Moon Gardening

What is Moon Gardening?

We all dream of that beautiful garden, right? We look at what we have, see the flaws and think about having to wait an entire year to rectify those lacking areas.

Moon gardening is taking organic growing to the next step enabling you to not only produce healthier crops but helping you to maintain year round natural and beautiful gardens.

The moon is such an influential element to the earths water table, something you may or may noy have known. Fundamentally this is the water content which is contained beneath the earths surface. As we can see from the sea, the gravitational pull of the moon has major effects on the tides this effect is not only felt by the sea but by the earthsπ atmosphere, creatures, plants and the earths biosphere as a whole!

The water content of the earth rises as the gravitational pull of the moon increases and the water content falls as the gravitational pull of the moon decreases therefore in studying the pattern of the moons gravitational pull we can effectively assess the requirements of our crops, and in turn achieve more conservational gardens, extensively reducing the amount we water our gardens and if applicable reducing fertilizer use up to 50%, limiting the amount of chemicals applied and giving your garden both environmental and financial benefits.

The process of studying this gravitational pull directly relates to the lunar calender, of which you can find on our website www.moongardener.org it is so easy to follow and can be followed no matter how extensive your crop or how budding a gardener you are!!

History of moon gardening?

Using the moon and lunar calender is an age old tradition used by the Romans, Greeks and the Romanies, in fact it is in some ways surprising that this age old tradition ever was forgotten! We understand how the sun and water effects plant growth, we also know how the moon in turn works with the sun and tides. Yet for todayπs gardeners the consideration of using the moon as an effective growth factor seemed to apply an element of folk law or magic with as much credibility as the daily horoscopes in the local paper.

The fact is, that as the rise of importation grew and supermarkets became bigger better and cheaper people saw less and less need to grow there own produce. Allotments were becoming derelict and unused and the appeal of cheap quick and easy seemed promising. However in 2007 firstly we see more and more people looking to buy organic, we see a rise in people wanting to grow there own with allotments now selling at prices unseen before and a growing awareness of green living, with the growing concerns of global warming, conversational issues are not just becoming trendy, there becoming a necessity.

Benefits of organic?

Generally although you can apply chemical fertilizer on your crops, the method of moon gardening generally is best used when seeking to produce organic crops as organic soil responds to the natural elements in which it is grown. Chemically enhanced soil can influence quantity of the crop although it sacrifices quality. So for the likes of you and me at home we want to get the best quality for our crops especially if the neighbors are round for dinner!! Your produce may take a little longer, but quality vegetables will definitely be my choice when you consider the alternative is a mix or herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and a cocktail of chemicals.

There are now around 4,000 registered organic producers in the UK now so if there is something you arenπt growing, your guaranteed to find a local store that could very well have it.

Preparation/starting?

The first thing to consider when beginning moon gardening is of course the moonπs luner cycle which as you will see in the following section takes numerous considerations into account, however when you are set to begin planting it is vital to prepare your soil. There are two great composts which make great bases for your crop,

Firstly a great compost consists of manure, now you can go scrapping it up off the streets, but it may take you some time but there are loads of farms and stables that sell horse manure and it is never much more than (price) a great and cheap mixture to add to your manure is any of your everyday household organic waste that otherwise would just get chucked in the bin. You can also begin a collecting any waste that your local fruit and veg store is throwing away and this makes a great mix, using one mans waste for anotherπs yield is exactly what organic growing is about I think!! You can be getting this ready in early autumn as you really want to be getting your soil prepared in the third quarter of the moon which we will learn about later generally you want to leave your soil over the winter to adapt through the rain, frost and wind which will create a great surface in which to grow.

Adding decomposing organic waste has a second advantage in that it creates really healthy soil, this is seen in the color of your soil, generally, the darker the better. The darker your soil is indicates that it is retaining warmth. Lighter soil tends to loose its heat therefore slowing down bacteria activity, this really hinders the fertilization of your plants, the warmer your soil the more incubation your plants receive, the more bacteria activity developed, the more fertilized your crop.

The second compost to prepare is slightly different and called leaf mould now this is great for sowing seeds and should be used as a base in which to crow but you can also add whenever your crops are looking a bit dry. Leaf mould is a mixture of rotton leaves with burnt wood ash, however when burning the woody waste keep aside some of the ash for further use.

