Moon Phase Planting

[PT]

Dose anyone out there plant by the phases of the moon. We've been doing it for about ten years.

The idea is to plant between a quarter moon through a full moon to a quarter moon. So you have 14 days to plant out of a 28 day cycle.

I know it sounds a bit tung in cheek, but you do get better crops.

You know when someone says there broccoli, or there carrots were brilliant last year. I reckon it's because they planted at the right time.

Anyone interested can look at the Biodynamic Association web site www.biodynamic.org.uk

[Chantal]

There was quite a big debate on this some time ago viewtopic.php?t=298&highlight=moon which, in between the cracks about werewolves etc was quite interesting.

I did buy the 2006 book on planting by the moon but I'm ashamed to say that because I boughtit late and because of the late Spring I've been stuffing anything I can in the ground whenever the opportunity presents. I don't have time at the moment to do anything else! I have promised myself I'll read it thoroughly before next season and if I think it's a good plan I'll buy another calendar and have a go next year.

[pigletwillie]

Chanters, I reckon Grock bought that book as well, thats where she got her free broomstick from. Pure Witchcraft

If it really works that well why doesnt everybody do it?

[Chantal]

Same reason I haven't this year, the weather was bad on the days I was supposed to plant the spuds so I planted them on the next fine day and so it goes on. It takes a lot of planning and I'm more of an impulse person.

[Garlic_Guy]

My wife and daughter bought me a copy of the Moonphase planting almanac thingy, from a new age shop in Glastonbury.

I'm ashamed to say that I haven't really got round to trying it out. Like Chantal, I only get limited chances to get to the allotment, so have to strike when opportunity arises.

Finally, though I very rarely get a chance to work by moonlight, there's a street light right next to my plot. This has often led to me still being there till gone 10pm! There comes a point in the evening whilst the sunlight's fading, that it doesn't get any darker and I just keep on, unawares!

Great for my productivity, but probably plays havoc with the plants' detection of day length etc for flowering!

[mandylew]

I was thinking about this and following the previous thread on potatoes I have duly planted them all by the moon this year, but what I wondered after, with potatoes anyway, is as they have started growing previously to planting (ie the chitting process) how can you say when they are planted will make any difference

mandy

[Scorzonera]

There was an article in the Telegraph last Saturday about moon gardening. It doesn't go in to a lot of detail, but describes the technique of the head gardener at the Tresillian estate here in sunny (!) Cornwall. It seems that his approach is not so much about planting in moonlight as planting by the phases of the moon following Native American ideas about the moon's pull on the earth's water table. Vegetables which produce below the ground are best planted in the new moon, and those above should be planted in the moon's first quarter. Not that I have tried it! His book 'Moon Gardening' by RJ Harris is available from Telegraph Books on 0870 428 4112 (and no, I'm not on a commission!)