Moon planting is an ancient agricultural method that has been used for thousands of years by farmers and gardeners who have observed the very real effects of the moon on plants and devised various methods to take advantage of the moon’s influence.
It is simpler than you might think and easy to do in your garden. The cycle of the moon from one new moon to the next is called the synodic cycle. At different parts of the synodic cycle the moon’s influence on the earth changes.
Due to the moon’s elliptical orbit sometimes it is closer to the earth and sometimes it is further away. The moon’s gravitational pull on the earth varies accordingly and creates high and low tides in the ocean. It also influences the flow of sap in plants and the movement of water in the soil.
The variations in moonlight and gravity throughout the month have noticeable effects on plant growth, animal and perhaps even human behaviour.
Throughout the centuries farmers and gardeners have studied the effects of the moon on plant growth and devised various methods to take advantage of the moon.
The lunar cycle can be used to determine not only the best time to plant seeds, but also when to transplant seedlings, take cuttings, cultivate the soil, and mow lawns.
The moon’s 29 day cycle is divided into four phases or lunar ‘seasons’ lasting about a week each.
At full moon there is increased light and nature does not sleep at night – the influence of the moon on plants is greatest: this is the lunar ‘summer.’
The moon is closer to the earth making it appear bigger and giving it a stronger gravitational pull. The increased light and stronger sap movement in the part of the plant above the ground creates strong leaf and flower growth but slower root growth.
As the moon wanes, its influence on plant growth wanes with it. The decreasing amount of moon light and gravitational influence means the dominant sap flow gradually moves from the top of the plant to the roots. This is the lunar autumn.
Leaf growth slows down and is balanced by equal root growth. The increased sap flow to the roots makes this a good time to transplant seedlings and to strike cuttings. Soil preparation and weeding should also be during the waning moon.
As the new moon approaches plants put more of their energy into root growth. The moon moves further away and gets smaller in our sky. During the lunar winter lack of moonlight causes leaf and flower growth to slow right down. This is a perfect time to mow the lawn or prune trees and hedges to slow down their growth.
Seeds do not germinate well during this phase so recently weeded gardens will be less likely to sprout a whole new batch of weeds. Root crops like carrots and potatoes, which take a long time to come up can be sown now so that they are ready to germinate and grow during the next waxing moon.
After the new moon every night the crescent moon gets a little bigger, bringing with it more moonlight and bringing the moon a littler closer to us. Sap flow returns up the plant into the leaves and stems and growth increases above the ground.
Seeds germinate quickly and easily during the lunar ‘spring’. Leaf crops, legumes, fruit, cereals and any plant that produces a crop above the ground should be sown now. Pruning and mowing during this phase stimulates growth as the increased lunar influence makes plants grow back faster than at other times.
I was originally sceptical of moon planting because I had fairly good results without it. Nature is somewhat forgiving and seeds planted during the wrong moon phase will usually wait until conditions are right to germinate and produce reasonable crops regardless.
So when I first became aware of this fascinating theory, I went looking for some evidence and found the extensive field and laboratory trials data produced by Dr. L Kolisko1 using wheat trials that were conducted in 1939. The published results showed a clear connection between the moon phase of planting and the
germination, growth and yield of the wheat crop.
Further research was carried out by Maria Thun who got similar results with vegetables and other plants. While the effect of the moonlight may be small compared to direct sunlight , moon planting is a way of optimising growing conditions.
Working with the moon can have a noticeable effect on the size of your harvest. I wasn’t convinced of moon planting until I tried it for myself. Having grown lettuce and other salad crops for market, I have seen an increase in leaf growth as the moon grows larger in the sky.
Lettuce picked on the week of the full moon seems to yield slightly more than during the other lunar phases. The crops I plant with the waxing moon germinate a little faster and show stronger growth.
During the hotter months I plant lettuce seeds weekly because it bolts quickly in the heat. The punnets planted in the lunar autumn are often slow to germinate or a bit patchy although they still provide a good crop.
Moon planting takes only just a little extra planning and an occasional look up at the night sky. I’ve made it a regular part of my gardening calendar. After practising moon planting for a couple of moons it becomes almost automatic and I rarely need to look at my moon planting chart to know what to do.
In an age where people are increasingly separated from nature, planting by the moon also helps to get us back in touch with nature’s rhythms and cycles. Make sure you keep good records of your moon planting experiments so you can learn along the way and see if moon planting works for you.
1. Agriculture of Tomorrow, E & L Kolisko, 1978
