Gardening by the Moon in December

FIRST QUARTER
Friday, 2 December 2011
Garden: 
  • Finish planting any seeds needed for continuity, including late sunflowers and flowers for autumn colour. ( Zinnias, gaillardia, cosmos, marigolds...)
  • keep up regular watering and nutrient maintenence,
  • Foliar feed 3 days before the full moon - regular foliar seaweed could save many pest and disease problems if your soil health is not yet ideal.
  • Watch for sheild bugs
Orchard: 
  • Watch moisture levels, check young trees carefully
  • Watch for bronze beetle damage, pear slug and cicada damage
  • Foliar spray with seaweed, vermiliquid.
FULL MOON
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Garden: 

Give foliar feed and keep up watering

Feed tomatoes and peppers with liquid comfrey weekly from now on for maximum crops.

Orchard: 
  • Monthly fish and phyter or liquid seaweed or vermiliquid as necessary to prevent disease and strengthen cell tissue and soil micro-organisms in the orchard
  • Summer prune stone fruit as fruit has finished from each tree - you'll have less diseases and the Autumn growth will grow where you need it
FIRST QUARTER
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Garden: 
  • Prick out any seedlings as necessary
  • Keep up watering
  • carefully observe all plants - they'll tell you if they need some more water, nutrients, help with pest control, tying up or more space.... This is a very important time to take good care of tomatoes and peppers.
Orchard: 
  • You should be able to have a break for a few weeks now if you're up to date!
  • Time to begin picking the fruit and enjoying the season!
NEW MOON
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Garden: 
  • Water carefully, using fingers to make sure that the ground is getting wet where you need the moisture.
  • Harvest garlic and onions, if ready
  • Weed and prepare beds, aerate surface of all unmulched beds with hoe, niwashi etc
  • Sow late crops of cucumbers, courgettes, beans and basil
  • Sow peas, rocket and corriander in shade
  • plan and sow seed for Autumn crops like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, silverbeet, spinach, celery, carrots, beetroot, endive, brussels sprouts, kale swedes, turnips and radish, daikon
  • Continue regular foliar feeds of gross feeders with liquid comfrey or liquid manure, and foliar feeding with fish, seaweed or growth foliar
  • transplant leeks into garden for Autumn, Winter use
  • Sow seed for late Autumn / Winter / early spring flowering - snap dragon, calendula, marigold, sweet william, hollyhock, granny's bonnet (aquelegia)
Orchard: 
  • Pinch growing tips out on your fig trees to encourage growth to go into fruit
  • Net and harvest ripening fruit
  • Watch moisture levels carefully - especially young trees