Kitchen Garden Forum

I've got this book with a calendar giving, for each day, what should be planted or sown today, depending on the phases of the moon. Yesterday and today was peas and beans and other plants that you eat the fruit of. Tomorrow we are into roots, so I shall sow some parsnips. Saturday is great for flowers, so I shall sow some annuals. Monday has a Great Big Black Cross on it, as there is a partial eclipse, and it says "Don't Plant Today".

I have just thought it might be useful to dedicate a special tray to something like radishes, and sow a row every other day, labelling them with the date, and see if there is any difference between those sown on different days.

Does anyone feel like trying any sort of experiment this summer??
Alison.

sounds interesting – I'd love to know how you get on. I briefly flirted with the whole biodynamic thing but was put off when I read you had to stir some special mixture exactly 100 times or something, changing direction halfway through and then store it in the horn of a cow. Seemed bonkers. But would be good to know if it works.

You may be interested then at Ryton (Garden Organics) Nr Coventry they are in the process of installing a new biodynamic garden.

I too am looking forward to learning a bit more about it and seeing if it works (Oh yea of little faith ) and how efficiently

I'd like to try it as well. It would also be interesting to know just why it's supposed to work.
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Granny

Hi - Ihave tried this method now for three years on the run now and it certainly works so far as germination is concerned. As BigPP suggests, the "magic potion" element is a lot of nonsense, but the aspects of the moon in relation to the sun and earth certainly do have an influence on the soil and on the water table - moisture drawn down for the benefit of roots, drawn up for the leaves, etc., - not sure of the exact science though, something to do with gravity and the pull of the moon. All I know is, this method resulted in slightly better yields when I carried out comparisons with seeds of the same varieties sown in the same beds, directions, etc. but on different days of the week. For some crops, e.g. beetroot and turnip, there was a significant improvement.

I am trying this for the first time this year as well, as I have heard it does improve yields etc. Apparently it is all to do with the pull of the moon on the water table. However, my chart says this week isn't so good for planting anything, what chart are you using? I have a book on order too by Nick Kollerstrom, as I am not totally convinced the chart I got off the internet is accurate. I was going to do a contrast and compare test as well with my potatoes. Got the bulk of the seeds in on a day that was supposed to be good and going to put a few in this weekend too. Then I guess it is just wait & see ...

This was covered on the telly recently (one of the Friday night BBC 2 progs) with some horticultural students (in Kew?).

From the limited examples given, they got positive results from their biodynamic trial.


Colin

I used the gardening by the moon book in 2004 and because i wasn't very organised got a bit tizzled if i missed a sowing window and got very out of kilter - became a hinderance (but that was because it was my first year on this piece of land). May work better now.

However since then i've been learning from some old timers both here in France and in Italy who wouldn't consider not planting by the moon and so far the results have been fairly remarkable.

Last year i sowed curcubits 1 day before the full moon and got 90% plus germination. Peas 2 days before first quater brilliant they all seemed to come up. Leaf and salad 1 day before full moon - perfect trays no losses. Tomatoes 3 days before full moon all germinated.

The other thing to be aware of is that the zodiac signs apparently make a difference - but that's all a bit complicated for me so i ignored it to my peril this year.

This year i sowed fruiting crops March 1 in Leo and 2 days before a lunar eclipse and the result was a disaster of the 2 varieties of Aubergine i had only 3 sorry seedlings. Of the 5 varieties of peppers only one tray 50% or so germinated. I sowed again today March 17 in pisces a much better sign apparently so we'll see. I'll let you know what happens.

By the way Leo, Aries and Aquarius are said to be the bad signs to sow or plant in.

I'd be interested in doing some kind of trial - definately. But i don't much like radishes but still i have a packet so i could do it. I can feed them to my other half

The book I have is the one by Nick Kollerstrom. It consists of the first half saying why the system works, and the second half is a day-by-day diary, with space to fill in your own notes. Using it is having rather a nice spin-off, in that I am entering in on each day what I am sowing and what other gardening work I am doing - it is something I have always meant to do in previous years (so I can remember what I did, and what worked and what didn't) and it means I will have for the first time a clear record of what I have done when.
I am sure there are lots of organised people in here who do this anyway, but this is a new departure for me and I am enjoying it!
Alison.

I have just got the Nick Kollerstrom book as well and it has totally confused me I originally downloaded a lunar calendar from a website called ommas aarden and was working from that, but now this book has thrown everything out! Any ideas which one would be best to follow or I am going to have to be very thorough and have a go following both versions and see which one works best?!! Guess this one is going to be going all year ...

I might be mistaken, but I think Chantal has had a go at this, with some success. Mind you, I might have imagined that. No doubt she'll soon tell us!

The lady on the Allotment TV programme last year was a big fan and seemed to have good results.

You imagined it Tigger I bought the book but couldn't do the sowing and planting when I should because

a) I was at work
b) the weather was bad

by then the window of opportunity was past and it was too long to wait for the next one for various reasons.

If I could go to the plot at any time the weather was good the I would have a go, but whilst I'm working full time, I'd find it very had to fit in.

Sorry to disappoint you.

Oh well. It's the thought that counts.......

Find I am having a similar problem with it working full time as well, it does make it very difficult to fit in, but hoping after this weekend it might be a bit easier with the nights a bit lighter.

Also after having actually read the introduction to the Nick K book rather than just going to the calendar bit, found out why the book and my other calendar don't match, but that both systems are viable, so might just take one crop and try both systems to see which works best.

I posted a basic explanation of the principles of lunar gardening on the Grock in the Frock's thread of 18/1/06 in general chatter.
One of the complications of this method is that the Biodynamic people (and their books) use the Sidereal zodiac and astrologers use the Tropical zodiac. This means that the sign the moon (or any planet) is in on any given day is out of kilter between the two systems. I use astrology and the Tropical zodiac and its works brilliantly for me. I'm not sure which system Nick Kollerstrom uses but the one I find valid will have the Moon in Taurus today from 5:15 am GMT moving to Gemini at 6:06 am GMT on 23rd March.
Just to complicate things even more Alison and Cevenol, radishes (and anything else hot ie, onions, chilis, peppers) are good on an Aries moon which is not traditionally good for most crops.
To be honest, you can't go too wrong with the very basic principle of planting root crops on a waning Moon and leafy crops on a waxing Moon.
Cevenol Jardin is correct though that Leo and Aquarius Moons are not good to plant on. These correspondences originate from traditional astrological techniques where signs are deemed to be fruitful, semi-fruitful and barren. The other barren signs are Aries (but OK for above crops), Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius.
Hope this hasn't blown everyones minds. It really is quite straightforward once you get the hang of it!
Ths comments about the weather are interesting. What is good weather to garden in? I've planted crops out in the pouring rain on the right Moon and they grow amazingly well.