunch on Friday be planting only those veggies that produce beneath the ground. Then beginning after supper Friday and until the next full moon on May 21, only those that produce above the ground.

The fertile sign Taurus (the neck) rules Friday. Until lunch on Friday will be great for below-ground producers then beginning after supper Friday when the moon has moved into the light phase you may plant above-ground producers like the much-cherished tomato plant!

Good times continue Saturday and Sunday when Gemini (the arms) comes to rule. Gemini is the bean sign and beans planted when Gemini is in force and the moon is in the light phase should produce and do so abundantly. Old timers say beans planted in Gemini in the light moon will grow as long as your arms and continue to produce. Personally, I haven’t witnessed the first half of that equation but certainly have the second!

Still a doubter? Give it a try.

Great general fertile planting returns May 9-10 when the sign moves to Cancer (the breast) another of the four most fruitful signs. On either of these days you may plant anything that produces above the ground and not worry about frost and or freezing weather unless things get really weird.

Then you can take a rest from your hard work May 11-13 when Leo (the heart), the other killing sign, comes into force.

With seven days ruled by the killing signs Aries and Leo this month and an additional three that are Ember Days (May 18, 20 and 21), we have 10 no-planting days – almost a third of May’s 31 days! Two of the killing days have passed on May 3-4, but there are still eight to come. So, when there are good days like we’re going to have for the next few, take advantage of them if your ground is dry.