Planting By The Moon

And speaking of the moon-
Another 'new' old fad is coming back into fashion.
Ask an oldtimer - they'll tell you it works. Well, if Mother Nature decides to work with you, anyway.

The earth isn't really round, it's sort of oblongish. Yeah, I know - sounds like I've hit a crazy moment, but it's true.
The pull of the moon is pretty forceful. That force can pull an entire continent upwards by 3 feet as the moon passes it. Think about that. Pretty impressive, huh?
So, as the moon passes across the earth it pulls that part of the earth up by 3 feet all the way around. Yup, oblong! Thought I was telling tales, didn't you?

So, what happens to the groundwater during the moons passage? Yup, it goes up. So, this means that as the moon passes over your garden, the soil stays more moist.

Would you try tilling your soil at a full moon? You could do it, but the water table will be higher at that time and you're more likely to have muddy soil (except those people who are currently dealing with drought). You'll probably have better luck waiting to do dig tasks until the last quarter of the moon.

This would also be a good time to plant (or harvest) root crops and bulbs, and to prune trees and shrubs as there is less sap flow at a waning moon.

The waxing moon is a good time to plant trees and shrubs and to start seeds of crops that grow above ground.

These are only a few basic tips about planting by the moon, there are tons more. Why not try a crop of something both ways (supposed wrong and right times) and see for yourself? I bet you'll be surprised!

I don't really do gardening tasks by the moon, I'm more likely to just do them when they need to be done. (although, my hibiscus seed sure reacted as did my zinnia and cosmos in spring) .
But, I can tell, without fail or even looking up, every May/June what faze the moon is at when I see the neighbor on his tractor in the corn field across the road planting seed.

By the way, it's probably a good idea to mow your lawn during a waning moon. ;)
I wonder if Carol has heard that already? Probably!