Planting by the Farmer's Almanac

I usually always plant by the Farmer's Almanac. According to the FA, today and tomorrow are the best days this month to plant above ground crops. But of course, I also like to plant on Good Friday. Mostly though, I prefer the FA.

I took the weekend off from work just to plant most of my garden. My DH knew better than to refuse my request for time off from the accounting practice. ;-) You know that I'm in "hog heaven" playing in the dirt. LOL My garden areas are all tested, manured, peat mossed, tilled, and raked. All I have to do is get out there tomorrow and plant from sun up to sun down and pray that I finish planting everything. I'm setting my alarm for 5 AM just so I can get caffeined up with lots of coffee in preparation for all of the work that lies ahead of me. I'll be planting green peppers, red peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, buttercruch and romaine lettuce, cucumbers, cantaloupes, lots of herbs, green beans, and >100 tomato plants. Hopefully I'll be able to locate some sweet banana pepper plants (that I haven't been able to find so far) that I can plant on Good Friday. If not, I'll have to wait until sometime in April when it's time to plant above ground crops again.

How many of you plant by the Farmer's Almanac or on Good Friday?

I use another astrological source than the farmers almanac however astrology being a mathmatical science - they of course agree - on Good Friday the moon will be in libra which is good for flowers
but not vegetables

The farmer's almanac changes with the actual astrological events - planting by a fixed date - whether Good Friday or St Pat's will give inconsistent results because it is not the same moon sign on the same fixed date each year with the way the earth's rotation works and all. Would that it was that way - life woud be a lot more predictable.

I planted on 3/9 instead of 3/17 because the new moon in water sign fell on the 9th this year.
I also planted on Saturday because it was sun and moon in water and I was at work on Friday.

my two cents

I plant by when Diane wants to guide.

For those interested: Farmers Almanac & More
Gary/Louisville

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http://www.almanac.com/ - Since 1792, The Old Farmer's Almanac has published useful information for people in all walks of life: tide tables for those who live near the ocean; sunrise tables and planting charts for those who live on the farm; recipes for those who live in the kitchen; and forecasts for those who don't like the question of weather left up in the air. "Our main endeavour is to be useful, but with a pleasant degree of humour."


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http://www.polisci.com/almanac/almanac.htm - This portion of the PoliSci.com web site is dedicated to preserving the information available in the print version of the The Political Reference Almanac's 1999-2000 edition for free on-line use. Although the information made available here is in most respects identical to that found in print, the manner in which it is presented and the final editing of the printed work ensures some discrepancies between the two.

Somebody shoot me. LOL I planted all day long, and every muscle in my body hurts. However, I still didn't finish. I still have more tomatoes and the bush beans to plant. I probably would have finished if I hadn't stopped to wrap the base of every tomato plant in aluminum foil for cutworm protection. That really slowed me down. But if you have ever seen what a cutworn does to a newly planted tomato plant as I have, you try to protect them. It's time to drag myself into work. I'm working the late shift today, and I've been informed by my DH that I have a zillion tax returns to put together. Ugh! Talk to you folks later. :-)

Gosh, I'm still slinging mounds of compost. I wished I hadn't started such a large garden. Now my DH won't let me back off. He ordered 2 truckloads(I'm not exaggerating) of compost and they dumped it in the middle of my garden and it all has to get spread out and moved before I can plant anything. I think he had them put it there on prupose so I'd have to move it and not just put it off. I had a weedend of compost in my ears, up my nose, and in my eyes. Then I get to use the tiller thing. Should be interesting. Every muscle in my ribs and shoulders and arms hurts.
-Juli

Oh, y'all know that when harvest time comes, you'll forget all about those aching backs and sore muscles, and it will all be worth it, lol. Well, at least I will, once I taste that first ripe tomato.

David

Yep, the corn too.
-Juli

I sure hope it doesn't rain this Friday. I'll be finishing up planting the rest of my tomatoes and green beans. Yup, I informed the DH that I was taking the day off, but I'll be working some of the weekend to make up for my gardening emergency. The way I figure it, I'll end up with right at 120 tomato plants in the ground give or take a few. So far, I've planted only 24 of them. I have a long way to go! I've spaced the ones I've planted so far 3 feet apart with 41/2-5 feet separating each row. As it looks now, I probably won't be planting but a few of my self-watering planters with tomatoes. Most all will be in the ground. I'll be hurtin' for certain Saturday from all the bending and stooping. Later folks! Time to head into work for the late shift to put together tax returns, tax returns, and more tax returns. Ugh!

Lordy, lordy, girlfriend! How many different varieties and how many of each are you planting?
-Juli

I rained today dagnabbit! I figured that I might as well go into work and did. I ended up staying until after 7:00 PM. Hopefully it won't rain tomorrow, and I can get out there and finish planting my garden.

Juli, I'm not really sure how many varieties I'll end up planting. I sowed around 60 different ones. I am going to try to fit as many in as possible. I especially want to grow all the ones I have that Carolyn features in her book on heirloom tomatoes. Her descriptions on their taste had my mouth watering for sure. LOL I will be growing at least 2 of each variety that I plant. Of course, I'll be planting 4-5 of the ones I plan to save seeds from like Rutgers and Aunt Madge.

How is your garden coming along? Have you planted anything yet? :-)

Terri

Terri and others,

I do hope you read on page ix of my book where it says "my criteria were", continuing onto page x b/c not every single one of the varieties in my book are personal favorites as I explained on those two pages.

Exempted would be 1-2 of the commercial heirlooms such as Matchless, which really is Quarter Century but especially the fruit named varieties and Green Zebra, which has never been a fave of mine.

