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Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:42 pm
by Geoff
Dear Steve Ott

Re: In Tune with the Moon

Surely you weren’t so desperate to fill your pages this month that you had to include this twaddle? Was it really just an extended advert for the books? I hate to think that any of my subscription is going to the author.

“the basis for lunar gardening is equally straightforward and scientific” – it is not!

“Plants consist of about 85% water, so they are also directly affected by the moon’s gravitational force” – all life is probably 85% water so we are all lunatic – some more than others.

It is self evident that crops are in the ground for at least one full lunar cycle and often three or four or more. If the moon exerted any bad or good influence (either of which are extremely doubtful) it would do so in equal measures through the life of the plant so the overall effect would be neutral. The optimum windows of opportunity suggested by the method are so small as to be silly, if I sow my seeds on Tuesday they will still be there on Saturday if it is a better day.

To link this supposed influence to organic methods simply piles myth on myth. The principle soil chemicals present in both regimes are identical, plants can’t tell the difference.

Then the article wanders off into astrology showing its pedigree in the realms of nonsense even more clearly. If the planets all aligned themselves perfectly they could not exert sufficient influence to flicker the finest hair on the side of a carrot.

The rational among us can have a laugh at this rubbish but I feel sorry for the gullible readers who might spend nearly £25 on these publications when a couple of bags of fertiliser would give them some real benefit.

Can we now expect follow up articles from the Flat Earth Society and perhaps a climate change denier?

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 6:05 am
by alan refail
Geoff wrote:Dear Steve Ott

Re: In Tune with the Moon

Surely you weren’t so desperate to fill your pages this month that you had to include this twaddle?



And it's less than four years since we were last in this lunatic area :!:

If you follow the link, you will find plenty of links back into the lunar(tic?) fringes.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=10442

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 7:52 am
by dan3008
Geoff wrote:To link this supposed influence to organic methods simply piles myth on myth. The principle soil chemicals present in both regimes are identical, plants can’t tell the difference.

I'm afraid we're going to have to agree to disagree on the organic gardening subject... But that's a discussion for another thread.

All in all I agree with you, I wish I hadn't paid for the mag because of that article... You should send this in to the mag. They might publish you :-)

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 8:16 am
by Pa Snip
I haven't tried this type of mooning but can't say as I have, as yet, read or heard anything that convinces me that it works.

However I would defend the right of any publication to print articles on it. However I would expect those articles to have a certain journalistic quality and contain practical examples. They should not just be conjecture. It is these aspects that I interpret Geoff as being most upset about.

As far as I am aware planting in line with phases of the moon hasn't been scientifically proven but then has it been disproved.
Each to their own. I shall read the article and scoff if and where I think appropriate. Judging by Geoff's reaction though I am not expecting that article to be a good read

I shall of course be bearing in mind that the moon is actually made of cheese

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 10:34 am
by robo
I've got to agree with Geoff it's only there to fill pages to save someone actually writing something to do with gardening

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 6:38 pm
by Westi
I think this clearly represents the issues KG & other magazines have. They have to represent everyone with an interest & gardening by the moon is pretty popular. We had the dig / no dig item which evoked similar responses.

Whether the author presents his belief well in the article is by the by. (I haven't bought my copy yet so can't really comment). The point is KG publishes fairly & gives representation to all facets of gardening. I read them, I dismiss them if not interested or further investigate if I am, but if I never saw them at all I wouldn't have this choice.

Westi

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 8:59 pm
by peter
Lunar gardening is not science ,it is belief.
Believers deny science or quote unscientific proof.

Organic is basically sceptical of blanket use of agrochemicals, which view I agree with.

I'm also sceptical of fervidly organic people who preach, but hey I'm just sceptical in general, that way sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised. :?

I believe that planting my bean seeds whilst wearing just boots, a mankini and a tam o'shanter makes them germinate quicker, prove me wrong. :twisted:

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 10:42 pm
by Pa Snip
I have now attempted to read the article under discussion. Yawn !!

4 pages of unproven generalisations which as a whole has been, in my humble opinion, written mainly to promote
the list of books and publications on page 50. The article is close to being nothing more than a glorious advertisement

All the publications mentioned have been written by the articles author or one Gaby Bartai. Some are written jointly by both.

Gabi Bartai wrote an article on organic gardening for KG magazine in 2013.

Nothing I did manage to read influenced me to experiment further on the subject.

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 7:02 am
by Motherwoman
Gardening by the moon was very important in Victorian times, senior man had to go to the veg garden, drop his drawers and place his backside on the soil to test the warmth for sowing.... What? Is this not what is meant?

Sorry, I appear to have lowered the tone again :lol: :lol:

Agree with freedom of speech but to the level of free advertising? No.

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 4:44 pm
by PLUMPUDDING
I'm going to watch Peter planting his beans, wonder if he'll be selling tickets?

As for the lunar gardening, I don't usually know what day it is never mind what the moon is doing, and with our unpredictable weather gardening gets done when it isn't raining. I suppose some people are gullible enough to believe in a bit of lunar magic and if they have so much time on their hands their crops will probably do well with all the extra attention they are getting.

It's harmless, but a shame our quality mag keeps wasting print on the subject.

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 5:17 pm
by Pawty
My mother in law bought me a book on this ..... I'm afraid to say it's still on the book shelf .... When asked about it I obviously said it was great!

I'm with plum pudding - my planting gets done when the weather allows and I'm not at work. And if I so so myself, I think I've done pretty well so far.

Agree - way too many adverts. I'm just waiting until I can say something clever enough to make it to the 'from the KG Forum' section!

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 5:36 pm
by Pa Snip
We don't have toilets on our site so I don't think me going sowing seeds or planting seedlings out would be a good idea when the eyes of foxes and owls would be watching me, let alone being dive bombed by bats.

Also the cost of maintaining an allotment is expensive in many areas, so when you have to add the cost of torch batteries for the times there is a partial or total lunar eclipse it becomes prohibitive.

I also envisage the residents living next to the site complaining when they hear expletives at early hours during the night when people keep forking their own foot.
My bicycle horn signal to fellow plot holders that the kettle has boiled may also cause annoyance.

Hmm perhaps we should have a article about cooking breakfast by moonlight, any volunteers

Re: Cancelled Subscription (almost)

Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 6:35 pm
by Geoff
The free speech / right to publish argument does represent a dilemma when you are talking about the presentation of minority views. Today's dissenting voice could be tomorrow's majority view; would I have ridiculed Galileo, Kepler, Darwin or Arrhenius in their time? Religion suppressed rationality for long enough so you have to be very careful. But should this balanced generosity continue long after the majority view has become well established? Do we give the oxygen of publicity to a view that the sun revolves round the earth or there is no warming trend in the climate? I don't think we should tolerate claptrap indefinitely, admittedly creationists still have a platform but that's just a battle still to be won.