Ok am not sure how to ask this, without sounding like dimwit. What gives on the moon gardening? Why do it, what are benefits, drawbacks? Is it something to look into? I have heard of it in the past but never really paid attention til this morning. HA short attention span I suppose. Thanks for reading this and answering.
new to this subject
In one simple aspect, consider how the moon affects our tides... low tide, high tide, depending on where the moon is. Some evidence suggests the position of the moon also pulls water up (or down) in a plant.
i don't have a moon garden but i figured people that had one liked to be outside at night in their gardens and they have plants with night blooming flowers or plants with foliage that show well by moonlight. but it sounds like i was wrong. lol.
This message was edited Feb 3, 2008 1:09 PM
mamajack, you were right about what moon gardens are... its just not gardening by the moon signs.
darius when i followed this thread i didn't even realize it was in this forum. so do the people here garden by the almanac?
some do, most are learning and checking to see if it really works.
so what do you do plant by moonlight or what? where do you go to learn all this stuff is it worth looking into?
horseman, i think it must be that people plant according to where the moon is on a particular day. i once knew a fellow who had an awful aftermath to his surgery. afterwards he said he should have had his surgery on a particular day. his resource was the almanac. i know people still use the almanac. i never have and don't have first hand knowledge.
if you are really interested just keep asking questions. someone on this forum with experience will jump in eventually. and if they don't go to some of the other threads on this forum and see who sounds most knowledgeable and just start asking questions.
tank, you plant (or do other gardening things) when this -- philosophy? -- says it's optimal to do so. Very briefly, plant when the moon is waxing, and destroy (weed, cultivate, etc.) when it's waning. But we're also looking at details about when the moon is going through the zodiac signs -- like, when it's in Libra it's good for planting, but only if it's waxing. It can get complicated, but when I look back, I wonder if certain things would have been more successful if I'd had this in mind. So this year, I'm doing my best to do it by the moon and see whether things are altogether better. I've put in two threads, January and February, with what my calendar says about the whole thing.
Couldn't hurt!
Dear Gardeners
I know of a good book you might enjoy that is all about the folklore of gardening - including a lot of information on gardening by the moon and the signs of the zodiac. The name of the book is Gardener's Magic and Folklore by Margaret Baker published in 1978. I confess I’ve been planting by the moon and the signs for a long time. Hope you can find the book at your library.
huh sounds kinda interesting never thought of planting or weeding according to moon cycles. waxing and waning hate to say this but is that when the moon is before and after new moon? not sure thought I'd ask thanks.
Waxing is from new to full, waning is from full to new. When the moon looks more like a "D" it's waxing, when it looks more like a "C" it's waning. Or in the words of some preraphaelite, "O lady moon, your horns point to the east; shine, be increased."
Hi RoseyQ,
Thanks for the info on the book; I will definitely need to look into that. My energy levels certainly match the moon's cycles, so I can totally understand how plants can be just as affected.
For any of you garderners who work with angels and ascended masters, I have to tell you of my gardening experience last year. I had neighbours asking me what I do to get my plants so big and lush.... I mean they were big and gorgeous. The answer may be partially in the watering and fertilizing, but I think it's the intervention of the garden angels that really made the big difference. All you need to do is invite them into your gardening with a sincere heart and mind.
This book is a must if you're intrigued by what you've already heard. It's Doreen Virtue's '"Archangels and Ascended Masters".
Happy Gardening!
Bernadette , I love my Angels , check this site.
http://www.mysticfamiliar.com/library/angels/archangels_and_ascended_masters_a.htm
Dwight
Hi Dwight,
Thanks for sharing the link. Really neat things to buy, and it lead me to some other neat sites as well.
Bernadette
Hey come-on the moon is still making its circuit! What are your plans for this month. I have a tray of 72 bubbly parsley plants - but I need to grab the almanac to see when to plant them out.
Each day I set them out in the sun, and put them in the potting shed to protect them from rabbits. I am soon planting at least a couple of 9 pks out in the soil.
Plant them before the 20th if you can (that's when the moon starts to wane), but aren't you in the middle of some really cold weather right now?
I weeded and mulched my front rose bed over the weekend, though that's best done in the waning moon. But sometimes the opportunity arises and you gotta do what you gotta do. I planted 8 rosemary plants along the path and put in some Greek oregano, lemon balm, and asparagus fern. I also found "Texas tarragon" which just doesn't sound right but I tucked it under some roses out back anyway. We shall see.
I have 3 tomatoes! Each about an inch in diameter. I'm very excited.
We had temps of 28 this AM and supposed to be lower tonight. Parsley is in a potting shed and will be OK. And it is fairly hardy.
I can't believe tomatoes already! My plants are growing nicely under lights in a heated room. LOL
I was in PA in October (visited Philadelphia and Hazleton) and it is SO beautiful up there! But driving through places like Jim Thorpe/Mauk Chunk (sp?) I couldn't help thinking how I could only stand it in the winter if I had a home job and someone to deliver the groceries! I gripe about our 8-month-long summer, but I don't think I'd trade it!
I lived waaay in the country once. My sweetheart became flustered with me because I absolutely went by the moon. He was at the little country store, and he grouched to the old folk there, "She won't do anything unless the moon is right!" They all replied, "So?" He changed his tune after that, but the weaning of the baby goats was the clincher. They cried and cried, so we took them back to their mama. I looked in my Old Farmer's Almanac, and we'd chosen the wrong day. Ten days later, on a good day to wean, we brought the babies back up to their little pen in the back yard. They were perfectly quiet and content.
The Moon's signs' influence has been used for many centuries. Too many people are simply out of tune with the Earth. But most people know their astrology sign, and a wee bit about it.
If nothing else, it can give you a schedule of what to do, so you will be able to do your gardenibg chores more easily. Save up all the weeding for one day, and all the preparing of the beds and pots in anticipation of the good planting days. I tend to run around in circles trying to do everything, and moon signs make being organized, and getting things done, so much more easy.
I guess I'll start a "when to plant what" thread!
Pa. does have some challenging winters. Sometimes they are downright nasty, but our changing seasons with the migrating song birds have become a cycle in my life. I am happy here and wouldn't change it for the world. Guess that is what you call contentment.
Odd, I see changing of seasons here in the Caribbean! March is our coldest month. Islanders don't swim in the sea unless it's summer. Right now, the Mahogany and Almond trees are turning orange and red, and in less than a week, will have dropped all their leaves and begun sprouting new. Boybirds are chasing girlbirds.
The moon is still going darker, waning, right now. I didn't get enough planted on Friday, and we had lovely rain all day Saturday. Monday and Tuesday, Aquarius, OK for weeding and clearing my little patches of garden.
Plant below ground crops, or things you want to stay short, on Wed and Thur(30-1)
Then weeding and smothering with mulch Fri and Sat(May 2-3)
The Dark of the Moon, conjunction, when from Earth the Sun and Moon are in the same place in the sky as viewed from Earth, is early morning May 5th. So spend a few minutes at breakfast writing down a few things you'd like to accomplish in the next month.
The moon will be visible during the day, in a week or so.
I know our seasons are changing when I saw a ruby throated humming bird on the porch tonight. Seems like he said - "OK Where's the juice???" I had the feeder hanging out but hadn't filled it as it gets sour when it hangs for a while. Now the temps have dropped into the 50's again and the hungry bird has a fresh feeder full of juice.
Saturday and Sunday I have to dig and ship daylilies again. Good signs!
The hummingbird told me to tell you thanks!
My daylilies are up and blooming. Isn't spring wonderful?