Do any of you take the moon phases and moon signs into account when planting and harvesting your garden, and do you think that it makes a difference? I'm going to be putting in my first vegetable garden this year and I was wondering if moon-gardening is worth the effort.

I did find a website where you can check the moon phases and signs during the month, and you can buy a calendar with planting and harvesting dates for your growing zone. It's at (sorry, I don't know how to make this show up as a link):

www.gardeningbythemoon.com

Thanks, Sherri in IN

-- Sherri C (CeltiaSkye@aol.com), January 02, 2001

Answers

Sherri my grandfaher only planted by the moon signsand he always had a beautiful and very productive garden. He did everything by signs. He wouldn't even dig a hole to put a fence post in if wasn't the "right" time, he even cut my aunts hair by the signs so their hair would grow long. Can't wait to try the web site. Thanks! Sandy

-- Sandy(FL.) (MANDARINHILLBILLYS@prodigy.net), January 02, 2001.

Sherri Hello! My husband and I planted by the moon for quite a few years. It was very fun looking up the information in foxfire books and such. I would encourage you to try it just for the experiance and to have your own personal ideas about it. For us we finally decided that it took up too much of our time and we didnt notice that much differance in the success of our garden. I pretty much say now that when I fill like planting something in the garden that the moon is telling me to do it.

-- Trendle Ellwood (trendlespin@msn.com), January 02, 2001.

Sherri, I grew up with my Dad who did everything by the sign of the moon-----I mean everything!!!!! We planted garden, castrated livestock, dug post holes, built fence, weaned my children, weaned livestock, quit smokeing, you name it & Dad checked the sign of the moon!!!! Dad died 10 years ago & I truelly miss him telling me what sign of the moon to do things. If you want to experiment gardening by the moon (we have done this several times) plant some veggie when the moon is right & when it isn't. What I'm saying is plant carrots when it isn't the sign for root crops & we have gotten all tops/plant by the right sign & we got wonderful carrots. Do your own experment!! I love to see when my neighbors plant their garden & don't follow the moon signs----some times I don't even have to experiment as they have done it for me--they always blame it on something & I quit saying/ did you check your moon signs-cause they don't believe that was the problem!! Can't wait to check the web page youe posted!!! My daughter tells me/ Mother you are a Christain & you aren't suspose to believe in the signs of the moon----I figure God has control of the moon signs & everything else so I keep checking the moon signs! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), January 02, 2001.

My great uncle did it by sign and we experimented with it for the experience. Finally decided that the benifits of sign planting didnt compare to our intensified gardening techniques as far as production was concerned. It was fun planting by sign and noting subtle differences though.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 02, 2001.

My grandmother gardened by the moon,An older friend did as well.I went to a program a few years back.We had an author whose name escapes me that had researched and written a book on tips from longterm gardeners and researchers in the field.I remember one of the things she mentioned was that Moon signs did indeed affect plant hormones,and thus plant growth. So yes, do try it .I almost always plant my vines out around Derby Day. For those not from KY that is the first weekend in May. That is determined, by moon sign, to be a good time to plant them,as well.

As an aside,she also said don't use wood ashes.Buildup of radioactivity from testing in the forties & fifties is in trees.Burning them concentrates this. When tested,wood ashes were high in radioactivity.

You really didn't want to know that did you? What was that post abt glowing vegetables?Is nothing sacred? Well, I still use my wood ashes for the potassium.I don't know if I've started to glow in the dark or not.

Thanks for that link

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), January 02, 2001.

Many gardeners stagger the planting of their crops--planting a bit of each crop every week or two. It's a good way to keep everything from ripening at once and buys some insurance against losing a whole crop to frosts and such. If the phase of the moon had any noticeable effect, it would show up in such gardens. I have never seen it, or talked to anybody who has.

Many years ago somebody (I think it was Rodale's Organic Gardening magazine, but I could be wrong) did a fair, scientific, study. They looked at planting by the signs, planing so many days before or after the last expected frost, and planting by soil temperature. Planting by soil temperature gave the best germination, but all did OK as long as they were late enough for frost-tender plants.

==>paul

-- paul (p@ledgewood-consulting.com), January 02, 2001.

I've never used the signs to plant by, but hasten to add that I'd not discourage anyone from doing so.

