Gardening by the Moongardening by the moon phases  Gardening by the moon doesn’t mean that you garden after dark or grow night blooming cereus plant. Instead it means that you garden by the phases of the moon and use the moons cycles to determine the appropriate days to do specific garden tasks. The concept of using the various cycles of the moon started in early times. There, however, is some scientific truth that adds validity to using the moon’s cycles. The mood has a gravitational pull on the earth. With the new moon and full moon comes high tides. This is because the gravitational pull it has on the water. It not only tugs at large bodies of water but also smaller more insignificant amounts of moisture in the soil. During the phase of the full moon, the soil water is at its highest and scientific tests show that seeds absorb more water during this phase.
New Moon The new moon, known also as the dark moon because the earth casts a shadow on it, isn’t visible to earth. As mentioned earlier the new moon is a time when seeds swell with water. It also is the time when root and leaf growth is most balanced. These are ideal times to plant vegetables that don’t have their seeds inside a fruit. Cauliflower, broccoli, celery and spinach are prime examples of these types. Even though the cucumber loves to be planted at this time and does have seeds inside the fruit it proves that there’s always exceptions to every rule.
The Second Quarter of the Moon (The Waxing Phase) The second quarter of the moon occurs right after the new moon. When you see it, you only it seems to grow every night from half size until it becomes the full moon. It still has some pull on the waters and generally it’s a time that is favorable to strong leaf growth. Near the end of the cycle, about a day or two before it’s a full moon, plant above ground produce whose seeds are inside the fruit. Examples of these are tomatoes, peppers, melons and beans. The Full Moon
Since the full moon has the most pull on water, it feeds the roots with the moisture it brings up in the soil. This gives excellent root growth. Its also a great time to plant those crops that are root crops. Some good examples of these are potatoes, peanuts, carrots and rutabagas. If you have bulbs to plant its also a good time. Since this period increases root growth, consider doing your transplanting at this time.
The Fourth Quarter or the Waning Moon
There is little pull from the moon and often plants are in their resting period. The moon is getting smaller each night. It’s a good time for harvest and transplanting since it tends to be a dormant or resting period. If you want to slow down the lawn growth, this is the best time to mow it. Gardening by the moons most reliable sources for lunar or moon planting is the Farmers Almanac. If you aren’t sure of the phase of the moon, it offers suggestions for planting, including times you should never plant. It’s been a practical resource for hundreds of years and now science tells us its correct.
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