Moon Planting calendar of July

LANDSCAPING: 2nd day, if you've got a wild patch to clear, to clean it up: chop bramble, thistle and wild shrubs down to the ground.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for planting mizuna cabbage, Milan cabbage and Brussels sprouts sown in May-June / Remember to blanch leaf greens that require it (frisee, escarole...) / Thin chicory and lettuce sprouts sown in June / branch celery.

Until 12 PM (noon), flower day:

LANDSCAPING: 3rd day, if you've got a wild patch to clear, to clean it up: chop bramble, thistle and wild shrubs down to the ground.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 3rd day for planting mizuna cabbage, Milan cabbage and Brussels sprouts sown in May-June / Remember to blanch leaf greens that require it (frisee, escarole...) / Thin chicory and lettuce sprouts sown in June / branch celery.

After 12 noon, entering a fruit & seed day (make the most of this half-day before the moon starts ascending tonight):

VEGETABLE PATCH: Pinch vegetables for which it's relevant: squash, cucumber, watermelon, chili, eggplant; remove suckers on tomato

Transplant any remaining cucumber and pickle seedlings.

ORCHARD: Prune grapevine and, if they've had berries, blackberry and raspberry / July is also the time for an early pruning of fruit trees such as latticed apple and pear trees / Prune your cherry tree very lightly after it has finished producing fruit (in this season, it won't leach as much gum from wounds).

ORCHARD: Graft fruit trees (especially pear, apple, plum, apricot and peach trees) with either the shield grafting technique (also called "T-graft" or "dormant bud"), it's easy enough to perform / Harvest strawberries, your first raspberries, and cherries.

VEGETABLE PATCH: It's time to add to your rows of zucchini for a harvest this fall / You can also still sow snap and mangetout beans, but only plant dwarf varieties if you're in a place with a shorter growing season / In warmer climates, you can still sow other kinds of beans.

Don't garden after 5:25 PM (17:25) – moon is at perigee at 10:25 PM (22:25)

Before 3:51 PM (15:51), fruit & seed day:

ORCHARD: 2nd day to graft fruit trees (especially pear, apple, plum, apricot and peach trees) with either the shield grafting technique (also called "T-graft" or "dormant bud"), it's easy enough to perform / Harvest strawberries, your first raspberries, and cherries.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day to add to your rows of zucchini for a harvest this fall / You can also still sow snap and mangetout beans, but only plant dwarf varieties if you're in a place with a shorter growing season / In warmer climates, you can still sow other kinds of beans.

After 3:51 PM (15:51), entering a root day:

VEGETABLE PATCH: New opportunity to sow winter turnip and winter radish / If need be, add to your rows of monthly cycle radish and include winter carrot seeds, too (early varieties are more suited for planting at this time) / Transplant chicory / Harvest early potato, just enough as you're going to eat for the next few days, and start harvesting onion, shallot and garlic.

LANDSCAPING: Divide iris and bulb flowers.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for sowing winter turnip and winter radish / If need be, add to your rows of monthly cycle radish and include winter carrot seeds, too (early varieties are more suited for planting at this time) / Transplant chicory / Harvest early potato, just enough as you're going to eat for the next few days, and start harvesting onion, shallot and garlic.

LANDSCAPING: 2nd day for dividing iris and bulb flowers.

Before 11:21 AM, root day:

VEGETABLE PATCH: 3rd day for sowing winter turnip and winter radish / If need be, add to your rows of monthly cycle radish and include winter carrot seeds, too (early varieties are more suited for planting at this time) / Transplant chicory / Harvest early potato, just enough as you're going to eat for the next few days, and start harvesting onion, shallot and garlic.

LANDSCAPING: 3rd day for dividing iris and bulb flowers.

After 11:21 AM, entering a flower day:

LANDSCAPING: New opportunity for sowing lupine directly in the flowerbed, and, in a nursery, perennials (flax, columbine, agastache) and biennials (pansy, daisy, carnation, poppy, ravenelle wallflower) / Prepare cuttings from flower shrubs (hydrangea, amelanchier), selecting stems that did not bear flowers this year.

