Time for late planting winding down; August overview | Spectrum

Signs: Through Monday, flowering; Tuesday and Wednesday, very fertile; Thursday through 14, so-so.

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Before I share the August overview with you, quickly here’s what’s left of the list of veggies that can still be planted in the unprotected fall garden and have at least a statistical chance of making it to harvest before frost, according to “Home Gardening in Kentucky.”As you can see, the list is growing shorter.

Last date just passed: Broccoli plants, kale, kohlrabi, Bibb lettuce plants, parsley, snow peas, summer squash

Through Aug. 10: Beets, turnips

Through Aug. 15: Leaf lettuce

Through Aug. 20: Collards

Now three days into the month, here’s the August overview for those planting in late summer gardens and fall gardens. If you have questions or need clarification, please be in touch. I love questions.

After months of the dark moon beginning and ending the month, the pattern changed in August with the light moon in force as the month began and the new (light) moon up for Aug. 30 to end the month.

The new moon — or no moon visible in the sky — came to rule during the last hour of July and continues until the full moon at 8:29 a.m. on Aug. 15. Then the new moon is back on Aug. 30 at 6:37 a.m.

Breaking it down, the light moon rules until 8:29 a.m. Aug. 15 when the dark moon takes over until the light moon returns — one more time — on Aug. 30. When the light moon is in force, plant above-ground producers and when the dark moon rules it’s below-ground producers.

As the days get shorter and cooler, be mindful of what you plant in the unprotected garden. Check the date to maturity on seed packets and transplants and realize there are those veggies that can no longer be planted and be expected to make it to harvest before frost — statistically anyway.

Ideally, check the signs and plant when one of the fertile signs rules. Don’t plant when either of the killing signs, Aries or Leo, is in force. If you can only utilize one aspect of the system, I would suggest going with the moon phases.

Remember: Check to see if the moon is in the light or dark phase (information above) before proceeding with any planting anywhere, or other activities.

August began with the killing sign Leo (the heart) ruling for the first day, so we’ll begin by reviewing the remaining days ruled by the killing signs.

Killing days: No planting, transplanting or dealing with things you want to thrive should occur on these days. Reserve them for cultivating your garden, cleaning out fence rows — anything but planting.

Here’s when they rule in August: Aries (the head), Aug. 18-20; and Leo (the heart) Aug. 27-28; and. There are five days remaining this month ruled by killing signs.

Flowering days: Virgo (the bowels) rules today then Aug.  29-30; and Libra (the reins) is up for Aug. 4-5, 31 — and Sept. 1, also. There are plenty of perfect days for you to get out those fall mums when they become available.

These are bloom days and flowers planted when they rule should bloom and do so abundantly. I would strongly suggest avoiding planting veggies when bloom signs are in force since more energy goes toward blooming than setting fruit.

Fertile days: These are the most fertile signs in the zodiac. Here they are accompanied by the phase of the moon in which they occur this month.

Scorpio (the secrets), Tuesday through Wednesday, light moon; Pisces (the feet), Aug. 15-17, dark moon; Taurus (the neck) rules Aug. 21-22, dark moon; and Cancer (the breast) Aug. 25-26, dark moon.

There are nine days this month ruled by the most fertile signs: Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus and Cancer, down from 12 in July. Only two of the nine — Tuesday through Wednesday, the Scorpio days — are with the light moon in force. The rest are under the dark moon for below-ground producers.

These nine days are the absolute best days for planting, if possible.

So-so days: These aren’t particularly fertile nor destructive, just so-so. Sagittarius (the thighs), Thursday through Saturday; Capricorn (the knees), Aug. 11-12; and Aquarius (the legs), Aug. 13-14. There are seven days this month ruled by the so-so signs, all with the light moon ruling.

Bean/pea days: Gemini (the arms) rules Aug. 23-24, dark moon rules. According to the chart I use from “Home Gardening in Kentucky,” the last day for planting beans and statistically hoping they can make it to harvest has past — and those August bean dates are very late and given it takes 50-60 days for the beans to make it from seed to your kitchen that puts harvest toward the end of October. Possible but risky.

Plus, both days are when the dark moon is in force. If I were putting out one more late planting of beans, I would do it earlier in the month when the very fertile sign Scorpio rules (Tuesday through Wednesday) and the moon is in the light phase.

Making changes: If you have changes to make like stopping smoking, starting a diet or exercise program, weaning small children or animals, scheduling elective surgery — anything that requires making a change — the best time for that is when the moon is in the dark phase and the signs are going out of the body beyond anything that functions.

There are just three perfect days this month, Aug. 15-17, with the moon moving to the dark phase on Aug. 15 and the sign in Pisces (the feet).

Pouring gravel: If you have gravel to pour on a drive or road on your farm, do that when the light moon rules and that’s through 14, 30-31 and on into September.

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 phase of the moon so the posts don’t sink.