Many gardeners believe that planting with the moon phases helps them grow healthier, more vigorous plants and bigger crops. It’s an old-school tradition that may be based in superstition, but it is also supported by scientific ideas.
Plant annual flowers and fruit and vegetables that bear above-ground crops during the waxing of the moon (from the day after the new moon to the day before it becomes full). Crops like lettuce, spinach, celery, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower do best here.
Vegetables
Throughout history, ancient civilizations have known that the moon’s phases have a strong influence on garden growth. Planting, seed germination, and many other gardening tasks can be scheduled around the moon’s phases for optimal results.
The first quarter of the moon is a good time to plant above ground vegetables that reproduce through seeds outside of their fruit, like spinach, broccoli, and lettuce. Second quarter planting is also a good time for above ground crops that have seeds inside of their fruit, such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash.
Root and flowering bulbs are also best planted during the waning phase of the moon. This is when the growing energy shifts away from leaves and flowers to focus on roots.
Grains
If you’re a gardener, you may have heard of “moon phase gardening.” People who plant their vegetables and fruit according to the phases of the moon have been doing so for centuries. They believe that the changing lunar light, gravity or water tide affects the growth cycle of plants.
Grains are seeds from grass-like plants like wheat, rice and corn, and non-grass plants like quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat. They’re a great source of protein, fiber and vitamins.
Refined grains, on the other hand, lose many of their nutrients during processing. Food companies add back vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid, iron and B-vitamins, to compensate for the loss.
Despite the fact that processed grain products have lost much of their nutritional value, some people still choose to eat them. This includes the growing grain revival movement, where farmers save and swap their seed from heritage varieties that have adapted to their local climates and soils over time.
Fruits
Planting with the moon phases is a technique that takes advantage of how lunar positions affect the earth’s fluids, which include oceanic tides, groundwater swells and even sap flow in plants. It is a practice that has been around for centuries and is still used today by many farmers and gardeners.
The lunar cycle is divided into four phases: New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon and Last Quarter. Each phase contains its own magical effects.
The lunar gravity pulls water upwards, which causes seeds to swell and burst into successful germination, creating balanced root and leaf growth. This is the ideal time to plant above ground bearing annual and perennial vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and grain crops like wheat, beans, peas, tomatoes and squash.
Herbs
Planting by the moon has been a gardening practice since ancient times. It has become more popular with the advent of gardening calendars, including astrology.
In general, it’s best to plant leafy greens, annual flowers and biennial and perennial flowers during the waxing of the Moon, from the new Moon until the day after full Moon. This is the time when the gravitational pull of the moon and the light from the sun are most beneficial for growth and germination.
It’s also a good time to plant root crops like potatoes, beets and carrots during the waning of the Moon, from the day after the full Moon until the next new moon. This is a period of time when the moon’s gravity and luminosity cause water to ebb and flow in plants, which helps them grow roots.
Herbs are the leaves, bark and roots of plants that have aromatic, culinary, ornamental or medicinal qualities. These can be perennials like thyme or lavender, biennials like parsley or annuals like basil. They can also be shrubs such as rosemary or trees like bay laurel.