THE MONTH IN BRIEF

As we get closer to spring, it’s exciting to prepare for the new season. The first week of August is all about giving the garden a rest, spraying and pruning to decrease growth. It’s a great time to get your seed mix made and ready for the next few weeks of planting. The fertile time comes around a little earlier this year, so begin sowing from the 11th but keep your delicates covered in cold climates as frosts will still be a big concern for some of us. Between the 11th and 22nd, sow sow sow to your heart’s content – try to sow according to the icons if you can, but at this time of year you just want to get out there and sow everything. However, save sowing root crops until the 23rd; then, you can go for gold. Graft fruit trees and take cuttings on the 17th and 18th – with sap rising, they’re an especially good few days to graft. The 18th is particularly good for grafting fruit trees. From the 23rd to the 29th, cultivate and get gardens nourished and in order.

New Moon: Dig and cultivate. When new crescent appears, sow, transplant and graft above-ground crops. Avoid planting root crops or pruning.

First Quarter: Most prolific time for sowing and planting above-ground crops. Prune to increase plant growth.

Full Moon: Cultivation time – not the time to sow above-ground crops. Lay compost, manure and mulch. Favourable time to plant root crops.

Last Quarter: Barren rest period. Time to prune and harvest. Avoid planting and sowing. Prune to decrease plant growth. Tidy and do garden maintenance.