Gardeners Turn to Old Almanac Signs to Close Out the Season

Gardeners preparing their plots for the first hard freeze are again weighing a decades-old folk practice — timing chores to the phases of the moon and zodiac signs — alongside more conventional fall bed-closing tasks, according to a report from the State-Journal on putting the garden to bed for winter.

The practice, commonly called "planting by the signs," is rooted in almanac tradition and is still cited by home gardeners in parts of the South and Appalachia when deciding when to sow, harvest, or divide plants. The State-Journal's report ties that tradition to the broader, more universal task facing gardeners this time of year: clearing, mulching, and protecting beds before the ground freezes. The full report is available through Google News.

What does "planting by the signs" mean for fall garden chores?

Under the practice, gardeners consult an almanac calendar that assigns each day a zodiac sign and lunar phase, then match specific tasks — planting, pruning, or clearing — to signs believed favorable for root growth, foliage, or dormancy. The State-Journal's report frames the tradition as one option among several a gardener might use when deciding the order of fall cleanup, rather than a replacement for standard practice.

How are master gardeners approaching bulb planting this fall?

A parallel effort is underway in Fannin County, where the local Master Gardeners chapter is hosting a Southern Bulb Gardening Program, according to a Green Grace Land report on the event. Fall is the standard window for planting spring-flowering bulbs in much of the South, since bulbs need a period of cold dormancy in the ground before they bloom. The Fannin County program gives gardeners in that area a structured, expert-led session rather than relying solely on almanac timing.

Why does bulb planting fall inside the broader "bed to bed" conversation?

Closing out a garden for winter typically includes more than one task, and bulb planting is one of them alongside clearing spent annuals, cutting back perennials, and mulching exposed soil. The State-Journal's report groups these fall tasks together under the idea of "putting the garden to bed," a phrase gardeners use for the full set of chores that protect soil and dormant plants through cold months. The Fannin County program's timing — coming in September, ahead of the first freeze in much of the region — fits that same fall window.

What order should gardeners follow before the first freeze?

Both sources point to a similar sequence, even where the reasoning differs — one rooted in almanac signs, the other in horticultural extension guidance:

• Clear spent summer annuals and vegetable debris from beds.
• Divide and plant spring bulbs while soil is still workable.
• Cut back perennial foliage that has died back for the season.
• Apply mulch to insulate soil and protect dormant roots.
• Note which tasks, if any, a gardener chooses to time against almanac signs.

The State-Journal's account treats the almanac step as optional guidance layered on top of the standard sequence, not a substitute for it.

Where can gardeners get local guidance before winter?

For gardeners weighing whether to follow almanac timing, extension-affiliated master gardener chapters remain a documented, in-person resource. The Fannin County Master Gardeners' Southern Bulb Gardening Program is one such session, open to gardeners seeking guidance grounded in regional soil and climate conditions rather than almanac calendars. Details on that program are available through the Green Grace Land report. Readers following the State-Journal's fall bed-closing checklist can consult the original report for the full sequence of tasks it recommends before winter sets in.

Whichever method a gardener chooses, both reports converge on one point: the work of closing a garden for the season is best done before the ground hardens, whether the calendar consulted is a lunar almanac or an extension office bulletin.

Is planting by the signs still practiced across the South?

The State-Journal's report describes the tradition as persisting mainly among home gardeners in the South and Appalachia, rather than as a mainstream horticultural standard. It appears in the report as a regional custom tied to almanac publications, not as guidance issued by an extension office or agricultural agency. That distinction matters for gardeners deciding how much weight to give the signs versus soil temperature, frost dates, or bulb-specific planting windows recommended by programs like the one in Fannin County.

The report does not describe the almanac method as competing with structured, in-person guidance such as master gardener sessions. Instead, it presents the two as parallel options available to gardeners closing their beds before winter, with the choice left to the individual.