From this you can also make a collection of the mud surrounding the fire - this will make a perfect base for potting tomatoes later in the year.

When working out what to plant and where it is advisable to create a planting plan for your garden firstly so you know what was planted where and when, secondly to make sure you are placing produce that grows well next to each other, and finally so you know when it is best to rotate. Make sure you keep hold of each seasons plan in order to refer back to when planning further crop layouts. You ideally want to have a 3 or 4 area plan with a selection of vegetables in each section you can even designate an area to try flower growth in sight of your new moon garden.

So, you have your compost prepared, now lets move on to your garden and the preparation of the soil. So within the third quarter of the moon we want to be getting our soil ready, the best way to do this is the traditional åtrenchingπ method which is a time old way of horticultural farming and basically consists of turning the soil twice over x2 meaning you dig to twice the depth of your spade. This is grafty work, but nobody mentioned anything about not getting your hands dirty.

You want to make sure the entire area that you are planting on is trenched adding a healthy amount of compost this not only creates an effective drainage for your crops but it allows the nutrients from the compost to lie right where the roots of your plants can get at them.

How? (Graphics and bit of step by step how to)

When you look up at the night sky, itπs obvious to see the changes that happen throughout the month to the distance and shape of our moon. This pattern of the moon runs in a monthly cycle taking 29.5 days to orbit the earth ≠ this is called an elliptical orbit. A ånew moonπ is created when the moon appears opposite to the sun in the sky so as the moon rises the sun then sets, at this time it is really hard to see the moon for around a week or so because the moon is so close to the sun, at this point the water content of the soil is at itπs lowest so it is not the best time to sow or plant. It then passes 3 stages as you can see in the graphics, 1^st quarter, to full moon this part of the moons journey is called the åWaxing of the moonπ. At full moon a plants metabolic rate and water absorption is at its highest, so it is a great time in which to plant and sow, this also applies to seeds a well. However just to note there is no point planting if your soil is either to wet, dry or cold, so keep an eye on the weather when planning to spend time in the garden. The Full moon holding a high water content also indicates a great time for harvesting plants as well if we are looking to achieve juicy high water vegetables especially if you are wanting to eat something fresh, however if your growing something like herbs and your looking for a dryer nature to your crop especially if you are wanting to store your crop; harvesting at or just before new moon is best. From åfull moonπ the moon then continues itπs course through to the 3^rd quarter returning back to its position nearest the sun forming a new moon once again. This second stage of the moons journey is called the åWaning of the moonπ.

For day to day gardening it can help to do any work on the garden an hour either side of moonrise or moonset, In the waxing phase ≠ thatπs from a new moon to the full moon past the 1^st quater it is moon rise that takes place in the day, however in Waning moon ≠ that is from full moon past the 3^rd quarter to a new moon, it is moonset that takes place in the day. For example today we are in the waxing stage of the moons orbit so we are passing the first quarter of the moon therefore it is moon rise that is taking place in the day, so today 26^th march 2007 moon rise is at 10am therefore best time for doing any work in the garden today is between 9am and 11am. But just a little tip is that seeds thrive in warmer soil so planting in the afternoon just keeps them so much happier, the best idea is just to refer to your calendar to see when a moon rise or moon set within a full moon stage falls in the afternoon and set aside That day for the planting of your seeds.

Pruning on the other hand is much better done in the morning, when you cut back you plant there is some bleeding that occurs ≠ you see this juicy water that appears. (show) well if done in the evening this can take much longer for the crop to re heal and mend its self however if done in the morning it gives the entire day for the sun to dry this cut area up, sealing the stem.

Monthly pruning and cutting back is best done on the Waning 3^rd quarter of the month especially as the water content is decreasing so as you cut back you may notice less of that watery juice you saw before will be present. Any grafting to be done should be done on the waxing 1^st quarter of the moons journey. But if you are a less regular gardener, looking annually grafting in the garden such as tidying the lawn and preparing the soil is best done in spring and things like this, the pruning and cutting back of crops is generally best done in late autumn, winter time.