The Signs are in the Knees
Vegetable gardening is a challenge in Texas (at least for me), because there are such long, hot summers to contend with. The best time for planting can easily pass by, and you find yourself outside on a baking hot day, with weeds already knee-high in the beds you prepared so carefully back on those two days of cool weather in November, and the little defenseless seeds bursting open like tiny popcorn before you can get them in the ground.
But if you try to avoid that scenario by sneaking the seeds into the ground too early, a cool snap is sure to come along, holding temperatures just below freezing, just long enough to lay your little seedlings on the ground like melted candy.
Fortunately our little corner store hands out almanac calendars, which spell out the proper time to do all of your gardening chores, based on planting “by the signs.”
Fishing should be good on the 13th.
The basic theory of planting by the signs is that the phases of the moon affect plants – when the moon is increasing in size, it’s a good time to plant crops that yield above ground, like lettuce, and when the moon is decreasing, it’s time to plant crops that yield below ground, like carrots. Also, as the moon passes through the constellations of the zodiac, the different areas of our bodies are supposed to be more sensitive. Genesis 1:14 supposedly gives credence to this system, because it says that God created the lights in the heavens, and said, “Let them be for signs, and for seasons…”
I learned a little about planting by the signs years ago, when I worked at a historic park. I can’t say I noticed any dramatic harvests when we tried it, but I liked learning about old folkways. Also, I like having a system to remind me of all my gardening tasks.
I started some seeds in the shed a few weeks ago – turnips, rutabagas, yellow squash, winter squash, cucumbers.
I have become convinced of the importance of seed saving and heirloom plants.
Not fancy, but functional.
I was tempted to put pea and bean seeds right in the ground today, but checked the almanac first – it is the fourth quarter of the moon, so it was time to destroy noxious growth instead! I have plenty of that available so I got to work. The almanac says I need to wait about nine days to plant those peas and beans.
Back when I worked at the park, my husband found two old almanacs for me.
190 years old!
I thought I’d compare them to my current almanac. The size has changed, but look at the picture of how the zodiac influences anatomy – the 2013 one is the same as the 1824 illustration!
Comparing old and new.
2013 version
This illustration is from 1824 – I wonder how far back the original was.
February 1824 page. I can imagine studying this by candlelight to plan the next day’s work.
I haven’t had the best success with vegetable gardening the last few summers. In 2011, we had a drought – in 2012, I thought the drought would continue and didn’t plant much, and the weeds took over. But I have just read Barbara Kingsolver’s wonderful book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I picked up some tips and lots of motivation, so I hope to do better this year!
I’ve been curious about that Kingsolver book – I enjoyed her novels (I used to pick them up on the cheap from Half-Price Books 😉 ) God knows when I’ll have a garden again, and never mind that I wasn’t a very effective or efficient gardener when I had the opportunity, but I love the idea of it. I look forward to seeing what pops up in your gardens!
The only other book of hers that I have read is Small Wonder – I had to read it for a class, and I was not that crazy about it – maybe because it is collected essays and those tend to get repetitive. But I really loved Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – I have been working in gardens all my life but I still learned a lot from that book.
My grandparent’s were farmers, and I know Grandpa pored over the almanac. My father always used the phases of the moon for when to fish. … Very interesting post. Good luck with your garden this year!
I will have to try it with fishing, too!
Vance Randolf was a historian who specialized in Ozark folklore. In one of his books, he has a whole section dedicated to the “signs” for planting and how to read them. Absolutely fascinating. I’m curious how this will work out for you…
We’ll see. I think it will depend a lot if we’re in a drought year or not. I have planted some black hollyhocks too, for dyeing – I thought about trying to do an actual dye garden, but then decided that I would spend more time this year seeing what results I could get from the wild plants here instead.
I came from Wisconsin in 1975. It seemed we just had to throw down seeds and back out of the way for them. The only thing that ever grew well for me in Texas was sunflowers. The birds loved it and my back yard was a mess.
Yeah, thousands of years of topsoil left behind by glaciers will do a good job. I think Texas was “cottoned out” by the time you got here. I spend a lot of time composting – by the time I get the soil built up nicely, I end up moving!
Just finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- great book!!! Here is Va,I am so wanting to start planting. Even bought/rescued a rose bush from the Dollar Store!!!LOL Now to keep it going, til it can be put outside!!
I’m always tempted to start early, but our weatherman is saying to wait a while. I bought one rose bush this year – but not at the dollar store! I will have to check that out.
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