One of the Foxfire books points out a passage in the Bible. Ecclesiastes 3:1,2 which states, (KJV) "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;"

The Foxfire book also tells that James T. Burden, Professor of Agriculture at the Rabun Gap school states, "There's no scientific proof at all. Look. If someone's going to be careful enough to plant by the signs and watch and harvest the crop that carefully, then the chances are he will have a good crop, regardless." He also is careful not to turn students against their parents' beliefs, just that there is no scientific proof to favor them.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), January 02, 2001.

Well, I would guess that back in the old days before everybody knew how to write or had paper and pencil for that matter, it might have been easier to remember when you planted something, if you planted it by the moon phase. (Or to remember when to plant it, too.) But maybe you could notch a stick or something else for record keeping.

Since animal conception, birth, etc., cycles are on a moon phase, I also don't see any reason why plant cycles couldn't be as well. Never tested it, so I wouldn't know. I plant by whenever it's not pouring rain and the ground isn't muddy, and I have the time and inclination (within the limits of the growing season of course!)

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), January 02, 2001.

I am planning to plant my garden by the moon signs this spring. I'll let you know how it compares to this past year's garden when I did it helter skelter. Hey Sandy, you don't happen to know when is the right time for cutting hair do you? I have been trying to get my hair to grow longer than to my waist and I just can't get it to grow any longer. Thought maybe if I tried this idea I might make it. LOL

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), January 02, 2001.

I truly believe there is something to this planting by the moon. The Bible quote that Notforprint shared with us is beautiful. And being a women I have evidence that our very body's ebb and flow with the cycles of the moon. I couldnt survive on this earth if I didnt believe that there are some things that the scientists just cant explain away. There is a master mind that they have not yet pierced. I think that Sheepish has the right idea when he says that he plants when he gets the inclination. The same moon that governs the seeds and plants is also at work in us. We are all a part of this natural cycle. So when the urge is great to go plant those peas or hoe up those potatos .My Golly!! Maybe the moon is trying to tell us something! I certainly hope that you look into this moon planting and let us all know how it goes for you Sherri!Have fun.

-- Trendle Ellwood (trendlespin@msn.com), January 02, 2001.

Most of the older folks around here still do everything by the moon- last year we wanted to slaughter the pig but no one (and I mean NO ONE) would kill it for us because the moon was "bad" , meaning that our pork products wouldn't keep. We waited for the moon and then did it. As for the hair thing I will look it up in my Barbanera almanac and let you know!!

I have done gardening by the moon, I found it helpful because it was easier to organize my time (with 3 small children, finding time is not easy!!). Although not having much time also meant going into the garden and doing whatever needed to be done in those few available seconds.(and praying that the moon would forgive me!!)

One small problem with the moon thing is that you have to decide which therory to use . The biodynamical idea uses the moon differently than our village farmers.

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), January 02, 2001.

Cut your hair in the moon sign of:Cancer,Scorpio, or Pisces. and the moon phase 1st or 2nd quarters. Hope this works for ya'll as well as it did for my aunts. They all had thick and LONG hair.

-- Sandy(FL.) (MANDARINHILLBILLYS@prodigy.net), January 02, 2001.

I've planted by the moon and when the hoppers didn't eat it, (2 years) the year I followed the moon signs I had amazing produce! I will be doing it again this year and I have the hoppers foiled with a screen house now, so I expect fair results.

When I was a kid we helped a farmer plant his pea crop by the moon and in the darrk as an experiment. It must have worked out well as it became an annual ritual!

Pulling weeds when the moon is in a fire sign, Aries,Leo,Sagittarius, works well, too. I can't always manage to do everything at exactly the right phase of the moon, but if you can try it does seem to help out. The Farmer's Almanac always has the moon signs in it.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), January 03, 2001.

I confess...I do still plant certain crops by the moon and yes I think there is something to it all.

-- Lynn (mscratch1@semo.net), January 03, 2001.

This made me smile. I try and observe phases of the moon for planting, but it isn't always possible due to our erratic weather. What I was smiling about was that this last year I was planting potatoes by the moon -- quite literally!!! Days were going too fast, I needed to get them in the ground, and there's no yard light out there, so there I was, digging holes and plopping in the spuds by the light of the moon. I even got the rows half way straight. Too bad I didn't have any warts to get rid of at the same time.

Thanks for the link.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), January 08, 2001.