We are experiencing a special time, when 4 major planets – Venus and Saturn in the western sky, bright Jupiter overhead and Mars in the eastern sky are visible to the naked eye. They’re pretty spread out, but worth a look. Neptune & Uranus are hiding in there too, but some star charts may be needed to pull them up in binoculars (see image). Btw they are not ligned up in a straight line on the 25. January as was suggested in various social media feeds.
But, another phenomena can be observed with the weather and a special aspect between Mars and Venus.
We will experience a very wild weekend all over the British Isles with gusts on Friday night and Saturday morning and Sunday night to Monday morning of up to 85 mph (140k/h) in the North and up to 55 mph in the rest of the Isles with plenty more precipitation.
Not really a good time to do anything outdoors in the gardens over the coming week except if you have coldframes or greenhouse spaces, where the soil is protected from the wet onslaught.
We are just past the peak of the sunspot cycle 25, which showed almost twice the activity of sunspots from the previous cycle 24.
Recently the sun was very quiet, but hurled plasma towards the Earth three days ago which is arriving today 24. January and tomorrow to disturb the Earth’s atmosphere.
This coincides with a trine position of 120 degrees between Mars and Venus tomorrow , the 25. January which, as indicated in the Maria Thun Biodynamic Calendar causes a strong Air/Light phenomena.
These seem to manifest as very strong winds over this weekend.
So, with a miserable and somewhat wet week ahead what could we do in the garden?
When the rain lets up, we could prune our fruit trees and soft fruit until Sunday considering the descending moon or even until Tuesday considering the waning moon and the sidereal moon being in the constellation of the Archer.
Things to do in the garden
Cultivate indoors
Prepare your beds in coldframes and under cover. If you have some dry spells on Wednesday, 29. or Thursday 30. January prepare your outdoor beds for root and leaf crops.
Prepare your sowing and potting mixes
Start preparing your mixes under cover for early indoor box sowings
Sow indoors
With the light and length of day growing quickly, we can sow aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers in heated conditions for planting under cover in middle of March or early April.
Also you could sow a first root crop sowing of early radishes and carrots on Wednesday and Thursday (with preference being Thursday with the Earth Trine).
And for our aesthetic value in the garden, who doesn’t love sweet peas?
Sow ideally on the 31. January or 1. February between 7-11 am.
Harvest indoors
Swiss chard, spinach, kale, lettuces, lambs lettuce, miners salad, rocket, last radishes
Harvest outdoors
Jerusalem Artichokes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, parsnips, leeks, swedes
Let’s hope that after the frontal systems subside, we get a bit more cold weather for a good tilth for early outdoor planting of garlic, seed bed preparations in February for outdoor sowings end of February.
Wishing you a safe time and happy indoor gardening
Hans-Günther
PS: If you want to learn more about your soil and how to identify soil type and find out about how revitalize and heal it join us on the 8. February in Sussex or 15. February in the New Forest.
For insights into fruit tree pruning join us on the 9. February in Sussex, on the 16. February in the New Forest or on the 22/23. February in Dorset.
For people in Wales we are also planning a fruit tree workshop there. See www.whlu.org
