Welcome to Suzanne Summer's gardening by the moon. Garden by the Moon helps you plan when to sow, plant,  water and harvest on a monthly and seasonal basis. Buy online now or buy direct from Suzanne at gardener@clear.net.nz

                                    August

Capricorn                     The 19th this month sees the moon move into Capricorn. On Capricorn moon days there can be a tendency towards pessimism, frustration and depression. We won't suffer these mental states as long as we keep a garden – well maybe frustration at times. We can, however, use the Capricorn moon to help our negotiation skills. Discuss that invasive tree with your neighbour, perhaps plan a new boundary fence. You will more than likely come to an amicable business type agreement.

Leo                             When Leo rules the final quarter moon for the 2 ½ days from the 8th it's time to think about the onset of Spring and continue preparations for its arrival. Pull weeds, complete pruning, clean out gutters, shred any useful organic matter to add to the compost heap. It is a good idea to make a real effort to clear perennials of weeds this month. They will soon begin to grow and cover the bare soil which will deter future weed growth as the season continues. Clear weeds around rhubarb roots to enjoy early harvests..  

Virgo                          The moon passes from the influence of Leo to come under the spell of Virgo on the 10th this month. This is the same day the new moon is born. Although Virgo is a sign in which we do not normally sow and plant it may be worth while to set up a seed tray of, say, tomato seeds to put into a space in your hot water cupboard. Germination may not be as quick as normal but it is very early in the season and there is plenty of time to have another try later on 

Taurus                        The third quarter moon moves into Taurus twice this month both on the 2nd of the month and again on the 29th. Probably the 2nd of the month is a little early but by the 29th the soil will have warmed up that little bit more. Most varieties of carrots won't garminate unless the soil has warmed to around 7 degrees centigrade so if you live in a cooler area it's probably not worth trying yet but gardeners in warmer parts might want to sow a row of carrots and a row of parsnips to get the season underway.

Aquarius                                 Time again for harvesting when the moon moves into the air sign Aquarius on the 22nd this month at the end of the third quarter. Stone fruit, early pip fruit, tomatoes, peppers etc. will be ready for harvest and preserving now. This is a rewarding part of the gardener's year and we feel a little like squirrels as we build up our stores for the Winter. Sauces, jams and jellies are all loaded into bottles and jars. It is also a time when less advantaged friends will appreciate a gift of a bottle of sauce or jar of jam.

Pisces                                     The afternoon of the 24th this month sees the moon achieve fullnes as it moves into the water sign Pisces. Give the garden a good drenching if conditions are dry and apply liquid manures and foliar fertiliser where necessary. This is also a good time to check out your water systems as a whole. If you think you are not making the most of rain water in terms of collecting and storage facilities then do the rounds of garden centres and hardware establishments. You may be surprised at what is available these days.

Gemini                                     Just after the end of the third quarter the moon is influenced by the fire sign Gemini. This is one of the best parts of the month to harvest crops which need to be dried. Lift and dry onions and harvest herbs such as mint and rosemary for drying. Make sure you don't dry herbs in full sunlight as many of the essential oils will evapourate out. One way to dry herbs is to put them in muslin bags which will keep out some of the sun's rays and hang on the clothesline in a light breeze.

Gardeners have been aware for centuries of the cyclic effects the moon has on the growth of plants. A few people (Culpeper for instance) were aware of the influence of the zodiac signs. Today this knowledge is undergoing a type of renaissance as people delve through old records and find that many ideas and techniques which had fallen into disuse have a place in today's way of life. Basically the trick is to sow and plant when the moon is both waxing and in a fertile sign and cultivate, weed and eradicate pests and diseases when the moon is waning and in a barren sign. This means that there is an optimal time in each lunar month to perform each type of gardening activity, sowing, planting, harvesting, seed collection etc. By following the phases of the moon and its progression through the zodiac signs it is possible work in harmony with nature to achieve maximum enjoyment from the garden.

The basic activities in the various phases of the moon are :-

New moon brings in an upsurge of energy so we sow, plant, and transplant annuals which produce above ground crops. We avoid harvesting as rot sets in more quickly and we mow and trim if growth is to be encouraged.

1st quarter - the sap is still rising so carry on with more or less the same activities as in the new moon.

Full moon sees a peak in electromagnetic energies - the sap begins to flow downwards towards the roots so it is a favourable time to plant anything for which good root growth is important. We also harvest at this time as there is less chance of rot setting in.

4th quarter - is the barren time of the lunar cycle so it is an optimum time to weed and cultivate as well as harvesting. It is not a good time to sow and plant although transplanting can begin about 3 days before the new moon arrives.

In addition to all this the moon is always in one of the 12 zodiac signs and this adds to the formula as it is better to sow and plant when the moon is in a fertile zodiac sign, harvest in a fire or air sign etc.

Other very important considerations are climate, soil temperature, and season not to mention the fact that each set of rules has its set of exceptions.