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PBTS NOTE: Before I offer you the August overview, please read the “Quick Takes.” It will get you halfway into August, and read a repeat of the information from last week about planting a fall garden. Save this week’s planting info since I won’t have a column next week.

According to "Home Gardening in Kentucky," published by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture for the Cooperative Extension Service, here’s what we can still plant in the unprotected garden and statistically expect it to get to harvest. The list gets shorter quickly.

Today through Monday: Snap beans, broccoli plants, Brussels sprout plants, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower plants, chard, sweet corn, kale, kohlrabi, Bibb lettuce plants, head lettuce, parsley, rutabaga, snow peas, spinach, summer squash.

Tuesday through Aug. 15: Beets, leaf lettuce, turnips.

If you don’t see it listed then, according to the chart, it’s too late to plant.

Here’s the information on the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac for August.

Moon phases: The light moon is in force as August begins and will rule again when the month ends. It’s around until the full moon arrives at 9:36 p.m. on Aug. 11. The full/dark moon then rules until the light/new moon returns on Aug. 27 at 4:17 a.m.

When the light moon is in force, plant above-ground producers from the list here and when the dark moon rules it’s below-ground producers. Check the signs and plant when one of the fertile signs rules in the proper phase of the moon depending on where the veggie will produce.

Don’t plant when either of the killing signs, Aries or Leo, is in force on Aug. 14-15, 24-25. Don’t plant veggies when the flowering signs, Virgo and Libra, rule on Monday-Wednesday, Aug. 26-30 — just flowers.

Planting in the fertile signs is a viable alternative to the very fertile signs. They are Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius, Aug. 6-11.

If you can only utilize one aspect of the system for planting, I would suggest going with the moon phases, but still avoid the killing signs and the flowering signs for anything but flowers.

The signs: 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 begins with a flowering sign in force, so that’s where we’ll start.

Flowering days: Virgo (the bowels) is up for Monday and Aug. 26-28, while Libra (the reins) rules Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 29-30. There are eight flowering days this month that are “bloom days” and flowers planted when they rule should bloom and do so abundantly. Be cautious about planting veggies on flowering days since they tend to spend more time flowering than they do setting fruit. “Cautious” as in don’t do it!

Fertile days: The signs are accompanied by the phase of the moon in which they occur. Scorpio (the secrets), Aug. 4-5, 31, all light moon; Pisces (the feet), Aug. 12-13, dark moon; Taurus (the neck), Aug. 16-18, dark moon; and Cancer (the breast), light moon on Aug. 21-23, dark moon. There are 11 days again this month ruled by the most fertile signs. All but the Scorpio days find the dark moon ruling.

Killing days: No planting, transplanting, seeding, re-potting or dealing with things you want to thrive should occur on these days — and that includes flowers! Reserve them for anything but planting anywhere — be that garden, greenhouse, pot, window box or cold frame. No planting! Here’s when they rule: Aries (the head) Aug. 14-15; and Leo (the heart), Aug. 24-25. There are four days in August ruled by the two killing signs Aries and Leo — and that’s the minimum!

So-so days now called fertile days: Sagittarius (the thighs), Aug. 6-7; Capricorn (the knees), Aug. 8-9; and Aquarius, Aug. 10-11. There are six days in August ruled by these signs that we formerly called the “so-so signs” but now the “fertile signs.” The light moon is in force the entire time until the dark moon takes over at 9:36 p.m. on the 11th. Thus, all are well-suited for above-grounders from the list.

Pea/bean days: Gemini (the arms), the peas/beans sign, rules Aug. 19-20. The dark moon is in force. It’s really pushing it for bush beans, but we might get lucky with a late fall. Snow peas can be planted thru Sept. 1. Only half the bean/pea-planting equation is right since the moon is in the dark phase and neither peas nor beans produce beneath the ground!

Making changes: There are two perfect days in August for making changes when the sign is going out of the body beyond anything that functions. They are Aug. 12-13, Pisces/feet. Changes might include scheduling elective surgery or dental work, weaning small animals or children, starting a diet or exercise program, stopping smoking or any other bad habit. In short, anything that calls for a change from what you are presently doing.

Pouring gravel: If you have gravel to pour on a drive or road on your farm, do that when the light moon rules, which is thru most of Aug. 11 then Aug. 27-Sept. 9. 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.

Remainder of today through Aug. 3: Light/flowers/Virgo-bowels and Libra-reins

Aug. 4-5: Light/above-grounders/VERY fertile/Scorpio-secrets

Aug. 6-11: Light/above-grounders/fertile/Sagittarius-Aquarius

Aug. 12-13: Light/VERY fertile/Pisces-feet

Aug. 14-15: No planting/killing sign/Aries-head

Aug. 16-18: Dark/VERY fertile/Taurus-neck

(Clip and save for quick and easy reference.)

Contact: If you have questions, call or text me at 502-682-5995. If you are online, visit and follow my Planting by the signs Facebook page devoted exclusively to this information. Simply load the Facebook app if you haven’t already and search @plantingbysigns and it should pop right up!

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