Moon Gardening

One of the earliest aids to agriculture was planting by the moon. The first agricultural communities on the planet knew that if they planted at certain times, the crops would be of a better quality.

As the moon rises, the pull influences the tides, as everyone knows. That’s how we get the very high tides at the full, and at the new moon. Its called gravity!

But not only does the moon’s gravity affect tides, it also affects underground watertables. So if you plant when it is rising towards the full status, the water table rises as well, and makes water more easily available to the new plant. Easy isn’t it?

Well, there is more to it than just that! Moonlight itself is known to play a role too, and there are other factors such as the planetary influence when the moon enters, or passes, certain signs of the zodiac.

If you are serious about gardening, you should be using these planting strategies, if you are not already. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an astronomer to do this.

The best way to use moon gardening techniques is to buy a special calendar. That will have the different zodiac signs prescribed, so you don’t have to sit in the garden and follow the path of the moonlight each night!

Each area of the planet is a bit different of course, and the Northern Hemisphere has a different calendar than the Southern Hemisphere. Fortunately, so many modern gardeners use moon planting, that calendars are generally available in good gardening shops in most areas.

Just to give you an introduction to how it works, as the new moon grows, the gravitational pull encourages the seeds to swell with water, and burst into life much more quickly. This is generally considered the best time to plant leaf crops with the seeds on the outside of the plant, such as broccoli, lettuce, and grains.

As the it heads towards the second quarter, (this time is known as the waxing) the moonlight becomes stronger, creating good leaf growth. This is a good planting time, right up to the full. Best crops to plant are those that have seeds forming within the fruit, such as tomatoes, capsicum, beans and so on.

After the full moon, the waning starts. The light decreases, and energies go into the roots. The water table drops, and the root growth is encouraged to look down for water! It all makes sense now, doesn’t it?

If you are picking herbs or leaf vegetables where flavor is important, you should follow the same guides as when you planted. This is very important, especially with herbs that are to be used for essential oils. As the moon moves towards the full, the plant is loaded with energy. It is putting everything it has into growing, and is bursting with life and nutrients, and this is the time to harvest!

If possible harvest just before the full moon! When you are sitting down in the evening and eating your homegrown, organic, fresh harvested, herb flavored vegetables, you’ll be so glad you did!

Thanks Pagan-Magic and the Witches Digest magazine.

Tags: gardening, moon, phases, using

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Permalink Reply by Green Briar on March 18, 2008 at 8:31am: Also wanted to add some nigh blooming plants here.

NIGHT BLOOMERS

When the sun sets on the garden, some plants drift silently to sleep. But for others, the dark of evening is when their blooms burst open to reveal incredible beauty and fragrance. Smith wants to let viewers know that night bloomers are a good option for patio gardens.

A lot of gardeners don't think about using night bloomers but it makes sense for people that work all day to use plants that can be enjoyed in the evening.

Smith specifically refers to plants like the Casa Blanca lily which stays open but is closely related to the Day Lily which closes. In other words, it's kind of an unusual member of its flower family and considered a night bloomer.

Most night bloomers are exceptionally fragrant so they can attract nocturnal pollinators. For gardeners it means a richly scented patio. The benefits of fragrant night bloomers are most apparent in the summer when the nights are warm and heavy with humidity. These flowers will be beautiful until the first frost and will actually look better and better as the summer continues

Smith showcases a range of plants. Some are cheap and grown from seeds, others are a bit expensive. He suggests bringing these expensive tropical plants inside during the winter months.

Necoshiana
This is most fragrant at night. It's the flowering version of the tobacco plant. There are both big and small varieties of this plant; only the big ones smell because breeders have bred the smell right out of the little ones.
Gardenia
This is a night bloomer that almost everyone knows. Gardenias are another flower that grows more fragrant at dusk.

Casa Blanca Lily
Related to the Day Lily, this flower stays open all night. They look very delicate and are often seen in florist's arrangements, but they are actually quite easy to grow in the garden.

Moonflower
This flower only blooms at night. It's related to the Morning Glory. It's inexpensive and a great flower for kids to grow. The seeds are large, resembling white chocolate covered raisins, and they grow quickly.

Angel's Trumpet
This is a more expensive plant that also blooms only at night. They grow fast and can get pretty large. Smith suggests bringing this one inside when fall hits. But be careful, this plant is poisonous and might not be a good choice if there are little kids or pets around

Jasmine
This is another fragrant tropical flower that should move inside during cold weather.

Many night bloomers are tropical plants which means they need full sun and plenty of water. For more blooms, gardeners should use an organic fertilizer. To take care of insects, mites and fungus, Smith recommends a 3-in-1 spray that's non-toxic and basically odorless.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brandi on September 29, 2008 at 11:52am: I know this is an old thread, but a note about Angel's Trumpet: it can be started from a cutting. (the woody part)

Also, with moonflower, you can actually see the flower opening!

Happy Gardening!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Moonwolf on October 2, 2008 at 7:07pm: Be aware that at least some of these are very poisonous,such as the Moon Flower(this one is a Moon Bush-there is also a beautiful Moon Vine-same thing with blooming and posion)and the Angels Trumpet,which is also called Death Trumpet by some due to being poisonous.Love both my Moon Vine and Moon Bush,but do watch the kids and pets around them.; ▶ Reply to This