But you should be able to tell that from what I wrote. LOL

There were some varieties that I included simply b/c so many others seem to like them, and Amish Paste, whch isn't a paste, is one example,

But of the 100 featured I'd say 90% are really my faves and of course since the book was published I have new faves as well, and if I were writing the book now there would be some different varieties included.

Also look at the varieties listed at the bottom of the first page of the Field Guide since there were several varieties I wanted to include but when seed was sown, my own saved seed in most cases, it was crossed so those varieties could not be photographed.

Carolyn

Terri, I have a yearly calendar, and the book, Planting by the Moon. The calendar is from www.gardeningbythemoon.com and I buy one every year now. This will be the first year I will follow it on planting suggestions. BTW, they recommend transplanting tomatoes March 27-28, Moon in Scorpio, for medium season zones. Obviously still too cold here for me to do so. Comes around again April 24-25 and May 21-22.

Interestingly enough, the book also has tips on things like when to get haircuts to avoid fast growth, and when to have teeth extracted for minimal bleeding. I followed that advice for the last molar I had pulled and almost didn't bleed enough to make a clot in the socket so that I didn't get a dry socket.

I use the gardening by the moon calendar as well. Weather here can sure be disruptive though LOL. My favorite book on the subject is Astrological Gardening. And in January I cut my boys' hair on the right day. It has just barely grown, will cut again today!
This calendar is at risk of not being available any longer. So if you want one next year, tell your friends!

"Help save this site!" http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/month.html

Hey Terri,
The only things I've got put in the ground are the berries right now. The toms have gotten potted up once. The Rutgers and Andrew Reyharts that you sent me(thank you!)are almost ready to pot up. The Briannas don't have the first leaves yet. They seems so slow. Or it just could be me like the lady on the Mervyns commercial tapping her fingers on the window of the store,"Open, open, open."
-Juli

Darius, I read the very same thing about the moon in Scorpio. I'm not sure why but my copy of the farmer's almanac says the moon is in Scorpio on Monday, March the 28th and Tuesday the 29th. Perhaps my area is different or something. I can't take the day off today, but I plan to tomorrow since I worked all weekend long. It's been raining like crazy here the last few days, and it's too wet to plant today anyway, not to mention that it's supposed to be very windy later this afternoon. Please God, don't let it rain tomorrow!

Terri

Terri, my moon calendar shows the moon went into Scorpio at 2:00 yesterday afternoon (Sunday) and exits at 2AM tomorrow morning, Tuesday. My calendar covers all 4 time zones in the US so it can be off as much as 4 hours. I used to have a good ephemeris so I could be accurate for my area but it was only good through the end of 1999. I need a new one.

Shucks, I don't even know what an ephemeris is! LOL I was just going by what my 2005 Grier's and Harris' Farmer's Almanacs says. It sure doesn't have it down by the hour. It only has it day by day. Maybe they figured since the moon was in Scorpio for part of the day, they would count it. Well, at least I know who to blame if I have a bad tomato crop, eh? LOL

Terri

It is cool, I got one, but can't read it all yet. As far as what the almanac says, there is something very important to understand if you use an almanac as opposed to a planting calendar like Darius and I have. They simply give the sign for the day, it is not even the reigning sign, just whatever it happens to be at amidnight. Pretty much like Terri said:

"Maybe they figured since the moon was in Scorpio for part of the day, they would count it. Well, at least I know who to blame if I have a bad tomato crop, eh?"

So if at 2:00 AM, the sign changes from good to bad, you wouldn't know it from the almanac. The main problem with this is, a water sign, which is often the best for planting, is ALWAYS followed by a fire sign, which if often the worst for planting. So yes, you really take your chances with an almanac. Get a planting calendar HINT HINT http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com

It is cheaper than an ephemeris! AND prettier, and in PLAIN ENGLISH LOL (Except it has to be bought every year)

Here is what the inside looks like...

I tried to take a close up of my (same) calendar showing the small print under each day... shows what sign, and when. Unfortunately, my camera seems not to want to talk to my computer... might have a bad memory stick. Sorry.

I think that photo is for April. I did it a while back and can't recall, but April 1st in on Friday, so that makes sense. Wish everyone had one of these...

Yes, I love mine, (thanks again, darius!) even though l was reading it incorrectly for the first three months I had it. Some of us are a little slow to catch on but eventually we get there.

ORDERING MINE TODAY!!! Thanks for the tip.

Okay, I'm getting a couple, too. Hope they are able to keep printing.

Me, too, although it sounds like more of "we can no longer give away each month's calendar for free to be downloaded" on the website.

I buy wholesale from them, this really is a do or die (kill whole business) situation. I too love their calendar and would hate to see their whole business go under...

Here's the photo I took of a close-up showing the times the moon is in a specific sign...

I, too, would hate to see them go under. Sure, I could get an ephemeris and make my own calendar each year, but buying one is SO convenient!

I have an ephemeris, and can't imagine how much time it would take to make my own calendar!

I like to plant when the sun is positioned over the earth such that the soil becomes warmed. I am usually in bed for the stars and the moon. The adages and jokes in the Old Farmer's Almanac are amusing though.

2 funny! Shouldn't you be in bed now?

That reminds me of my weird neighbor. He tills his garden under the moonlight. Oh yeah, I'm serious. I keep my distance from him. LOL

Anyone still enjoying their calendar?

Yep! I have some tomatoes to plant today, moon in scorpio prior to the full moon!!!!!

I don't till the garden in the moonlight but I do hunt slugs with a flashlight. I suppose the neighbors would think I'm weird if any of them ever stayed up past sundown or got up before sunrise! LOL

LOL!

My DH has been out there in the moonlight with a bb gun shooting at the rabbits, does that count for something?
-Juli

sounds like moon-hunting to me LOL