Gardening by the Moon

I am fascinated by the Moon and its cycles. I personally feel the effects of the moon and often feel burdened - for no other apparent reason - when there is a full Moon.

Books and films often base their characters on how the moon affects the criminal mind, their crimes are often committed when the moon is at its fullest.

What about how the moon dictates the way in which plant life reacts? Where I live in France you will hear how farmers will sow or harvest based on the Moon cycle.

In the first two phases the moon is said to be Waxing and the light cast at night increases in length on a nightly basis until the full Moon is at its brightest.

The following two phases is when the light at night decreases on a nightly basis. This is when the Moon is said to be Waning.

The moon has been used as an indicator since man began growing food crops. Putting superstitions and folklore to one side there is a lot of evidence to hold up the theories that abound on how the moon and its forces dictate a plant's development and reproduction.

So how does the Moon have this effect?

• New Moon (first Quarter) - When there is a new Moon the force of the moon's gravity will pull at seeds causing them to swell and burst. There will be a slight increase in the available light at night meaning that the root and leaf growth is more balanced.

Cutting lawns at this time is supposed to thicken and encourage good grass growth.

• Second Quarter - The moon's gravitational pull eases but the night time light levels increase. It is said to be a good time to plant new plants and the leaf growth on existing plants increases. Annuals mostly seem to benefit from this phase with your tomatoes being at their happiest.

• Before, during and just after the full Moon - As the moon wanes, moisture is pulled up nearer to the surface and greatly benefits the plant roots. This time is said to be good for planting root crops and for transplanting rooted Biennials, perennials and bulbs.

Some gardeners consider this a good time to prune.

• The last quarter - This is the time to rest. Growth in lawns is at it's weakest and will often retard. It is a good time to harvest, cultivate and prune.

For a simple moon calendar - visit StarDate Online The Gardeners Calendar also has some great information and also delves a little deeper into history about the effects of the moon and the influences on agriculture. Moonplanting has also compiled some good resources.