Growing Concerns: Let the moon and its phases be your guide to gardening

12/24/05

By K. REKA BADGER NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Before the advent of agribusiness and the proliferation of synthetic chemicals, farmers and gardeners let nature's cycles guide their horticultural efforts. They weeded by hand, faithfully turned organic material back into the soil and planted according to the phases of the moon.

On the cusp of a brand new year, floraphiles willing to reconsider these ancient methods -- practices that have put produce on the table since the dawn of agriculture -- find a wealth of tantalizing possibilities. With scientific studies pointing to its efficacy, gardening with the moon in mind may offer faster seed germination, more vigorous plant growth and earlier, larger harvests of crops less likely to form seeds prematurely.

This moon-based system stems from the premise that plants respond to the same lunar pull that affects the oceans' tides, a notion reflected in the tenets of Rudolf Steiner's Biodynamics, as well as in the pages of the venerable Old Farmer's Almanac. A fluctuating force that stimulates root or leaf growth by turns, the pull is strongest during the full moon phase, when the sun and moon lie on opposite sides of the globe and set up a corresponding tidal bulge on each side.

As described by Caren Catterall on her Web site Gardening By the Moon (www.gardeningbythemoon .com), the lunar phases influence soil moisture, which peaks during both new and full moons, times when tides are also at their highest. Ms. Catterall cites studies conducted at Northwestern University confirming that seeds and plants absorb measurably more water during a fat, full moon.

Each of the four lunar phases lasts about seven days, and as the moon waxes from new to full, foliar growth surges. As the waning moon fades from full to new, plant activity moves underground, fueling the development of subterranean root masses.

Followers of the lunar system recommend planting seeds of above-ground annual crops, such as lettuce, spinach, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and grains during the new moon. When the second quarter appears, sow fruiting species, such as melons, peppers, squash and tomatoes, and to encourage a thick, robust lawn, plan to mow during these first two quarters.

As the moon wanes and its energy decreases, plant root crops, including beets, carrots, onions, potatoes and peanuts, as well perennials, biennials and bulbs. Because this phase drives activity underground, it is a prime time for pruning and transplanting, as well as propagating, fertilizing, watering, harvesting and controlling pests.

The fourth quarter, a resting period of reduced moonlight and lunar influence, extends the window for transplanting, pruning, cultivating and harvesting.

Practitioners agree that clean, healthy soil uncontaminated by synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides offers the best results for those guided by the lunar calendar. They urge gardeners to strive for balance by choosing organic preparations, using the least invasive pest control methods and cultivating favorable conditions for beneficial bugs.

To help gardeners time their tasks, "Gardening by the Moon 2006," available at www.gardening bythemoon.com, presents a lunar-based planting guide and garden activity calendar. Offered in three versions geared to regional growing seasons, the calendar lists vegetable and flower species best started in flats or planted directly in the ground and includes an easy-to-use farmer's almanac complete with gardening tips for particular climates and day-by-day notations of lunar changes.

Ancient as agriculture itself, the lunar-based approach to gardening may have emerged from folklore and superstition, but its potency has been verified by long practice and scientific inquiry. Cultivators willing to explore a tried-and-true method that's new all over again need only look skyward and take a good look at the phases of the moon.

K. Reka Badger is a Master Gardener who writes from her home near Templeton. She can be reached at life@newspress.com.