Moon Gardening

The rewards of successful seed germination or nursery punnet seedlings ‘take’ can make or break the home gardeners interest and participation in growing food or creating blooming flowering annuals and perennials.

SIMPLE GUIDE to LUNAR GARDENING PRINCIPLES

• Planting by the moon is a method of timing and planning when to sow seed or plant seedlings and plant propagation according to the type of plant and the desired result.
• The lunar month is first divided into two main phases – the waxing or increasing moon phase and the waning or decreasing moon phase. The new and the full moon signal the start of each phase.
• General rule is to plant above ground produce and plant from new to full and then after full to next new moon, plant below ground produce and plants.
• Growth is controlled and retarded when trimming, mowing, hard pruning or clearing is done during the last week of the waning phase.

Early farmers observed  the Moon cycle and the growth of annuals; noting that the cycle of the Moon mirrored the cycle of the plants; that over the season of  two or three lunar cycles was similar to the ‘life’ of annuals.

These were linked as follows:

New Moon: The seed is planted and the seed pod swells ready to begin its new life.

Crescent Moon phase: Germination of the seed as the root and stem emerges, with the root anchoring the seed and plant and the stem breaking through the soil.

First Quarter: Stem emerges and first two leaves (in the 1^st moon cycle)

Moon waxes to Full phase: Stem grows pushing out more leaves, and flower buds start to form.

Full Moon: Buds grow and develop and flowers open and fruit form and swell, and in the second or third cycle ripen.

Disseminating: Flowers starts to fade, fruit withers. Inner seeds swell, outer seeds scatter.

Last Quarter: The leaf plant, fruit or seed pods begin to decompose.

Crescent: The plant or fruit breaks down completely and new seeds prepare to germinate in the new cycle.

Planting by the moon is al tool for gardeners that helps increase the success rate and so have a more enjoyable gardening experience. Planting by the moon is always used with general good gardening practices like the use of proper planting mediums and general plant care.