VEGETABLE PATCH: Harvest all blooming herbs, especially sage, thyme, oregano, savory and lime tree.

LANDSCAPING: 2nd day for sowing lupine directly in the flowerbed, and, in a nursery, perennials (flax, columbine, agastache) and biennials (pansy, daisy, carnation, poppy, ravenelle wallflower) / Prepare cuttings from flower shrubs (hydrangea, amelanchier), selecting stems that did not bear flowers this year.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for harvesting all blooming herbs, especially sage, thyme, oregano, savory and lime tree.

Before 4:11 PM (16:11), flower day:

LANDSCAPING: 3rd day for sowing lupine directly in the flowerbed, and, in a nursery, perennials (flax, columbine, agastache) and biennials (pansy, daisy, carnation, poppy, ravenelle wallflower) / Prepare cuttings from flower shrubs (hydrangea, amelanchier), selecting stems that did not bear flowers this year.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 3rd day for harvesting all blooming herbs, especially sage, thyme, oregano, savory and lime tree.

After 4:11 PM (16:11), entering a leaf day:

VEGETABLE PATCH: Sow lettuce, aiming for a fall harvest (corn salad, cutting lettuce, romaine, fall headed lettuce, escarole and chicory, golden purslane, winter purslane (not as common, also called miner's lettuce), Chinese cabbage, garden orache, or the surprising toothache plant / Sow spinach / Sow green cover crops such as medick, melilot, clover, mustard, buckwheat, fenugreek, fodder rape...

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for sowing lettuce, aiming for a fall harvest (corn salad, cutting lettuce, romaine, fall headed lettuce, escarole and chicory, golden purslane, winter purslane (not as common, also called miner's lettuce), Chinese cabbage, garden orache, or the surprising toothache plant / Sow spinach / Sow green cover crops such as medick, melilot, clover, mustard, buckwheat, fenugreek, fodder rape...

VEGETABLE PATCH: 3rd day for sowing lettuce, aiming for a fall harvest (corn salad, cutting lettuce, romaine, fall headed lettuce, escarole and chicory, golden purslane, winter purslane (not as common, also called miner's lettuce), Chinese cabbage, garden orache, or the surprising toothache plant / Sow spinach / Sow green cover crops such as medick, melilot, clover, mustard, buckwheat, fenugreek, fodder rape...

Don't garden before 6:25 AM – lunar node at 1:22 AM

VEGETABLE PATCH: In warmer climates, sow a new batch of dwarf bean; you can also still sow sweetcorn or popcorn as long as you can ensure abundant regular watering / Harvest melon, watermelon, shell bean and mangetout bean, strawberry, tomato; it's canning time, so get ready to cook all sorts of jams, jelly, sauces and freeze any extra

ORCHARD: Pursue shield grafting on pip fruit trees (apple, pear, quince) and stone fruit trees (plum, apricot, peach, almond, cherry) / Harvest cherry, red currant, apricot.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day, in mild climates, for sowing dwarf bean; you can also still sow sweetcorn or popcorn as long as you can ensure abundant regular watering / Harvest melon, watermelon, shell bean and mangetout bean, strawberry, tomato; it's canning time, so get ready to cook all sorts of jams, jelly, sauces and freeze any extra

ORCHARD: 2nd day for pursuing shield grafting on pip fruit trees (apple, pear, quince) and stone fruit trees (plum, apricot, peach, almond, cherry) / Harvest cherry, red currant, apricot.

VEGETABLE PATCH: New time frame for sowing carrot and turnip for winter, and winter radish, too / Also sow rutabaga, kohlrabi, and, if you want, monthly cycle radish / Tardy gardeners can still try sowing one last batch of red beet provided they water often and spread mulch / In mild climates, sow white onion and sweet corn.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for sowing carrot and turnip for winter, and winter radish, too / Also sow rutabaga, kohlrabi, and, if you want, monthly cycle radish / Tardy gardeners can still try sowing one last batch of red beet provided they water often and spread mulch / In mild climates, sow white onion and sweet corn.

