Once again the time is upon us. A day of equal daylight and darkness, and a day of transition. Goodbye Summer, hello Autumn!
For some it is a day of religious significance, but for others it means it is time to plant either the summer or winter crops. For me it is about the time to prepare the winter veggie patch for planting next weekend. I have also been researching and learning about moon planting of late, and believe there is something to this ancient practice. According to the moon gardening calendar, this week is a week to prepare garden beds with compost, weeding, and just relaxing. After the new moon next week, it will be a time to plant seeds that grow above ground and the weekend after that I will be planting root crops like parsnips.
If you want to learn more have a look at Darren’s blog Green-Change. He has just had an article written about him and his garden in the local newspaper. Well done mate!
He is a big fan of Lunar planting and you can find advice in the left hand panel of his blog. I will certainly be giving it a go this season. Last winter, I ended up with the most dreadful crop of broccoli, and today I traced back via my blog to the date I planted them. By my calculations, I definitely planted them at the wrong time of the month, and they just did not grow, and were insect laden within a month.
So, compared to last season, what do I really have to loose. Time will tell if it all works out.
Gav
Hi Gavin,
I am trying it too and I have to say that it is working so far. I have actually managed to get a row of parsnip seedlings, something I have failed at several times before. I use Cosmic Garden’s little summary.
x Deb
Thanks for the link. I’m a big fan of moon planting.
I’ll be interested to read how you go with lunar planting, and what you think of it.
I figure even if there’s no scientific basis for it, it’s still interesting to follow an ancient tradition and gain a little insight into how people used to organise themselves. Plus it makes you more aware of the rhythms of nature, which can only be a good thing.
Hi Gav,
I’ll give it a go. I have some broccoli, chard, beetroot and lettuce sprouted in containers and diggers seeds due in the post any day now. I’ll save planting out till next weekend. Have the beds prepared ready to go. This will be my first attempt at lunar planting. It’s a fascinating subject.
Cheers
Anita
Hi Gavin,
I can never find people keeping Beehives for honey like they keep chickens for eggs…
Are they too hard to maintain, where can I get some information on this?
Thank you.
Best wishes,
Teresa
Make sure you use the correct Zodiac for your moon planting. Many people use the Tropical ( astrological) zodiac because they are familiar with sun sign ( newspaper)astrology, but the Sidereal zodiac ( which is 23 degrees different to the Tropical) is what is used by biodynamic gardeners as it gives the correct elements (Fire Earth Air Water)according to the astronomical rhythm. This is essential in planting on the right days. If you just want to use basic phases then they are the same in both systems but using the constellations will give better results. Those ‘tables’ you find in Better Homes and Gardens etc are incomplete and use astrology not astronomy.