Gardening by the moon is by no means a new idea. Its popularity took a bit of a knock back in 1500s when most of its fans were drowned or burned as witches. Fortunately some of their knowledge survived and without fear of retribution has been creeping back to the surface.
So what is it and why does it matter? In our modern age of convenience and removal from the natural system, even being aware of the lunar cycle can open new doors of wonder and inspiration. The moon affects everything, from the ocean tides to our mental health! If you want further food for thought try the app called Lunar Calendar – the Art of Timing, this information comes from the north of Italy. This calendar gives a wealth of information about the moons’ effects on everything from pouring concrete to hanging washing to timing for dental work.
As far as gardening goes, using a lunar calendar helps to break your planting into more manageable blocks. It will also make a difference to productivity. Don’t worry too much though, plants will still grow when planted out of sync with the lunar cycle but most experiments I have seen, have shown better results with the moon. We have a Lunar calendar programmed into out raw data in the web app and are working on making the information available for you.
The other fact to note is that the potency of certain plants increases on the full moon too so it is a good time to harvest them. This is where all the trouble started back in the 1500’s, (people creeping around in the dark collecting herbs). Though it is unlikely that your neighbor would call to have you burned at the stake, your family may look at you strangely as you pop out into the night to snip a few herbs for your teas. I would say that the experience is worth the risk. Not only do you get to be out in the glory of a full moon but you get the continued satisfaction as you sip your peppermint tea knowing that it was indeed harvested on the full moon.
