Ever wondered why you can plant half a pack of seeds on one day and not a single one sprouts and on another day, from the same pack each one sprouts? Blame it on the Moon!
In time gone by astrologers and farmers worked side by side. They planted their crops using a calendar called an Almanac. An Almanac is a celestial calendar which plots the movement of the stars like a giant watch. Some farmers and gardeners still use this method.
R.J Harris, the head gardener at a private estate near Cornwall, England conducts his own experiments. Each year he cultivates a selection of crops in opposition to the best practices of moon gardening methods. Crops planted according to the lunar cycle fare much better, he said. “I’ve got a large area in potatoes. We’ve got some planted at the right time of the moon and some crops at the wrong time of the moon. The difference is so obvious and there for everybody to see,” he said.
So how is this done? You may have an urgent desire to laugh that off as superstitious, but it is true. The fact that plants like our bodies are made up of more than 60% water is part of the problem. The gravitational pull of the moon affects plants as much as the ocean; the difference is the effect on the ocean is observable.
So when is the right time to garden?
When to Garden:
1. First find out what phase the moon is in.
2. During a waxing moon: from slither (waxing crescent) to full moon
– Plant seeds, especially those that grow above the ground
– Plant deciduous and fruit trees
– Re-pot and groom indoor and outdoor plants
– Fertilize
– Make off cuts, graft trees/plants
3. Waning moon; full moon to slither
– Plant bulbs, crops that grow beneath the ground e.g. potatoes
– Prune
– De-weed
– De-slug
4. Find out what sign the moon is in and don’t plant anything on the days that it is in a barren sign.
What is a barren sign you may be wondering?
A barren sign is a sign that affects the energy that the moon gives off. If you plant seeds on a day when the moon is in Capricorn, you will be lucky to see one sprout. But plant it on a day the moon is in Cancer, Cancer is a a fertile sign, all your seeds will sprout.
But what to do on a day when the moon is in a barren or semi barren sign? Trim, prune, de-weed plants, turn the soil and fertilize.
During a fertile sign plant and sprout seeds.
Below is a helpful guide to the signs of the moon:
SIGN FERTILITY
Aries Semi-Barren Libra Semi-Fertile
Taurus Semi-Fertile Scorpio Fertile
Gemini Barren Sagittarius Semi-Barren
Cancer Fertile Capricorn Semi-Fertile
Leo Barren Aquarius Semi-Barren
Virgo Barren Pisces Fertile
Current Moon Sign and Phase
Happy Gardening!
Laura is a practicing Astrologer and student of Psychology in Cape Town and conducts personalized astrological readings and consultations.
© Laura Selena 2015