Before 6:13 PM (18:13), root day:

VEGETABLE PATCH: 3rd day for sowing carrot and turnip for winter, and winter radish, too / Also sow rutabaga, kohlrabi, and, if you want, monthly cycle radish / Tardy gardeners can still try sowing one last batch of red beet provided they water often and spread mulch / In mild climates, sow white onion and sweet corn.

After 6:13 PM (18:13), entering a flower day (for those who haven't yet done these tasks, try to find time today because we're switching to a descending moon tonight):

LANDSCAPING: New opportunity for sowing lupine directly in the flowerbed, and, in a nursery, perennials (flax, columbine, agastache) and biennials (pansy, daisy, carnation, poppy, ravenelle wallflower)

VEGETABLE PATCH: Harvest all blooming herbs, especially sage, thyme, oregano, savory and lime tree.

VEGETABLE PATCH: Transplant cauliflower and broccoli / Harvest artichoke / Collect herbs just before they bloom (they're tastier then).

LANDSCAPING: Harvest lavender as it blooms; dry the flower stalks in the shade in a dry place / Now is the time to collect green cuttings from many flower shrubs (oleander, althea, buddleia, deciduous azalea, bluebeard, soap bush, cistus, fuchsia, forsythia, lagerstroemeria...); cover these in clear plastic sacs to increase success rates / Prune shrubs that have finished blooming, as well as determinate rose trees that have lost their flowers / As for climbing plants, shorten by half wisteria stems and prune clematis / Transplant biennial and perennial seedlings started in May and June.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for transplanting cauliflower and broccoli / Harvest artichoke / Collect herbs just before they bloom (they're tastier then).

LANDSCAPING: 2nd day for harvesting lavender as it blooms; dry the flower stalks in the shade in a dry place / Now is the time to collect green cuttings from many flower shrubs (oleander, althea, buddleia, deciduous azalea, bluebeard, soap bush, cistus, fuchsia, forsythia, lagerstroemeria...); cover these in clear plastic sacs to increase success rates / Prune shrubs that have finished blooming, as well as determinate rose trees that have lost their flowers / As for climbing plants, shorten by half wisteria stems and prune clematis / Transplant biennial and perennial seedlings started in May and June.

LANDSCAPING: Prepare the soil in parts of the garden where you plan to sow lawn grass in September / Trim fast-growing hedges / Now is the best season for planting phormium: select a warm and sunny spot for these.

VEGETABLE PATCH: Thin cabbage and lettuce sprouts / Transplant branch celery and cabbage sown end of spring / Plant sorrel and silverbeet / Pinch New Zealand spinach and, if any, remove flower scapes / Keep blanching larger frisee chicory and escarole, cover them for 10 days with an upside-down pot or an opaque garden cloche.

Before 2:35 PM (14:35), leaf day:

LANDSCAPING: 2nd day for preparing the soil in parts of the garden where you plan to sow lawn grass in September / Trim fast-growing hedges / Now is the best season for planting phormium: select a warm and sunny spot for these.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for thinning cabbage and lettuce sprouts / Transplant branch celery and cabbage sown end of spring / Plant sorrel and silverbeet / Pinch New Zealand spinach and, if any, remove flower scapes / Keep blanching larger frisee chicory and escarole, cover them for 10 days with an upside-down pot or an opaque garden cloche.

After 2:35 PM (14:35), entering a fruit & seed day:

ORCHARD: Prune determinate raspberry, cutting all canes that have born fruit down to ground level / Pinch grapevine and, if needed, defoliate portions of it so that each bunch of grapes can get proper sunlight / Perform an early pruning of apple and pear, especially those shaped into espalier forms and that are too vigorous / Prune actinidia in order to control its growth, it often is a very vigorous grower / This season is also good for planting a container-bought apricot trees.

VEGETABLE PATCH: Trim cucumber, bell pepper and chili, eggplant, squash and pumpkin (for these two last ones, shorten stems that are running too long without bearing either flowers or fruits) / Remove suckers from tomato stems / Work to prepare the growing bed for strawberry: amend the soil with compost now.

