Planting by the moon's phases

Category: gardening | Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:46 pm

A full moon conjures up pictures of wolves howling, a witch riding his/her broomstick around the neighborhood, or pople just acting "loony" for some odd reason.
Folks who take stock in the moon phases think it's due to attractional forces created at that period in time. It appears to affect nature, and humans, in the strangest of ways.
Believers feel that plants also respond to these attractional pulls, the same ones that affect tides in the vast oceans of the world. They believe that this action stimulates root and leaf growth, seeds sprout faster, plants grow sturdier, harvests are heavier, and "bolting" is retarded. The method of planting by the lunar phases, and lineup of various planets at certain times, is an ages old practice that dates back hundreds of years, and believers swear it works! But, how do you even begin to grow this way? Where do you start?
When using the moon as a growing guide, two related lunar phases will surface: waxing and waning. Waxing occurs in the first two quarters between the new and the upcoming next full moon when light is increasing, is an excellant time for planting above ground crops. Believers feel that during this phase, more moisture is pulled to the surface to aid in the germination of seeds. Waning occurs in the third and fourth quarters AFTER a full moon when light is decreasing and energy is "drawing down" and is an excellant time to plant below ground crops. However, they also think that they should not plant directly on either the day of the new moon or a full one due to the changing forces of nature that the moon dictates.
The second factor in gardening by the moon are the astrological signs the moon is traveling through, which change every few days or so. The moon phase believers think that the most fertile times for planting/transplanting are during the water signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Second best are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. The other signs are best suited to weeding, cultivation, and garden maintenance in general. There are a few exceptions to the rule, one being melons that seem to enjoy being planted under the Gemini sign which is thought to be arid and barren.
Calenders that we all have hanging in our kitchens have the moon phases on them. The Old Farmers Alamanac annually prints an astrological planting guide using the moon and planets to one's advantage. If you are truly interested in gardening by the moon, it is highly recommended you purchase a calender specifically formulated for your growing season whether it be a short, or long, one. It will explain everything in detail right down to the best for starting seeds, transplanting, or planting directly out in the garden.
Visit www.gardeningbythemoon.com , an excellant source of more information about planting in accordance with the moon phases/astrological signs. It's a fascinating field of interest, and gardeners SWEAR they get great results. It has certainly helped me to know when I should be baying at the moon, riding around on my motorized broomstick, planting seeds, or just mowing the grass. As for the loony part, what CAN I say?

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Biita wrote on Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:08 pm:

lol, that was great,, thank you for the web addy, i will be checking that out.

We also plant by the moon up here. or the phases, if you look at that circle over there <--- by my name thats what that is. its the 8 seasons of the yr.

thank you for writing this. great blog!