March Third Quarter Moon

Today is the third Quarter moon. This waning third quarter moon energy is yin - quiet, internal, heart-driven, intentional Being-ness. At this phase we can ease off a bit on actively pursuing goals, slow down, go within, and attend to inner work, renewal, and self-care.

Agenda Today:

1. Renewal plan

2. Evaluation House

3. Monthly journal brainstorm

4. Snail control

5. Planting onions and leeks

1. Renewal plan:

I try to renew all four dimensions of my life (body, mind, heart, and spirit), as Stephen Covey taught: I spend about an hour each day on a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual regeneration activities, plus work to improve my social skills and relationships. Today's waning half moon is my opportunity to review how I'm doing, and make note of new ideas for the month ahead.

This week we have transitioned officially to spring, but the weather is still wintery cold and wet, and my mood has followed suit. I'm going to give some attention and care to my heart for the next few days:

1. Artist date: Take a weekly indulgent trip to a gallery, the library, and lunch out.
2. Screen time: Cut out phone and computer games one hour before nap and bed time so I can have a deeper sleep.
3. Shibashi: Start a daily gentle exercise practice to lift my spirits. (See my favorite here)

2. Evaluation House:

Today I get to reflect back on the first 3/4 of the Holiday Moon lunar cycle that I'm passing through. My theme has been Stillness. I reviewed the intentions I set at the new moon and drew a house with 2 rooms: 

• A room for celebration of all I have accomplished already this month.
• A room for discerning what to do with the unfinished parts (Some of these I will finish in the next couple days, some I will save for next month, and some I will release because they have become irrelevant or didn't go as planned.)

3. Monthly journal brainstorm:

At the new moon (next week) I will transition from one focus to another, and a whole new field of opportunity. This week I'll take time to write down my goals, dreams, and exciting ideas for the next 30-days, including at least a few crazy, improbable notions. 

-Start with a list of seasonal themes and celebrations, vacations, and other events.

-Write about my biggest priorities this month, how they might fit into my life, and how they connect to my values and principles.

-Write about possible obstacles and factors such as the weather, upcoming schedule changes, or money problems.

-Write about the parts that excite me and the parts that might be hard to find motivation for.

4. Snail control:

It's 5 weeks until our average last frost date. I've got some seedlings started, and peas up outside - but they are being eaten, probably by snails!

It's time to do some damage control, but remember the goal is to bring their numbers down, not total eradication:

1. Finish collecting all of the mulch - straw and leaves - and put it into the compost.
2. Let the ducks into the garden for an hour or two for supervised hunting.
3. Use Sluggo sparingly, about 1 pellet every six or so inches.
4. Place shelter traps - down-facing halved grapefruit rinds, cardboard, rocks, etc. On a sunny day, lift the traps and hand-pick out the snails and drop them in a tub of old beer.  

5. Planting onions and leeks:

I'll start leeks indoors today, and I hope to find a window in the rain to plant onions (both are best planted at 4-5 weeks before average frost). 

Leeks (Allium porrum) are a cultivar of the broadleaf wild leek, a cousin of the onion, and a member of the lily family. Leeks originated in Central Asia, and were on the menu of the ancient Egyptians. 

I'm going to plant leeks in a large pot, thin seedlings to 1⁄2” apart, and trim to 3” tall for thicker plants. When they are pencil-thick, in late May, I will plant them into the bottom of a 5‐7” deep and wide trench, 4‐5” apart. Begin blanching as plants grow and thicken by piling soil or straw around the leeks inside the trench. This practice keeps the bottom of the leeks white and tender.

The onion (Allium cepa) is one of the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. Most researchers agree that the onion has been cultivated for 5000 years or more, and originated in Asia or the Middle East. Since onions grew wild in various regions, they were probably consumed for thousands of years and domesticated simultaneously all over the world.

Onions are photoperiodic plants — they regulate their stages of growth by day length; they will make top growth until the critical light duration is reached, then begin to bulb. The amount of growth and development prior to bulbing will determine the bulb size. (For my valley I choose long to intermediate-day varieties.) I plant transplants rather than sets or seeds, because I've had the best success with these. Be sure to keep the transplants damp before planting so they don't get stressed out, or your onions might bolt later - I had trouble with this last year. 

Onions love good drainage, and detest mulch (they rot easily in the ground). I prepare my bed by loosening the soil with a fork, then applying complete organic fertilizer (1/4-1/2 cup per 5 row feet). The fertilizer should end up being 1-2 inches below where the transplant will sit, so next I add compost in raised rows. Cut the plants to 3-inches tall, and plant 1 inch deep, and about 4-inches apart into the raised compost.

Plant onions with carrots, beets, cabbage, strawberries, and lettuce; they will ward off harmful insects due to their pungent scent. But be sure to not plant them with nitrogen-fixing plants like peas! Onions have antibacterial properties that are great for our health but will kill off the nitrogen-fixing bacteria that legumes produce.