Don't garden before 12 PM (noon) – moon is at apogee at 6:56 AM

ORCHARD: 2nd day for pruning determinate raspberry, cutting all canes that have born fruit down to ground level / Pinch grapevine and, if needed, defoliate portions of it so that each bunch of grapes can get proper sunlight / Perform an early pruning of apple and pear, especially those shaped into espalier forms and that are too vigorous / Prune actinidia in order to control its growth, it often is a very vigorous grower / This season is also good for planting a container-bought apricot trees.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for trimming cucumber, bell pepper and chili, eggplant, squash and pumpkin (for these two last ones, shorten stems that are running too long without bearing either flowers or fruits) / Remove suckers from tomato stems / Work to prepare the growing bed for strawberry: amend the soil with compost now.

ORCHARD: 3rd day for pruning determinate raspberry, cutting all canes that have born fruit down to ground level / Pinch grapevine and, if needed, defoliate portions of it so that each bunch of grapes can get proper sunlight / Perform an early pruning of apple and pear, especially those shaped into espalier forms and that are too vigorous / Prune actinidia in order to control its growth, it often is a very vigorous grower / This season is also good for planting a container-bought apricot trees.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 3rd day for trimming cucumber, bell pepper and chili, eggplant, squash and pumpkin (for these two last ones, shorten stems that are running too long without bearing either flowers or fruits) / Remove suckers from tomato stems / Work to prepare the growing bed for strawberry: amend the soil with compost now.

Before 3:36 PM (15:36), fruit & seed day:

ORCHARD: 4th day for pruning determinate raspberry, cutting all canes that have born fruit down to ground level / Pinch grapevine and, if needed, defoliate portions of it so that each bunch of grapes can get proper sunlight / Perform an early pruning of apple and pear, especially those shaped into espalier forms and that are too vigorous / Prune actinidia in order to control its growth, it often is a very vigorous grower / This season is also good for planting a container-bought apricot trees.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 4th day for trimming cucumber, bell pepper and chili, eggplant, squash and pumpkin (for these two last ones, shorten stems that are running too long without bearing either flowers or fruits) / Remove suckers from tomato stems / Work to prepare the growing bed for strawberry: amend the soil with compost now.

After 3:36 PM (15:36), entering a root day:

VEGETABLE PATCH: Plant leek sown in May and celeriac sown at the beginning of spring / Thin carrot sprouts, as well as those of endive, beetroot, and all other root vegetable sprouts / Harvest early potato as you need them (they won't keep for very long), as well as gray shallot, garlic, and onion when leaves start turning yellow; let them dry for a day in the sun and then bring them indoors / Plant chufa / Finish planting sweet potato / Prepare soil for upcoming onion seeds (on a plot that has not been fertilized recently with manure, and that did not have legume family plants growing this year).

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for planting leek sown in May and celeriac sown at the beginning of spring / Thin carrot sprouts, as well as those of endive, beetroot, and all other root vegetable sprouts / Harvest early potato as you need them (they won't keep for very long), as well as gray shallot, garlic, and onion when leaves start turning yellow; let them dry for a day in the sun and then bring them indoors / Plant chufa / Finish planting sweet potato / Prepare soil for upcoming onion seeds (on a plot that has not been fertilized recently with manure, and that did not have legume family plants growing this year).

VEGETABLE PATCH: 3rd day for planting leek sown in May and celeriac sown at the beginning of spring / Thin carrot sprouts, as well as those of endive, beetroot, and all other root vegetable sprouts / Harvest early potato as you need them (they won't keep for very long), as well as gray shallot, garlic, and onion when leaves start turning yellow; let them dry for a day in the sun and then bring them indoors / Plant chufa / Finish planting sweet potato / Prepare soil for upcoming onion seeds (on a plot that has not been fertilized recently with manure, and that did not have legume family plants growing this year).

Don't garden after 10:05 AM – lunar node at 3:05 PM (15:05)

VEGETABLE PATCH: 4th day for planting leek sown in May and celeriac sown at the beginning of spring / Thin carrot sprouts, as well as those of endive, beetroot, and all other root vegetable sprouts / Harvest early potato as you need them (they won't keep for very long), as well as gray shallot, garlic, and onion when leaves start turning yellow; let them dry for a day in the sun and then bring them indoors / Plant chufa / Finish planting sweet potato / Prepare soil for upcoming onion seeds (on a plot that has not been fertilized recently with manure, and that did not have legume family plants growing this year).

