Gardening by the Moon in January 2010

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Well as you all know we’ve still got over 8 inches of snow here and at 9am it was -5 and snowing lightly (what happened to the ‘too cold to snow’?).

So, weather permitting,in January this means that you should be sowing at the following times:

Roots: sow seed on 6th – 8th, 16th – 17th and 25th – 27th. Early radishes can be sown in a cold frame.

Fruits: sow seed on 3rd – 5th, 13th – 14th, 23rd – 24th and 31st. Broad beans and peas can be sown under cover in individual pots in mild areas.

Leaves: sow seed on 2nd, 11th – 12th, 20th – 22nd and 29th (after 10am). Lettuce, leeks and salad greens can be sown the under cover in mild areas. Rhubarb crowns can be planted provided there is no danger of frost.

Harvesting in January

Various factors influence the quality and preservation of fruit and vegetables after harvest. As a general rule, choose an ascending Moon for harvesting plant parts that grow above ground and a descending
Moon for parts that grow below ground, but avoid the perigee, lunar nodes and stormy weather. Fruit and vegetables that do not store well will last much longer if you avoid harvesting during Water signs and constellations (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces).

Harvest your root vegetables from 2nd to 11th (before noon) and from 27th to 28th and 31st January when the Moon is descending, the best days to harvest are between 3rd – 8th (before noon), 27th and 31st.

Harvest all other vegetables from 13th to 14th and from 16th to 26th January when the Moon is ascending, the best harvesting days are 13th – 14th, 27th and 31st

Preparing the Land:

Prepare the land where you will be growing root vegetables on 6th – 8th, 16th – 17th and 25th – 27th January
Prepare the land where you will grow leaf vegetables on 2nd, 11th – 12th, 20th – 22nd and 29th (after 10am) January.
Prepare the land where you will grow fruit and fruiting vegetables on on 3rd – 5th, 13th – 14th, 23rd – 24th and 31st January

Prepare the land where you will grow flowers and vegetables that you eat the flower of on 9th – 10th (before 1pm), 18th – 19th and 28th January.

No work or harvesting should be done in the garden on 1st descending node, 15th ascending node, 29th (am) descending node and 30th perigree.