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According to some gardeners the moon plays a big part in plant growth. Sow your seeds at the wrong time and you'll end up with a poor crop. Pay attention to the moon's cycle and you'll do so much better. Is this hocus pocus, or is there some scientific basis for these claims?
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John Harris, Head Gardener of Tresilian House Gardens, near Truro in Cornwall, swears by the technique and would never sow a seed without first checking the lunar calendar. Reporter Nina Davy talked to him about his gardening methods.
How long have you been following a lunar planting regime?
I started in the 1960s, but it's an ancient system. The Chinese, Greeks and Romans were guided by the moon. I find it very effective to time my sowing, planting and pruning by the moon. By applying fertiliser at the right time I can cut my fertiliser requirement by 50%. It's not folklore, it's practical knowledge that works. People call me the 'loony gardener' but I don't mind.
How does gardening by the moon actually work
As well as controlling the tides the moon controls the moisture content in the soil. There are two periods:
the waxing moon, which is the growing moon from new to full. That's when the moisture level in the soil is at it's highest and when you should do your planting.
the waning moon which is from full to last quarter. That's when the moisture content is at its lowest and there's less sap rising in your trees and shrubs so it's when you should do your pruning.
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Dr Nick Kollerstrom has made a study of lunar planting and he talked to Eric Robson, the GQT chairman, about his research.
Is there a scientific basis to support the lunar planting theory?
Biodynamic farmers have been using the lunar calendar for the last half century. It's now a world-wide movement and their results in yields and rhythm of growth are worth taking account of.
I believe that the moon affects all living things on earth, but I think it has a rather larger effect on plants than it does on us.
Why does it work?
This is a mystery that modern science has hardly begun to look at. For example, why has the woman's reproductive system got an average cycle of 29 to 30 days, which is the same length as the lunar month? I think it's important for us, at this stage, just to accept that there do seem to be results, and we don't yet understand the mechanism.
How would you plan your planting?
You follow the moon's passage around the constellations of the Zodiac. So you'd sow root
crops such as carrots and potatoes when the moon's in front of one of the earth constellations, Taurus, Virgo or Capricorn - and that happens about every nine days in the growing seasons.
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Some Links:
www.plantingbythemoon.co.uk: this is Nick Kollerstrom's own website site.
www.moongardening.cwc.net: John Harris' site with pictures from his Cornish Garden.
And a couple of sites where you can find lunar planting wallcharts, calendars and other information for sale:
www.astrotarot.com and
www.permaculture.co.uk.
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If you'd like a printed version of this factsheet, click here.
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