Have you ever thought about gardening by the phases of the moon? I’ve been meaning to try moon gardening for some time, and now – thanks to the encouragement and guidance of a friend on the plot – I think I’ve mastered the rudimentary principles, which I’ll pass on to you now.
In a nutshell, people who garden by the phases of the moon believe that its gravitational pull on the earth’s water (i.e. tides), has a bearing on plant growth. They never plant anything when the moon is waning in the last quarter because it’s believed that the earth’s water table is receding. After the new moon, the water table rises again and planting can resume. Farmers on the continent have been using moon phases to guide them for years, as indeed have many gardeners in the UK.
You don’t need to spend money on any special equipment. My friend directed me towards lunarium.co.uk, from which you can print out universal lunar calendars for free.
It’s important to first understand the four phases of the moon: new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter.
Period one is the period between the new moon and the first quarter, period two is between the first quarter and the full moon, period three is between the full moon and the last quarter and period four is between the last quarter and the new moon.
Plant leafy crops in period one, fruit crops in period two, root crops and perennials in period three, and take a break in period four (do housework, hoeing, pruning, making raised beds. Don’t plant anything unless you would like to limit its size).
If you have a calendar showing the phases of the moon, you can work out when these different periods fall and mark the type of crop they correspond to. If you want to go one step further, you can fine-tune your calendar. Although we associate the 12 zodiac signs with particular months, each calendar month is also broken down into astrological signs. Each sign has a type of crop associated with it:
Aries: fruit
Taurus: root
Gemini: flower
Cancer: leaf
Leo: fruit
Virgo: root
Libra: flower
Scorpio: leaf
Sagittarius: fruit
Capricorn: root
Aquarius: flower
Pisces: leaf
So, calculating from Friday 12 June, 2010, which is a new moon, I can mark my calendar thus:
12-19 June: period one (plant leafy crops)
19-26 June: period two (plant fruit crops)
26 June-4 July: period three (plant root crops)
4-11 July: period four (housework etc)
If I use leafy crops as an example, these will be planted in period one. When this coincides with the moon in Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces, this is deemed even better. These ‘leaf’ signs will make this the optimum time.
Looking at my calendar again, in period one, Sunday 13 June is marked as the moon in Cancer, so this is the best possible day in that period to plant leaf crops like spinach, chard or successional sowing of lettuce etc.
A word on fruit crops: this is taken to mean anything which has the seed in the part where it’s edible, so: artichokes, courgettes, cucumbers are all classed as fruit as well as what we traditionally call fruit.
Annual flowers should be planted in period one or two, while perennial flowers (or any perennial) should be planted in period three.
Some people use a variation of these calculations, but broadly speaking most moon gardeners follow the same principles.
Have a go and try it for yourself. At worst you will do no harm, at best, you might find that you are on to something that will increase your yield and your enjoyment of the land.
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Comments
WOW!!!!!!!!! Yopu learn something new every day.
Superb reasoning, backed by incontrovertible evidence. How have I coped without this information?
Interesting way to garden. I am inspired. Please visit me for information on aeroponics which will be of great help. http://growaeroponics.com/what-is-aeroponics/
I usually buy plug plants, does this system work with these, or should you actually sow the seeds on these dates?
I think the idea is that if possible, you sow on these dates, then you pick up on the next cycle of that particular type to plant out. You could try sowing half your plants by the moon cycle and half at any other time and see if it makes a difference.
Whoa that’s a really great idea and exactly what I was thinking tonight as I walked to the store.. To bad I would have to go to someone else’s yard to do it. I don’t have a yard in my apartment. But Night time in Nevada is probably the best time to workout in the patch.. Great article.
Sounds a great way to garden, not sure about period 4 though, what’s housework??
Housework is making raised beds, turning compost, cleaning pots, putting up wires, making supports. All those things we seem to put off.
Hi to you all,I`m so `Gob-smacked` by all this information, and excited to go in a different direction, a journey of learning and participating in moon gardening. My garden faces south-east and is wonderfully lucubrate for moon gardening.
Very interesting – not sure how I’m going to start but I’ll give it some thought. I have a cottage garden, how would planting
flowers fit in with moon gardening?
I believe that you have to make a distinction between annuals and perennials
(this applies to ‘fruit’ as well – see above).
If your flowers are annuals, the optimum time is in period 1 and 2, (between the new moon and the full moon).
Anything that is a perennials should be planted in the third period (after the full moon, before the last quarter).
I buy a’ gardening& planting by the Moon’ diary each year…tells me when to sow/plant etc….saves having to work it out for myself.!Lots of interesting info as well.
It’s just bollox really isn’t it?
In Cornwall the moon gardening guru is John Harris and features on the Sunday BBC Radio Cornwall garden line. Here is a link to a website about his methods.
http://www.coloradomoongarden.net/Meet_the_Head_Gardener.html
I think you are absloutly barmy and need to get help