Gardening by Moon Phases.

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http://www.plantea.com/planting-moon-phases.htm

*Planting

by the Moon

* May

the Force be with you while sowing seeds, mowing the lawn, pruning roses,

composting, watering and more!

By

Marion Owen <marion.htm>, Fearless Weeder for PlanTea, Inc.

Co-author

of /Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul/

Marion's

articles, recipes, tips and more

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Gardening

by Moon Phases.

What if

I told you that mowing your lawn on certain days would mean you could mow less

often?

Think

about it. The moon influences more than the ocean tides. Just ask any

bartender, clergyman or nurse. In fact, my friend Amy braces herself before going

to work. Amy works at the hospital and when the moon is full, those nights in

the emergency room are, as she calls it, " memorable. "

Many

scientists insist that the myth that a full moon affects the behavior of

humans, animals and plants is a bunch of baloney. But police, bartenders and

folks like Amy will tell you otherwise.

Before

I go further, let me tease you with a possibility: What if mowing your lawn

during certain phases of the moon retarded growth which meant you didn't have

to mow as often? Keep reading. I bet you won't be shaking your head much

longer!

According

to a National Geographic http://news.nationalgeographic.com

news article more gardeners today are turning to the moon for sage advice on

the best time to plant, prune, weed, and harvest. The practice, known as moon

or lunar gardening, centers on the moon's gravitational effect on the flow of

moisture in soil and plants.

Gardening

by the moon is as old as time. Long before man (and women!) ever had a watch on

his wrist or a calendar on the refrigerator, everything was governed by the

phases of the moon.

May the

Force be with you!

Guide

for gardening by moon phases

Moon

gardening has been passed down through many generations. " There are firm

believers in moon gardening today who will not plant anything unless a

favorable moon sign is indicated, " says Ed Hume, one of the Pacific

Northwest's favorite garden gurus and proponent of the moon's influences on

gardening. Hume publishes an annual Garden Almanac which gives month by month

moon sign gardening calendar -- you can *buy your own Almanac* for just $1.49

through my online catalog.

The

moon controls ocean tides, influences the groundwater tables beneath our feet

and the movement of fluids in plants. Even continental land masses are said to

rise 2 to 3 feet in elevation with the passage of the moon. Understanding the

effects, and timing your gardening chores accordingly, is the basis of moon

gardening.

Ed

Hume's Garden Almanac serves as a handy reference guide for the best dates for

sowing seeds pruning, tending houseplants, transplanting, and fertilizing.

Dates are included for watering, composting, harvesting, and even when to mow

the lawn to retard growth! There is a wealth of information in the Garden

Almanac.

It's

like knowing " the Force is with you! "

 

For

example, the best time to turn over garden soil is during the last quarter of

the moon (decreasing moon phase) because that's when the water table has

dropped to its lowest point. This means there is less moisture in the soil.

Taking your back into consideration, it is easier to turn soil over when there

is less moisture in it!

How to

garden by moon phases

The

moon moves through a complete cycle every 29 days. For moon gardening purposes,

this cycle is divided into four quarters or phases.

The

term phase refers to the moon's apparent shape as viewed from earth during the

month. To plant by the moon phases you will need an almanac or calendar, such

as Ed Hume's Planting Guide, that lists the exact time and date of the moon

phases.

 

The

lunar month starts with the new moon, also called " the dark of the moon.

From the new moon to the first quarter and from the first quarter to the full

moon, the moon appears to grow from nothing to a crescent and then to a full

circle at mid-month. These are the increasing or waxing phases.

*Increasing

Light* -- New moon to full moon

*Examples

of garden chores to do by the light of the moon:*

(NOTE:

These are general guidelines. I highly recommend referring to Ed Hume's

Planting Guide for specific planting tasks):

* Repot and groom houseplants

* Sow seeds of plants that grow above

ground (for helpful tips on

starting your own seeds, click here

<seedstart.htm>.)

* Fertilize

* Graft fruit trees

* Plant evergreen and deciduous trees

The

decreasing or waning phases are when the moon " shrinks " from the full

moon down to the new moon (darkness). As the moon wanes during the 3rd and 4th

quarters, this is a good time to prune plants, as the water table is

diminishing and so less sap will flow out of the cut ends. The plants are said

to orient themselves toward their roots, making this a favorable time for

planting, transplanting and harvesting root crops in general. The 4th quarter

is the most dormant period and is good for chores like weeding.

*Decreasing

Light* -- Full moon to dark of the moon

*Examples

of garden chores to do by the dark of the moon:*

* Plant bulbs

* Plant crops that grow below the ground,

such as potatoes, carrots

* Cultivate weeds

* Plant biennials and perennials because

they need strong roots

* Eliminate slugs

* Prune shrubs

How is

sowing, transplanting and harvesting linked to phases of the moon? One theory

is that during the light (waxing) of the Moon, sap is thought to flow more

strongly, filling plants with vitality and energy, favoring the planting and

harvesting of crops that mature above ground.

What

the moon gardening movement currently lacks is a body of modern scientific work

that validates its benefits...

Science

or baloney?

John

Teasdale, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's

Agricultural

Systems Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, said he is not aware of any research

on the lunar influences on agriculture, though he said an experiment could be

established.

" We

know that the moon influences some natural phenomena such as tides, " he

said. " I would guess that a simple hypothesis would be that lunar cycles

could influence meteorological cycles which in turn could influence

crops. "

RJ

Harris, the head gardener at a private estate near Cornwall, England conducts

his own experiments. Each year he cultivates a selection of crops in opposition

to the best practices of moon-gardening methods.

Crops

planted according to the lunar cycle fare much better, he said.

Potatoes

planted by the phases of the moon

" I've

got a large area in potatoes. We've got some planted at the right time of the

moon and some crops at the wrong time of the moon. The difference is so obvious

and there for everybody to see, " he said.

 

Names

of full moons

*January*:

Wolf

*February*:

Snow, Quickening, Storm

*March*:

Worm, Sap, Chaste

*April*:

Seed, Pink, Grass, Sprouting, Wind

*May*:

Flower, Corn Planting, Hare

*June*:

Strong, Rose, Sun, Strawberry

*July*:

Mead, Thunder, Buck

*August*:

Sturgeon, Wort, Corn

*September*:

Barley, Harvest

*October*:

Hunter's, Blood

*November*:

Mourning, Beaver

*December*:

Cold, Oak, Long Night's

Now

it's your turn. Test the validity of gardening by the moon in your own garden.

Plant some crops by the correct moon sign and others by the wrong moon sign.

Experiment with above ground and below ground crops.

Try

mowing different parts of your lawn according to the moon phases!

Send me

you results, either by email or, better yet, send my a photograph. I'll send

you a set of my photo note cards and a free box of PlanTea organic fertilizer.

For the

present let the moon shine brightly and the breezes of the spring blow gently,

dying away from the gale of the day, and let the earth, who brings increase,

bring peace. --E.M. Forster

 

Radiating

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE & Truth

To

ALL who share our circle – our universe, our love, our trust.

May

I always be found worthy.

Gratitude

& Thankfulness to All of Us

a

SoaringHawk

 

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the

first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with joy &

glory.

 

Thank you for YOU!