Moon gardening? Well, if you thought gardening was fun anyway,

wait until you start gardening by moonlight!

One of the earliest aids to agriculture was planting by the moon. The first agricultural communities on the planet knew that if they planted at certain times, the crops would be of a better quality. These things are important if the life of your tribe depends on the success of a crop!

In New Zealand, even today, the Maori calendar is widely used and well respected, not just for gardening but for fishing as well! Most other early growing civilisations had similar lore. Using this strategy fits nicely into modern organic gardening practices. This is how it works.

As the moon rises, the pull influences the tides, as everyone knows. That’s how we get the very high tides at the full, and at the new moon. Its called gravity!

But not only does the moon’s gravity affect tides, it also affects underground watertables. So if you plant when it is rising towards the full status, the water table rises as well, and makes water more easily available to the new plant. Easy isn’t it?

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Well, there is more to it than just that! Moonlight itself is known to play a role too, and there are other factors such as the planetary influence when the moon enters, or passes, certain signs of the zodiac.

As well, the phases vary throughout the year. In the Southern Hemisphere for instance, the new moon produces its greatest gravitational pull, and the highest tides in summer, at night, and in winter it is the full that produces the greatest pull, in daytime.

If you are serious about gardening, you should be using these planting strategies, if you are not already. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an astronomer to do this.

The best way to use moon gardening techniques is to buy a special calendar. That will have the different zodiac signs prescribed, so you don’t have to sit in the garden and follow the path of the moonlight each night!

Each area of the planet is a bit different of course, and the Northern Hemisphere has a different calendar than the Southern Hemisphere. Fortunately, so many modern gardeners use moon planting, that calendars are generally available in good gardening shops in most areas. You can also buy one online.

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Just to give you an introduction to how it works, as the new moon grows, the gravitational pull encourages the seeds to swell with water, and burst into life much more quickly. This is generally considered the best time to plant leaf crops with the seeds on the outside of the plant, such as broccoli, lettuce, and grains.

As the it heads towards the second quarter, (this time is known as the waxing) the moonlight becomes stronger, creating good leaf growth. This is a good planting time, right up to the full. Best crops to plant are those that have seeds forming within the fruit, such as tomatoes, capsicum, beans and so on.

After the full moon, the waning starts. The light decreases, and energies go into the roots. The water table drops, and the root growth is encouraged to look down for water! It all makes sense now, doesn’t it?

There are a number of gardening books which discuss this concept gardening at length.

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Now is the time to plant root crops, such as turnips, carrots, onions, and bulbs etc.

During the fourth quarter the gravitational pull decreases, and everyone has a rest, except for very good gardeners who will use this period to prune plants, mow lawns, or undertake other gardening maintenance.

Of course this summary doesn’t include the zodiac factor, which also plays role in the whole process. This information is best obtained from a regional moon calendar.

Finally we should mention that this practice doesn’t just relate to planting. As you sow, so shall you harvest!

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If you are picking herbs or leaf vegetables where flavor is important, you should follow the same guides as when you planted. This is very important, especially with herbs that are to be used for essential oils. As the moon moves towards the full, the plant is loaded with energy. It is putting everything it has into growing, and is bursting with life and nutrients, and this is the time to harvest!

If possible harvest just before the full moon! When you are sitting down in the evening and eating your homegrown, organic, fresh harvested, herb flavored vegetables, you’ll be so glad you did!

Happy moonlit gardening, Patrick

Full Moon Names

North American Indian tribes kept track of the seasons by giving names to the full moons. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long, the full moon dates do not always coincide with calendar months. Here is a list of the full moon names.

Full Wolf Moon (January) The name given by Indians to the month when hungry wolves would howl outside villages.

Full Snow Moon (February) The month of the heaviest snows.

Full Worm Moon (March) Also known as the full crow moon, the Indians observed the end of winter by the re-apparance of earthworms and crows. Christian settlers called the March moon the lenten moon.

Full Pink Moon (April) Named by the Indians for the emergence of wild phlox flowers.

Full Flower Moon (May) The season when flowers are in profusion.

Full Strawberry Moon (June) The month of the strawberry harvest.

Full Buck Moon (July) When buck deer show their new antlers.

Full Harvest Moon (September) At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work by the light of this moon.

Full Hunter's Moon (October) The harvest over, this is the season for hunting.

Full Beaver Moon (November) Time to trap beavers for their fur coats before the swamps freeze.

Full Cold Moon (December) This midwinter moon is also known as the long-night moon.