Do you garden by the moon?

Comments

  • nksunshine27
    nksunshine27 Posts: 343 ✭✭✭

    i've heard of it but haven't done it yet. i did find something interesting 2 years ago was that in the late fall you plant your whole garden and the seeds over winter and come up naturally when they are supposed to. i did it last year and almost everything came up also less weeding cause i didn't till the garden

  • Linda Bittle
    Linda Bittle Posts: 1,518 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I tend to do things when I can make the time. My grandmother did, though.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    My grandfather planted by the moon but he had a much longer growing season that I do. If I waited for the right time of the moon to plant, figuring in the weather, I might miss my opportunity for getting seed in at the appropriate time. Similarly, if I used the moon for harvest, I might get hit by a frost waiting. So I do pay attention to the moon but my planting and harvesting is much more weather dependent.

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @dottile46 Thank you for sharing. I don't garden by the moon but rather the biodynamic calendar that I use takes other celestial bodies into consideration to determine the best or worst days for planting. I did plant by the moon for a short spell in 2002 or 2003 but after learning about better resources than the Old Farmers Almanac I have not looked back.

  • Scott Sexton
    Scott Sexton Posts: 42 ✭✭✭

    My science classes tell me that the moon should have an effect somewhere between minimal and none. But I've seen too many results from the traditional (unscientific) ways to discount it. I'd love to try gardening by the moon myself, but I usually just stick things in the ground whenever I have time.

  • Leslie Carl
    Leslie Carl Posts: 255 ✭✭✭✭

    My mother use to grow by the moon. She would use the Farmers Almanac as a guide. But my garden seemed to do just as well as her's and I didn't keep track of the moon or use the almanac. Who knows; maybe I was planting at the right time and didn't even know it. 😏

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    I never have, but I want to start. My great grandfather did and his garden was always among the best in the community.

  • dottile46
    dottile46 Posts: 437 ✭✭✭

    I haven't tried it. As @Scott Sexton said, I just plant when I have the time and like @torey more or less said, when the weather is cooperating. I've read about it several times so maybe it is trying to tell me something.

  • Hassena
    Hassena Posts: 345 ✭✭✭

    I used to planty by the moon, but like @Obiora E I've started growing more biodynamically. It's amazing influence. Sometimes we have to plant a little sooner or harvest a little later due to weather. It's certainly a unique adventure getting to know the garden and stars. Such is life :)

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @Hassena Sounds righteous! How long have you been growing food dynamically? Are you a member of the Biodynamic Association?

  • Hassena
    Hassena Posts: 345 ✭✭✭

    hi there @Obiora E I've been growing biodynamically for almost a decade. I was a member of BDA. I've attended their conferences and online classes. All i need to do to get certified is apprentice on a certified farm. :) Perhaps one day, I will leave the farm for an apprenticeship. For now we are still growing our farm and production up. The only reason I am not a member this year is finances. We are really focusing on making our farm profitable. My goal is to be a full time farmer. By-golly we shall get there :)

    I really enjoy Steiner's writings. Daughter attended Waldorf schools. She really resonates with their philosophy.

    How about you?

  • drpclarke
    drpclarke Posts: 53 ✭✭✭

    I got a farmers almanac for my birthday in November. I decided a couple months ago to set-up a calendar to try to plant by the moon for 1/2 my plants and to plant my normal schedule for the other half to see if there is a difference.

  • 2017pams@gmail.com
    2017pams@gmail.com Posts: 12 ✭✭✭

    I have been planting seeds to full moon and transplanting half way thru the moon cycle for about 50 years. Most people call my 29 garden boxes a jungle and it is hard to keep up with it all just harvesting it and trimming it back. I figured out this year just transplanting the plants growing in the paths first thing in the Spring would be a great time saver for me and new gardeners who need hardy plants.😍

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Planting by the moon has a long history, yet I will probably never try it. Digging in dirt at night is almost guaranteed to discover the nighttime active scorpions.

  • 2017pams@gmail.com
    2017pams@gmail.com Posts: 12 ✭✭✭

    Planting by the moon...does not mean at night. Just using the moon cycles for the day to plant. Grandpa also said if the sun doesn't hit the turned dirt then the weeds are not germinated. So I do try to avoid turning the dirt much and getting sunlight on it. So he also said the dirt should have layers like our skin and disturb as little as possible. He fed dozens of people thru his church tables for widows and orphans from 1930 to 1995 from May to November each week. Might as well make the garden work easier if you can. My version is brown cardboard and leaves. Lately put a plastic 3 foot bib toward my weed neighbors to make a clue when weeds growing into my yard. The clear plastic cooks the weeds since these neighbors don't pull their own weeds. I love this bib.

  • sallyhoward
    sallyhoward Posts: 106 ✭✭✭

    I garden by the moon but like others I also garden when it suits me and the weather. Sometimes I have been astounded by the fast germination of seeds and rapid growth of seedlings when planted at the “right” time

  • Lesley
    Lesley Posts: 28 ✭✭✭

    I garden by the moon because it 'spreads out' my work in the garden. When the moons ascending it kind of gives me a kick up the btm to get my seeds sown! I also welcome the 'dont do anything' days and I take a breather. It gives me a rythmn by which to get my work done, and I get less overwhelmed by my garden.

    Lesley

  • dottile46
    dottile46 Posts: 437 ✭✭✭

    After reading all your posts I'm going to really look into this. Probably the most exciting of all these posts is @Lesley .... you really have "don't do anything days" with gardening by the moon?!?

  • bmaverick
    bmaverick Posts: 175 ✭✭✭

    Yes. It works. Even if it's +/- 3-days of the event. Thus, at any harvest time, you are not caught off guard on early frost or other weird natural weather events. Ben Franklin really hung onto the moon cycles too for the almanac.

    Not only for gardening, but also works with breeding livestock the natural way with the seasons. King Solomon's wise advise for season's and time hits home.