Phases and Signs for September

Here’s information for September on the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac. I’m writing in Central Kentucky, USDA Planting Zone 6B, and all times given are Eastern Daylight Saving.

Adapt the information accordingly to your location and time zone.

Except for leaf lettuce, radishes and spinach, planting in the unprotected garden is over for 2017 (in 6B and further north) with the average date for first frost fast approaching.

You can still plant in hot beds or greenhouses that can be closed during cold snaps.

      Ember Days: I like to remind you early when there are Ember Days coming up – and there are some Sept. 20, 22-23. No planting on Ember Days, super killing signs.

      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, preferably when fertile signs are in force.

The moon

      September began and ends with the moon in the light phase – seems as if it’s been that way forever. The light moon rules until the full moon appears at 3:03 a.m. EDT on Sept. 6 and then returns at 1:30 a.m. Sept. 20, continuing until the full moon on Oct. 5 at 2:40 p.m.

      The dark moon rules all but three hours and three minutes of Sept. 6 through all of Sept. 19, and a couple of hours on Sept. 20.

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 and no planting sowhatever (as a late friend of mine used to say) on those Ember Days.

      Like August, September begins with our first series of so-so signs – and ends with the second. So, that’s where we will begin and knock out 10 days ruled by so-so signs – a third of this 30-day month!

      So-so days: These aren’t particularly fertile nor destructive, just so-so. They appear in this order in September: Capricorn (the knees), Sept. 1, 27-29; Aquarius (the legs), Sept. 2-4 and 30-Oct. 1; and Sagittarius (the thighs), Sept. 25-26. All are under the influence of the light moon.

        Fertile days: These are the most fertile signs in the zodiac. Here’s the breakdown as they occur this month and the phase of the moon in which they are in force.

          Pisces (the feet), Sept. 5-6, light moon on the 5th, dark moon on the 6th; Taurus (the neck), Sept. 9-10, dark moon; Cancer (the breast) Sept. 13-14, dark phase; and Scorpio (the secrets), Sept. 22-24, light moon ruling.

          Again, this month there are nine days ruled by the most fertile signs: Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus and Cancer.

     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), Sept. 7-8; and Leo (the heart), Sept. 15-17. There are five days ruled by the killing signs.

      Gemini days: Gemini (the arms) rules Sept. 11-12. This is the best sign for planting beans. Wherever you are, remember they can’t stand frost or freezing weather.

     Flowering days: These are “bloom days” and well suited for planting flowers. Here’s the breakdown: Virgo (the bowels), rules Sept. 18-19 and Libra (the reins) is up Sept. 20-21. There are four flowering days in September, the minimum.

      Ember Days: Sept. 20, 22-23. No planting, thus knocking out one of our flowering days.

      First day of Autumn:  Sept. 22, 4:02 p.m. – on one of the Ember Days.

September tips

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

      >Pouring gravel: If you have gravel to pour on a drive or roadway, do that when the light moon rules through Sept. 5 and then beginning after 1:30 a.m. Sept. 20 through Oct 4. 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.

      >Making changes: There is only one perfect day this month for making changes and that is Sept. 6 when the moon is in the dark phase and sign is in Pisces (the feet).

      If you are looking for the perfect day – and notice I say day - to wean animals or children, stop smoking, start a diet or exercise program, schedule elective surgery – anything that requires a change – then Sept. 6 is it!

      Your other options then become going with half of the formula: either signs going out of the body beyond anything that functions or when the dark moon is in force.

      Details about both are above.