Kitchen Garden Forum

I have just been given a book for Christmas called "In tune with the Moon 2012" The complete day to day moon planner for growing and living in 2012. (No questions as to why I have opened it early ). (I was never good at saving presents for Christmas day so my OH hides everything so I can't touch them before Sunday) He is very good at it.

I have glanced through it and it looks very complicated. My question is has anyone else got this book or planted in tune with the moon. From what I have seen it looks sensible, though, like I said complicated.

We'll tell you after Christmas, you naughty girl.

Sorry OH I told you I could not wait for Christmas day. I was the naughty child who searched through the cupboards for a sight of my Christmas presents before the day. But then I was just a naughty child. .. My twin sister was the opposite of me.

My Sister was exactly the same when she was young Catherine.

Hi Catherine

Lunar planting has had some bad press on the forum in the past

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3414

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4608

Thanks for that Alan I will keep my thoughts to my self if that is the case.

Lol Catherine, your hubby is clever to keep some surprises for you on Xmas morning.
I always do my own experiments rather than take anothers word for it, some folk have an axe to grind - and the proof of the pudding is in the eating. A nice thoughtful present from your friend, and it would show gratitude if you at least tried it, she might be interested in your progress.
You could divide your plot in two do one half as your book and the other as usual and compare results at the end of the year. I don't plant by the moon because I have not yet tested it out, but I have checked out other theories successfully.

I have a few friends who do use this method and swear by it .... but I have always though how can it be the for same for people living at different attitudes and locations throughout the world . I live low and my beds are raised as you hit river bed in a few spade depths although I have a friend at the top of a mountain and another like me low yet they use the same calender , thats the bit I dont understand.
I think it would be very interesting to seperate your veg growing area into two and trial it against your normal methods and see the results. Or you can always send me the book as Id like to do it

You have to remember if tells you to sow Saturday and Thursday would be no good, the Thursday sowing is still sat there on Saturday.

I'm in no doubt about the moon's influences - living by the sea I could hardly think otherwise
What I do doubt is the building up of demonstrable physical facts into a sort of mystical religion
In tune with the Moon 2012 goes much further than the lunar cycle and gives "guidance" on many more things than gardening. For example, page 46 has advice on haircutting, with a calendar of green, yellow and red days.A day marked on the calendar in green is "A good day for cutting hair to slow down hair loss", whereas a yellow day is "A good day for cutting hair to make it thicker and stronger", Needless to say you leave your hair alone on red days!
Could be a useful personal experiment? Cut half your hair in accordance with the calendar and the other half on a red day? Too late in life for me to try this, but it might suit a younger, hairier forum member.

If you want to judge for yourself you can have a browse through some of the book by going to the following link - then make up your own mind.

http://www.findhornpress.com/ecology-na ... 2-438.html

I had a go at this once but didn't notice much of a difference. However, I didn't feel the necessity to get up in the middle of the night to sow either. In the end, I thought it too difficult.

Catherine wrote:...has anyone else got this book or planted in tune with the moon.

I think you've got a fair range of responses so far. I've never tried it and the acid test may be "is it too complicated & is it worth it". Nature'sBabe's suggestion will be the one to tell you (and you could try on just a few varieties).

Apart from that, I remember a trial covered in one of the TV gardening progs a couple of years ago where they did get measurably different results.

A common-sense article in today's Telegraph. Well worth reading before wasting time on moon planting.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/90 ... phase.html

Dowseing works, on pipes & cables when using brass wire right angles. Hazel twig I have my doubts. Dad reckoned it wad something to to with electrical conductivity, time team scanning guys use this with electronic detectors.
My dad could dowse using wires, so can I, but not as well, b*****ed if I know why it works.