Lee Sie Photography / Getty Images
Gardening by the moon has been practiced since ancient times.
Both biodynamic farming andpermaculture gardeningcommunities have embraced moon gardening practices in various forms as well.
But is gardening by the moon actually effective?
Credit:Lee Sie Photography / Getty Images
What is gardening by the moon?
Wolf first heard about the concept of gardening by the moon from a farmer in North Carolina.
He was impressed, he says, by the commonalties he saw among diverse traditions using the moon phases.
In the waning moon, water seeps down.
Its a good time to plant root crops likeradishes,beets, also anything that is going to overwinter.
Other systems, including biodynamic farming practices, further divide cycles along astrological lines.
The most common is the tropical (astrological) system organized by seasons.
Wolfs calendar incorporates both moon phases and moon signs, using the tropical system.
Does gardening by the moon really work?
He planted them outside on the same day in the third quarter.
The first planting, initially planted under Leo, never bloomed, Wolf says.
So, what does more formal research say about the benefits of gardening by the moon?
They do affect marine life and can affect insect cycles.
There are no pros to gardening by the moon, she adds.
A 2002 studyexplored if the mechanism may be different than water or light levels.
Lunar influence may also be implicated in circadian rhythms.
Should you garden by the moon?
Beyond lunar cycles, gardeners need to also be thinking like a plant, she says.
Is it the right soil temperature to put plants or seeds in the ground?
Is a big rainstorm predicted that will wash out your newly planted seeds?
Or is it too early and there might be a frost?
Most gardeners would find it prohibitive to follow all the specific moon gardening practices to the letter.
Not to mention limiting harvesting to only one week a month when peas ortomatoes are coming in.
Before planting, he checks his soil temperature andfrost dates, andpicks his peas as they ripen.
Perspective from Physics and Biology.Agronomy.
2020; 10(7):955.
6, Sept. 2002.
