[sarajane]

Just potted on 40 toms, 20 chillis andaubergines, all sown on a moon day 2 weeks ago and all have 4 good leaves.  have to keep em in the house though at the mo.  Unfortunately the broad beans didnt get sown on a moon day, just didnt have the time but Ill see how the toms etc get on and let you know

[Hobnails]

Hi Sara-Jane,
I got interested in lunar planting when we moved here two years ago.
My veg plot is some distance from the house and I have no water there except what I can catch or carry. Lunar planting sounded like a logical solution to the watering problem. Logical, because nobody would argue that the moon influences vast masses of water in the oceans and since plants are mostly water that same influence should affect them.
I have had good results- but! It's a bit like taking Glucosamine for your joints, there's no way I can prove to you that the moon's influence has helped me out.
I believe it has and follow the moon days for sowing, planting tending and harvesting. It works for me and that's enough for me.
It was a hot summer last year. I used grass clipping mulches around the toms, peppers etc and fed through cut away plastic milk bottles. The water in the feed  was the only water I gave them. And I only  fed once a week. I had very little blossom end rot either.
I did have some- but that seemed to be on the Harbinger variety only.
Looking at our store cupboard I have counted up that my wife made 31 litres of tomato soup, passata,  and ketchup. Goodness knows what we will do with all that, but it came off the plot.
I'm not fanatical about Lunar Gardening. I don't do the cow horn stuff etc, just following the Lunar days off this site.
Like I said, it works for me and that's enough for me.

God Luck with your experiments!

[DD.]

Just potted on 40 toms, 20 chillis andaubergines, all sown on a moon day 2 weeks ago and all have 4 good leaves.  have to keep em in the house though at the mo.  Unfortunately the broad beans didnt get sown on a moon day, just didnt have the time but Ill see how the toms etc get on and let you know

That's some result, getting chillis from seed to the first true leaf stage in 2 weeks!

[sarajane]

Hi and thanks for your replies.  Ive grown chillis for the last 10 years and cant remember having them grow so well in the first 2 weeks.  In fact it was my 2 grandchildren, aged 3 and 6 that sowed them into the compost, maybe thats the magic.  Its early days tho so will keep you updated with my experiment but I do believe that we have a lot to learn from the years gone bye when they had no instructions from packets of seed or books and just followed their. instincts

[eeedowls]

my chillis have come up earlier this year too - almost fortnight earlier for some of them... (sowed 60 seeds)

[rainie]

Sarajane, I know nothing about lunar planting and will be following this thread with interest and when i have time will look at the lunar diary on here and google it too.

Will you be keeping a diary in the relevant section on here?  (sneaks off to see if you have one already.....)

[aelf]

It's a fascinating idea - on the face of it, planting according to the lunar cycle seems a crackpot idea to me (no offence) but, now having read around the subject a bit I'm not so sure   There is more that we don't understand in this world than that we do understand so maybe it works.

Trouble is, we have a rule on our allotments that you have to be off-site by dusk and can't return til sunrise. So I'll acknowlege that there may be something in the idea but that I can't play this game  

[stompy]

There was an old french lady on my last site, she was totally organic and also planted by the moon phases.
Her crops were no better than anyone elses, and when i asked her why she did it she said that she felt it was a better way to sow, plant and harvest (etc).
I think weather it is or is not more productive is not the main issue, i think that if it gives you more confidence and more enjoyment then that in it's self should be a good enough reason to do it that way.

So are you doing it for more prductivity or for pleasure? 

[Ian_A]

my grandad and one of my aunts are into lunar planting. My other grandparents are also into growing bigtime but do not have any interest in lunar planting - family get togethers were great fun when they all discussed gardening: all of whom have VERY strong opinions and are ALWAYS right!!!

 To be honest there were no discernible difference at all in terms of their successess and failures. All had big failures at times, and many successes.

A woman on our site is into it too but last year several of her crops did not yield much success while others who planted things were successful.

I think it is fascinating stuff and if nearly fool-proof I would consider it. But it is fascinating nonetheless. (Like old wives' tales - but more interesting)

 

[sarajane]

Raine, no Ive not set up a diary yet but will be doing one. Its got to be better than my previous attempts each year of writing down what I have sown or planted, only to loose the notepad and find it sometime in october. I start notes each year only to loose them or leave in the greenhouse for the mice to chew up as nests.

Ive grown veg for over 30 years and well remember helping my grandad and gramps on the same allotments I am still on, even if it was. making mud pies.  Im trying the moon planting as an experiment but mainly for pleasure  -  anything we do in the earth is for pleasure.  also though I have lots of failures eachyear yet like everyone, we just plod on and try again.  Like I said earlier in the posts, prob wont be able to plan all crops this way  -  time and weather will get in the way no doubt but I will try my best and keep you updated in a diary.

Heres to good crops for us all this year :happy:

[aelf]

Good luck with it all sarajane, i look forward to hearing your results. Keep us posted   

[sarajane]

have started my diary, hope I can keep it up to date but if you don't get to read it, I sow most of my seeds,  cover in clingfilm, put on a tray and put on top the the Sky t.v. box.  Seems there is just enough residual heat to germinate.  Have done it like this for a few years n prior to this I used to have an old cooker with an eye level grill and used to put the tray on top of this  -  the pilot light gave enough heat to germinate most things.The kids thought nothing of lifting the tray off the cooker, cooking their toast or bacon and putting the tray back on top.  Talk about health and hygene but they all survived !