June 2008 Phenomena

New Moon, Northern Peak and Perigee all occur within 22 hours around the 3rd. This is a very significant event as it means all three cycles coincide. This is the closest Perigee of the year and coinciding as it does with the other cycles, we are going to experience massive extremes in magnetic pull. Low lying coastal areas will experience king tides and there is the risk of Tsunami, earthquake and flooding as we saw last month in Burma. This concentrated energy will bring significant snow to some areas, even those that would normally only get snow on rare occasions, so book your ski chalet! Around the 17th, another 3 cycles coincidence sees Full Moon, Southern Peak and Apogee coinciding. This too brings extreme weather.

There will be some extreme cold and windy condition, especially around the Solstice on the 21st and particularly for those in the highlands and southern states. Prune in June! New Moon is generally a good time for winter pruning but with the concentration of cosmic energy, I’d be inclined to leave it until later in the month at 2nd quarter i.e. after 26th.

While there are fewer pests around, many will be over wintering so look for chrysalides and clear away debris that might harbour pest. However, do leave a few safe places for the beneficial insects to hide.

Feed the birds if it is your wont to do so but avoid giving them household scraps, rather buy in specialized wild bird food. Even the cheeky sparrows will liven up a winter garden. We had a visit from a couple of spiny Thornbills the other day. Lovely birds!

Move plants this month if they are not happy where they are. Dormancy is like picking up a sleeping child and putting into a fresh bed – they don’t feel a thing. Cover anything vulnerable to frost. You know all this, but a reminder never goes astray eh? If desperate for work, lightly dig winter beds. I know there is a trend to no dig beds, but just forking the top few inches allows the soil to break up and be more friable – the frost helps if you are lucky to get some. Stockpile manures for later use. Plant windbreaks if needed.

Asparagus is the plant of the month. Dig deep trenches, put in plenty of well rotted manure, top with some compost, mushroom compost will do, place the crowns about 15 – 20 cm apart and fill with soil. The deeper they are planted the better and give you years of wonderful food.

1st : Moon Descending
3rd : Perigee ( Moon closest to earth)
4th : New Moon
4th : Northern Peak - 3 Cycles coincide bringing extreme weather conditions
5th : Moon opposes Saturn - apply Lime. Plant Vines
7th : Mercury conjunction with Sun - Extreme Winds
8th : Moon Ascending
11th : Moon crossing Equator
17th : Apogee (Moon furthest from earth)
18th : Southern Peak
19th : Full Moon - 3 Cycles coincide bringing extreme weather conditions
21st : MIDWINTER SOLSTICE at 9.59 am
22nd : Moon Descending
24th : Moon opposes Jupiter apply potash
26th : Moon Crossing Equator