Planting by the Moon & Stars

With help from my friend and neighbour, Paola Pomilio, I've been reading and learning about planting by the phases of the moon and the stars.  With its roots in folklore and superstition, yes, you're right to be sceptical but, and it's a big but, following the rhythms of Mother Nature has got to be good, right?

So, I learn and I try.  And today is a good day to start.  A new moon.

Full moon at Kokopelli

The new & full moons:  when the sun and the moon are lined up with the earth, at the time of the new and full moon, the tides are at their highest.  Just as the moon pulls the tides, so it also pulls upon the water in the earth causing moisture to rise in the soil, and hence stimulate growth.  Makes sense?  Tests have even proven that seeds will absorb the most water at the time of the full moon.  So more than just folklore.

Mother Nature knows best.

Increasing moonlight (a waxing moon): the increasing moonlight, that follows the new moon, combines with the high moisture content of the earth to create optimum conditions for balanced root and leaf growth.  As such, this is the time to plant above ground crops that produce their seeds outside the fruit:  lettuce, spinach, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sweetcorn, cucumber and so on.

Kokopelli tomatoes

Decreasing moonlight (a waning moon): after the full moon, although the moisture content of the soil is high, the moonlight is decreasing.  The focus of energy therefore goes from the leaves to the roots.  A good time for your root crops: beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, etc.

So far, so good.  Couple the phases of the moon with the constellations of the stars and you start to fine tune.

Working with nature.  Beautiful.

The Zodiac constellations:  the moon cycles through all the constellations that make up the zodiac during a lunar month.  Each sign of the zodiac is considered to be an earth, air, fire or water sign and, as the moon passes through each, a window of opportunity is given for various gardening tasks.

Earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo):  The best time for below ground growth, so perfect for root crops, planting and transplanting seedlings.

Air signs (Libra, Aquarius, Gemini):  when the moon is in an air sign, this is a good time to harvest, cultivate and preserve.

Kokopelli Figs

Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius):  harvesting during a fire sign, a barren and dry period, will help to prevent spoilage, it's a good time to weed, till the soil and to prune; but it is also still a good time to plant crops grown for their seeds.

Kokopelli herb garden

Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): the best time for the healthy growth and planting of above ground leafy annuals.

So there you have it.  Moon planting in a nutshell.  If you'd like to explore further, most of the information was pulled from the following sites, who go into fabulous but simple detail:
http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/lunarfacts.html
http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Moon_Planting.asp#

Happy planting!