Plant by the phase of the MOON and North South rows.

[Charlie MV]

I've lost all sense of moon phases. When we lived on the boat in Charleston, a full moon often put the tide in the middle of the road, it was hard to miss a full moon tide walking around a boat dock.

[2cents]

The government has been throwing money at all kinds of research over the last several decades. With the way universities receive grants and the professional grant writers out there, we all know this has already been research and research to death. I guarantee the issue of moon phases has been given tons-o-cash.
But, it is mysteriously quiet from the fed and universities.
Why do you think that is?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Based on when the flowers are blooming... I must be an evergreen ...

There is a lot of interest in biodynamics, which has you burying compost in a rams horn by the light of a full moon. One of my last colleagues was into this, so we studied it against standard organic practice for biological soil activity and it was a cipher; no difference at all... but biodynamics stresses good organic culture and I do think that's a good idea...

And there are likely lunar variances in plant growth; here's a white paper on just that topic, defending the lunar cycle theory put forth by Maria Thun, one of the early pioneers of biodynamics. While I don't claim to understand the math or draw the conclusion that rams horns and wands work, there does seem to be some support for this theory...

[url]https://www.biodynamic.org.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/Documents/Evidence_for_Lunar_Sideral__Rhythms_in_Crop_Yield_An_overview.pdf[/url]

HG

[Gary350]

I know there is some science to planting by the moon but I never do, I plant when the weather is right. My father and my relatives all plant by the moon. They all have a better garden than me, maybe I should pay more attention to the moon?

I do plant north/south rows I notice a difference compared to east/west rows especially plants that shade each other like a row of bush beans. An east/west row gets full sun only on the south side and top. North/south rows gets full sun on both sides and the top. A north/south row gets 1/3 more full sun than east/west rows. Do this experement line up a dozen soft drink cans touching each other in rows then use a flashlight and pretend your the sun. East/west rows NEVER gets full sun on the north side.

[jal_ut]

In another post I already said I don't plant by the moon.

Plant your crop so the rows run North and South to get maximum sun and the best crop. If you plant your rows East West the north side of the plants never get sun. East West rows means half the plant gets sun so half the plant has to do all the work to produce fruit. You can read about this online too.

I am sorry, I don't buy this either. If you care to watch the sun's movement you will see that in the spring and summer it comes up in the North East and sets in the North West. Mid day it is high overhead.

Another thing those who have the ability to observe will notice is, that plants have the ability to move their leaves so the sun falls on them.

Another myth.

[Royiah]

All this sounds so interesting! But I'm not all to sure about all of it. Even if you don't plant by the moon and someone you know does its in a totally different place. And no one place is the same. The reason they have better gardens could be a number of reasons. So I cant see just planting by the moon to be the sole reason why thiers is better than yours. It could be anything. Though I will admit it might have some affect. why I don't know.
I have heard of a flower that blooms when night comes. I believe that theres one that only blooms when the moons out. A friend told me about that one so I don't know if is true or not. Think its true? I think it would be cool to have a plant that does that.

[hendi_alex]

"The reason they have better gardens could be a number of reasons. "

Yes, I didn't mention one 'little' fact regarding my friend's garden, which was always better than mine is. He gardened in some of the richest, blackest dirt that I've seen, probably from decades of working compost into the soil. I work in some of the sandiest, nematode infested soil that I've seen. I have really great soil about 1/8 of a mile down the sandy hill from my home location. I may clear an area and try a garden there some time, but nothing could take the place of walking out the door and being right there at the garden, so I continue to tolerate my poor soil conditions and modify it as I can.

This thing about moon sign planting is just so counter to my science trained mind. I mean, in nature, how many seeds consult the moon as to the exact time that they drop to the soil or get agitated to near the soils surface such that germination gets started? In nature, I think that all of that is totally random. It is interesting to me, how much more vigorously any of my self seeded garden plants seem to grow. There is probably an adaptation that causes a great number of seeds to move to a favorable location and to get covered by an optimal amount of soil, so that plants out grow competitors.

[stryper]

I think economics would help out with this discussion.

Ceteris Paribus, all other things equal.

The internet is full of bogus claims about many topics. We all know this. To really get a sense of if the planting with the phases of the moon works or not you would have to hold everything else equal.

So you'd have to have the same soil, same plot size and composition, as best you can the same sunlight conditions, same watering, same fertilization etc.

With the only difference between the plots being when they were planted.

That said. Many of these type of things are simply the remnants of the past. If you think about it for a minute, when the ideas of planting with the phases of the moon came about, it was from a less technical people trying to make sense of their world.

They noticed, cause without light pollution the stars are awesome, that certain constellations were at certain points when it was auspicious to plant. So they would use those signs as a guide. Doesn't mean they always got it right, and as we all know mother nature can be a cranky B**** at times. But it was a fairly reliable source of information at a time when there weren't very many.

During those times, it probably made a significant difference. Now with the scientific understanding of biology, chemistry, and physics, we know the underlying functions behind plant growth. Thus, the planting by the moon probably doesn't make a significant difference anymore.

Also as to the ERs, cops, and such hating a full moon, part of that is expectation. The archetype is that the full moon brings out the crazies, werewolf legends anyone. So people expect to see it more on those days. So with that expectation people in a position to see the crazy take note of it more than they normal would. This is also why objective looks at the issue point out there is no difference between the full moon and any other day.

anyway just my thoughts.

[rainbowgardener]

Yes, I used to work night shifts in psychiatric emergency services. People there always SWORE that more and crazier crazies came out in the full moon, but research does not support that. I think when a really far gone case came in (by chance) at the full moon, that was a significant event that everyone remembered and could cite for ever after. All the ordinary cases at the full moon and severe cases the rest of the time were non-remembered, non-events. Our mind has lots of filters for data!

[vebyrd36]

Well considering everything in nature can be swayed by the moons effects. I have worked as a nurse for many many years. I have witnessed the pull on peoples behavior many times. As to research, I think more needs to to be conducted on the subject.

[stryper]

of that I can only agree.