Posts Tagged ‘moon gardening’

Gardening by Moon Signs – Understanding Principles of the Farmer’s Almanac Part II

Full Moon1-300x225 in  and gardeningtipsEven ancient man knew the relationship between the moon cycle and the zodiac.  They learned through observation that the position of the stars and the moon had an affect on their crops.  Some positions benefited plant growth and harvest while other positions hindered progress.  Today this information is once again being used to create a holistic approach to gardening.

To understand this approach one must first understand the lunar cycle.  The moon cycle occurs every 29 days and starts with the new moon.  From this point, the light of the moon becomes brighter or it goes through its waxing phases.  These phases continue all the way to the full moon stage.

After the full moon stage, the light begins to decrease or it goes through its waning phases.  These phases continue from the full moon until a new moon is reached.  During these stages some of the phases overlap, such as the new moon and full moon but the key point to remember is whether the light is increasing or decreasing.  This will help determine whether it is in a waxing or waning phase.

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Gardening by Moon Signs – Understanding Principles of the Farmer’s Almanac: Part I

Moon Garden in  and gardeningtipsHumans have been gardening by natural patterns for eons.  These patterns were established by mere observation and became the basis for planning a garden.  This connection was even noted by Thoreau when he stated, “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”

Gardening by moon signs resurfaced in the 1920s when an Austrian philosopher Mr. Rudolf Steiner gave a lecture on biodynamic farming.  This farming technique utilizes no pesticides or chemical fertilizers.  Planting and harvesting is on a time schedule established by the phases of the moon.

To understand the principles of gardening by the cycle of the moon, one must first understand the lunar cycle.  The lunar month takes 29 days and this constitutes the amount of time it takes the moon to revolve around the earth.  Each lunar month starts off with the new moon phase.  Native Americans believed that this time of the lunar cycle was when a new moon was being born.  Today, we recognize a new moon as a darkened sky with no moon present.  This is the beginning of the waxing phase of the moon.

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