May 7, Monday — Full milk moon. American Medical Association founded, 1847. The sinking of the Lusitania, 1915.
May 8, Tuesday — Truman Day (Missouri). Good day to go camping.
May 9, Wednesday — Sale of birth control pills approved, 1960. Look for dandelion greens now.
May 10. Thursday — Conjunction of Mars and the moon. Neptune stationary (apparent halted motion, as it reaches opposition).
May 11, Friday — Three Chilly Saints (May 11, 12, 13) traditionally bring cold weather. Mars stationary.
May 12, Saturday — Moon runs low. Florence Nightingale born, 1820. Good day to begin logging.
May 13, Sunday — Happy Mother's Day! Conjunction of Neptune and the moon.
Ask The Old Farmer's Almanac: Some garden books recommend wood ashes for vegetable gardens, while others seem to disapprove. What's the story? — N.K., Sound Bend, Ind.
Answer: Wood ashes are a potential source of potassium and can help raise the pH level of the soil in areas where it tends to be naturally acidic. Before supplementing any garden soils, it might be worthwhile to perform a simple soil analysis (ask your local Cooperative Extension office or garden supply store if you need advice) to be sure of what you need, especially if you have already been adding compost, mulch, manure, fertilizers or other soil amendments to the garden beds. In the case of wood ashes, we suggest that you add the ashes to your compost pile first and then add the well-rotted compost to your soil. Added directly to the soil, the potassium in the ashes tends to leach away quickly with subsequent rainfalls. Even in compost, wood ashes shouldn't exceed 10 percent of the total volume. While wood ashes do help raise the pH of soil, they are only about half as effective as agricultural lime, and it may be for this reason, above all, that more garden books do not recommend ashes. Lime can be added directly to the garden beds and only half the quantity of lime will do the same neutralizing job (100 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet of soil, versus 200 pounds of ashes), so it is a more effective means of "sweetening" acidic soil.
Another common complaint is that the ashes will be contaminated (or even poisonous) if you have been burning scrap wood that includes painted lumber or pressure-treated wood. Regular cordwood used in a woodstove is fine, however. If your goal is to make good use of your wood ashes and sweeten your soil gradually, then our advice is to go right ahead. If, however, your soil is in immediate need of a serious pH boost, then we'd recommend that you start with an application of lime to neutralize the soil, then help maintain pH with periodic additions of ashes and compost. The same advice would be true for supplementing lawns.
Keep in mind, too, that spring is a great time to treat fruit trees to an addition of compost and ashes. Also, if slugs are a problem in your area, ring new seedlings and transplants with a barrier of ashes. Slugs hate it! Remember to reapply the ashes after rains or heavy dew.
Ask The Old Farmer's Almanac: According to my grandmother, I was named Rose for the full moon name. Is the full milk moon sometimes called the Rose moon? — R.T.A., Aberdeen, N.C.
Answer: No, the full Rose moon, so-called mainly by Europeans, comes in June. Algonquin tribes called June's full lunar phase the full strawberry moon. May's moon, however, is sometimes called the full flower moon. This month, with the full phase falling so early in May, it takes the milk name, probably in reference to the cows and goats that were coming into their increased milk production.
While we're on the topic of roses, however, perhaps we can add to your store of little-known facts and superstitions. In the language of flowers, sub rosa or "under the rose" meant in confidence or secrecy. A single rose might be hung at a council table to indicate that all are to keep quiet about what they hear at the discussion. In fine dining, a single rose was once added to a dinner table centerpiece to indicate that all at the table could speak freely with one another, but the custom has lapsed. The god of silence, Harpocrates, was given a rose by Cupid to keep him from telling what he knew of the indiscretions of Venus.
Not all roses have sweet connotations. In Germany, they were sometimes worn to denote immoral conduct. Many Europeans continue to view red roses as omens of evil. To see the petals fall is considered especially unlucky — even a portent of death. If a woman was seen holding a faded or wilted rose, she was accused of infidelity or a lack of chastity. In Wales, it was considered bad news if a rose bush was seen blooming out of season. Romans thought roses could prevent drunkenness, and others have used them (especially the rugosa) for sore throats. But beware: To eat a rose is to risk bewitchment, some say.
On a sweeter note, however, roses in general are considered to carry the sentiment of love, and there are myriad rose varieties, each with a slightly different meaning. The cabbage rose is an "ambassador of love," the damask rose speaks of a "beautiful complexion," May roses signify "precocity," and the musk rose is "capricious beauty." Red rosebuds suggest "both youth and beauty."
Ask The Old Farmer's Almanac: Any suggestions for a crispier apple crisp? Mine always comes out soggy. — P.D., Ogdensburg, N.Y.
Answer: There are rare occasions when we recommend the microwave oven over the old-fashioned one, and this is one of those times. If you have one of these newfangled appliances, try precooking the apple filling until it is just beginning to get tender, then add the topping and finish off the baking, as usual, in your regular oven. This way, the steam from cooking the apples doesn't dampen your crispy topping. If you don't have a microwave, just bake the whole recipe as usual but experiment with adding the topping later in the process, especially if you are using very juicy apples, such as McIntosh. Try this: Peel, core and slice four cups of tart, firm apples (Granny Smith, Fugi or Braeburn), and put them in a greased, deep-dish pie plate. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid (water, apple juice or orange juice), depending on how juicy the apples are. Mix the topping: 3/4 cup flour, 1 cup white or brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 cup (or less) butter. Spread the topping over the apples (or precook the apples 15 to 20 minutes or so, then add the topping). Bake at 350 degrees F until apples are just tender and the crust is brown (about 30 minutes). Instead of 3/4 cup flour, you could substitute 1/4 cup powdered skim milk, 1/4 cup rolled oats, and 6 tablespoons of flour. The recipe serves 4 to 6 people. Top with cream or ice cream, as desired.
Send your questions to: Ask the Almanac, The Old Farmer's Almanac, Main St., Dublin, NH 03444. Web site: www.almanac.com © Yankee Publishing, Inc.