Before 8:55 AM, root day:

VEGETABLE PATCH: 5th day for planting leek sown in May and celeriac sown at the beginning of spring / Thin carrot sprouts, as well as those of endive, beetroot, and all other root vegetable sprouts / Harvest early potato as you need them (they won't keep for very long), as well as gray shallot, garlic, and onion when leaves start turning yellow; let them dry for a day in the sun and then bring them indoors / Plant chufa / Finish planting sweet potato / Prepare soil for upcoming onion seeds (on a plot that has not been fertilized recently with manure, and that did not have legume family plants growing this year).

After 8:55 AM, entering a flower day:

LANDSCAPING: Transplant biennials and perennials sown in June to a nursery / Divide large iris clumps / Plant fall bulb flowers (naked lady, crocus, sternbergia, cyclamen, saffron...) / You can still prepare cuttings from flower shrubs such as oleander, rose trees, althea, buddleia, deciduous azalea, bluebeard, soap bush, cistus, fuchsia, forsythia... / Prune determinate rose trees / Clean up flower beds and edges by removing wilted flowers.

VEGETABLE PATCH: If not done yet, transplant cauliflower, and, in mild regions, plant broccoli / Harvest artichoke.

LANDSCAPING: 2nd day for transplanting biennials and perennials sown in June to a nursery / Divide large iris clumps / Plant fall bulb flowers (naked lady, crocus, sternbergia, cyclamen, saffron...) / You can still prepare cuttings from flower shrubs such as oleander, rose trees, althea, buddleia, deciduous azalea, bluebeard, soap bush, cistus, fuchsia, forsythia... / Prune determinate rose trees / Clean up flower beds and edges by removing wilted flowers.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day, if not done yet, for transplanting cauliflower, and, in mild regions, plant broccoli / Harvest artichoke.

VEGETABLE PATCH: Thin cabbage and lettuce sprouts sown end of June and early July / Transplant branch celery / Transplant cabbage sown at the end of May or early June / Plant sorrel.

LANDSCAPING: Prepare the soil in parts of the garden where you plan to sow lawn grass in September.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for thinning cabbage and lettuce sprouts (those sown end of June or early July) / Transplant branch celery / Transplant cabbage sown at the end of May or early June / Plant sorrel.

LANDSCAPING: 2nd day for preparing the soil in parts of the garden where you plan to sow lawn grass in September.

Before 11:14 AM, as the moon is descending:

ORCHARD: Now is a great time to prune determinate raspberry, cutting all canes that have born fruit down to ground level / Pinch grapevine and, if needed, defoliate portions of it so that each bunch of grapes can get proper sunlight / Perform an early pruning of apple and pear, especially those shaped into espalier forms and that are too vigorous / Prune actinidia in order to control its growth, it often is a very vigorous grower / This season is also good for planting a container-bought apricot trees.

VEGETABLE PATCH: Trim cucumber, bell pepper and chili, eggplant, squash and pumpkin (for these two last ones, shorten stems that are running too long without bearing either flowers or fruits) / Remove suckers from tomato stems / Work to prepare the growing bed for strawberry: amend the soil with compost now.

After 11:14 AM, the moon begins to ascend again:

ORCHARD: It's a great time for performing shield grafts for fruit trees such as plum, apple, pear, peach, apricot / Keep harvesting cherry, red currant, apricot.

VEGETABLE PATCH: Sow pole bean, or dwarf bean in cooler regions / In warmer climates, you can still sow sweetcorn as long as you can ensure abundant regular watering / Harvest strawberries, tomato and beans.

ORCHARD: 2nd day for performing shield grafts for fruit trees such as plum, apple, pear, peach, apricot / Keep harvesting cherry, red currant, apricot.

VEGETABLE PATCH: 2nd day for sowing pole bean or dwarf bean in cooler regions / In warmer climates, you can still sow sweetcorn as long as you can ensure abundant regular watering / Harvest strawberries, tomato and beans.