Gardening by the Moon Calendar

[Sahib Punjabi]

I searched the Forum but could not find any reference / discussion on this topic. Does anyone follow the planting dates per the Moon Calender ? I would love to see if this is applicable in Aquaponics.

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/

[TCLynx]

I do! I do!

[Sahib Punjabi]

Good :-)

I see from your recent blog that Michael Cosmo also seems to follow such. I have been gardening for some years and only started to plant by Moon cycle this year. Now that I have become primarily an Aquaponic gardener, I am in somewhat of a dilemma, a quandary. Ok! So I follow the Moon Calender and start my above ground seeds. In non-AQ gardening, I would wait until the next planting dates to transplant my seedlings to soil. In Aquaponics, especially in DWC, there appears to be multiple planting stages..as one tries to utilize the valuable raft real estate and move from dense spacing to less dense. Do I wait for the appropriate Moon Calender dates on each "transplant" / move or do I consider the initial introduction to DWC as the "transplant" date?

Boy! to quote Shakespeare "To be, or not to be: that is the question..."


TCLynx said:

I do! I do!

[TCLynx]

The online calender doesn't really make any note or comment about transplant dates so I've really only been using it for initial seed planting dates.

I suppose that if there is minimal or no disturbance to the plant in order to move it (as in if you are not ripping roots apart in order to move it) then you could probably do it anytime. If the move or transplant is going to be a traumatic experience for the plant, then you probably want to do it at the most favorable time. This I suppose is why many permaculture recommendations are to direct seed and avoid the whole transplant shock situation in the first place. I guess it all depends on what is of more value, the space or the plant getting to full growth quickest? (and then there is the whole thing about avoiding killing the seedling if it's out with the big plants from the beginning.)

I guess that's the long way to say I'm not really sure.

[Sahib Punjabi]

Time to get busy !
OK all AQ gardeners who try to plant by the Moon Calendar...need to get busy the next few days ;-)

October 2010
7th-9th Favorable Days For Planting Beans, Peas, Squash, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, And Other Above Ground Crops In Southern Florida, Texas, And California. Fine For Sowing Grains, Hay, And Forage Crops. Plant Flowers.
10th-11th Good Days For Planting Above Ground Crops And Leafy Vegetables Such As Lettuce, Cabbage, Kale, And Celery Where Climate Is Suitable. Start Seedbeds.
12th-13th Do Clearing And Plowing, But No Planting.
14th-16th Plant Tomatoes, Peas, Beans And Other Above Ground Crops, Indoors In The North, Outdoors In Lower South.
17th-18th Poor Planting Days. Kill Poison Ivy, Weeds, Clear Land, But Do No Planting.
19th-21st Good Days For Planting Above Ground Crops, Extra Good For Vine Crops, Where Climate Is Suitable.
22nd-23rd A Barren Period.
24th-25th Good Days For Planting Beets, Carrots, Onions, Turnips, And Other Hardy Root Crops Where Climate Is Suitable.
26th-27th Poor Days For Planting, Seeds Tend To Rot In Ground.
28th-29th Best Planting Days For Fall Potatoes, Turnips, Onions, Carrots, Beets, And Other Root Crops Where Climate Is Suitable. Also Plant Seedbeds, Flower Gardens.
30th-31st Grub Out Weeds, Briars, And Other Plant Pests.

from Farmers Almanac http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/

[Allisyn Wood]

How did this work out for everyone?

[TCLynx]

Hard to say

[Wayne Hall]

I currently plant by the moon cycle, and I get much better results that way, I grant you this is traditional growing, but even in aquaponics are not most seeds started outside of the aquaponics system.

[Sahib Punjabi]

Have you documented any experiments Sir...ie planting on 'non-plant" days per Moon v "planting' on plant days. Also, how do you handle the question of "transplanting in Aquaponics" that I raises earlier in the discussion?

 

God bless,

W. Hall said:

I currently plant by the moon cycle, and I get much better results that way, I grant you this is traditional growing, but even in aquaponics are not most seeds started outside of the aquaponics system.

[David Hart]

Many generations of my faimly always went by it.

I did a quick seach, found a few sites that mentioned transplants...

http://www.moongrow.com/moon_phase_gardening/gardening_by_moon_phas...

 

This site is a little more in-depth about the reasons 'why'....

http://kaykeys.net/spirit/earthspirituality/moon/moonseed.html

[Sahib Punjabi]

Wow!

 

I am impressed...so you are from a farmer family. I should have figured. No wonder you have so much knowledge on such matters :-)

 

Thank you David for the research and postings. I had read similar posts but was and am still a little confused at the different farmers Almanac recommendations. What you posted supports that planting in the Waxing phase of the Moon , the time period from the New Moon to Full Moon, is the best period:

"The waxing moon phase is a good time to encourage plant growth and proliferation. The waning moon phase is a useful time to control plant growth and keep down garden pests....

We have already seen evidence asserting growth and liquid absorption peaks at the full moon, and drastically declines during the new moon...."

We are currently in the "waning" period ...July 15th to July 30th ( http://www.calendar-365.com/moon/moon-phases.html ), so no planting should take place in this period. Now I can live with that but get a little confused when another Almanac, "Farmers Almanac" ( http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/ ), states the following :

"

July 2011
26th-27th Poor Days For Planting, Seeds Tend To Rot In The Ground.
28th-29th Most Fruitful Days For Planting Root Crops. Excellent For Sowing Seedbeds And Flower Gardens. Good Days For Transplanting.
30th-31st A Most Barren Period. Kill Plant Pests And Do General Farm Work."

 

Is July 28th and 29th. not in the "waning period"? 

 

Confused?

 

God bless,

David Hart said:

Many generations of my faimly always went by it.

I did a quick seach, found a few sites that mentioned transplants...

http://www.moongrow.com/moon_phase_gardening/gardening_by_moon_phas...

 

This site is a little more in-depth about the reasons 'why'....

http://kaykeys.net/spirit/earthspirituality/moon/moonseed.html

[TCLynx]

Now I haven't gone and read those links yet but I believe the waxing moon tends to be better for above ground crops and growth while the waning period may be better for below ground root growth or planting root crops.

 

But I am not all that sure of this myself.

[David Hart]

I only skimed the articles. If I remember what my grandmother said....you are correct TCLynx.

 

Off topic...Sahib, Thanks for the compliment.

Both my parents grew up on real faimily farms. We lived in a farming area, but we didn't live on a real farm, but we did have a few acres. My dad raised about an acre of garden. Learned lots from him, also was in 4H and the 'Grange'. I think I was in 2nd grade when my grandma taught me how to butcher chickens....if grandma cuts the chickens heads off with a hachet, it must be OK, right ?