[Potiron]

I am with Compostqueen, its a bit of FUN. If it works, then it might get serious.
 Mooky, me too, rural France, are you going to have a go? That would make two here and two in the UK.

[poultrygeist]

As said before, whether you do it scientifically or not, it's up to the individual how and when they plant. If it grows, it certainly isn't a bad thing.

I'm sure there are plenty of trade secrets that would get scoffed at. But I'm certainly not missing my sleep. They'll have to wait til daylight in my garden  

Rob

[Old Whiskers]

I don't like this idea of Lunar plantin'.... I think the moon should be left as it is, without plantin' a load of old vegetables on it. Anyway, vegetables won't grow on cheese. :roll:

[Aunt Sally]

How wise you are Old Whiskers :!:

[poultrygeist]

  It's true. We've got that documentary 'A Grand Day Out'.  :roll:

[mooky]

Potiron
 I have been gardening only in this way for years. Folks, it does not mean you go and garden at night. Please read up about it, if nothing else its interesting;
www.permaculture.co.uk.
http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/

[Yabba]

I actually did a 2 year degree on lunar planting


















Was as much in the dark at the end of 2 years as I was when I started :|



...... I'll just get me coat huh?

¥

[penance]

Potiron
 I have been gardening only in this way for years. Folks, it does not mean you go and garden at night. Please read up about it, if nothing else its interesting;
www.permaculture.co.uk.
http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/

Hmm, and on the front page of the second site you listed is this wonderful gem of scientific knowledge:

The astrological signs of the zodiac correspond with the elements of water, earth, fire, or air. Each plant has a preference for what elemental sign it is planted in. The best time for starting seeds of most annual plants is during the fertile water signs, but root crops like earth signs, and flowers especially like the air sign of Libra. The moon sign changes every few days.

Now, even if there is any scientific reason behind the idea of lunar planting, mumbo jumbo like that resigns it to the dust bin.
How can anyone believe that non existant zodiac influences help with planting :roll:

[Mell]

There's never been a real scientific study done to my knowledge.

Rather depends what one considers "real" scientific study. There have been studies several of which are `written up in the acedemic press. Most are somewhat aged but, one should not consider them less acedemic because of that. Funding is subject to fashion and also results need to be accepted in the wider community, meaning very little even in acedemia is really unbiased.

But is one reads the literature, it might help. But then again if one tries it and it works for you why not ?

[poultrygeist]

But is one reads the literature, it might help. But then again if one tries it and it works for you why not ?

I think that is the true point Mell  

No-one could argue with that. But I think the vast majority of the population would consider the zodiacal influence to be no more than superstition and a bit of fun.  

Rob

[Ice]

There have been studies several of which are `written up in the acedemic press. Most are somewhat aged but, one should not consider them less acedemic because of that.

So where are they?  Surely they should be on t'internet somewhere.

[Mell]

There's never been a real scientific study done to my knowledge.

 A few refs from

EVIDENCE FOR LUNAR-SIDEREAL RHYTHMS IN CROP YIELD: A REVIEW
(Published in Biological Agriculture and Horticulture, 2001, Vol. 19 pp.247-259).
Nicholas Kollerstrom & Gerhard Staudenmaier

Abele, U. (1973). Vergleichende Untersuchungen zum konventionellen und biologisch-dynamischen Pflanzenbau unter besonderer Berucksichtigung vom Saatzeit und Entitaten. PhD thesis, University of Giessen, Germany.  
Abele, U. (1975). Saatzeitversuch zu Radies. Lebendige Erde, 6, 223-225.
Bacon, F. (1627). Sylva Sylvarum. In: The Works of Francis Bacon, Vol.2. (J. Spedding and Ellis, eds.) p. 636, Longmans; London 1887.
Beeson, C. (1946). The moon and plant growth. Nature, 158, 572-3.
Bishop, C. (1977). Moon influence in lettuce growth. The Astrological Journal, 10,1, 13-15.
Bockemühl, J. (1985). Elements and ethers: modes of observing the world. In Towards a Phenomenology of the Etheric World (J. Bockemühl, ed.) Anthroposophical Press; New York, U.S.A., 1-68.
Brown, F. (1960). The rhythmic nature of animals and plants. Cycles, April, 81-92.
Brown, F. & Chow, C.S. (1973). Lunar-correlated variations in water uptake by bean seeds. Biological Bulletin, 145, 265-278.
Dubrov, A. (1996). Human Biorhythms and the Moon. Nova Science Publishers, New York, U.S.A.
Edwards, L. (1993). The Vortex of Life, Nature's Patterns in Space and Time. Floris Press, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Graf, U. (1977). Darstellung verschiedener biologisher Landbaumethoden und Abklarung des Einflusses kosmischer Konstellationen auf das Pflanzenwachstum, PhD thesis, Zurich Technical College, Switzerland.
Graf, U. & E.R. Keller (1979). Zusammenhänge... Schweizerische Landwirtschaftliche Monatshefte, Bern, 57 (1979).
Hachez, M. (1935). The significance for seed-germination of the passage of the Moon through the constellations of the zodiac. Anthroposophical Agricultural Foundation, Notes & Comments, IV, 283-289.
Koepf, H. (1989). The Biodynamic Farm, Agriculture in the service of the Earth and Humanity. Anthroposophic Press, New York, U.S.A.
Koepf, H., Schaumann, W. & Haccius, M. (1996). Biologische-Dynamische Land Wirtschaft. Darmstadt.
Kolisko, E. (1936). The Moon and the Growth of Plants. Stroud, Gloucester.
Kollerstrom, N. (1977). Zodiac rhythms in plant growth: potatoes. Mercury Star Journal, London III, 50-53.  
Kollerstrom, N. (1980). Plant response to the synodic lunar cycle: A review. Cycles, Bulletin of the Foundation for the Study of Cycles, 31.3, 61-63.
Kollerstrom, N. (1993). Testing the lunar calendar. Biodynamics, Winter 1993, 44-48.
Kollerstrom, N. & Staudenmaier, G. (1998). Mond-Trigon-Wirkung: eine statistiche Auswertung. Lebendige Erde, November 1998, 478-483.
Kollerstrom, N. & Staudenmaier, G. (2001). Mond in Tierkreis: anders rechnen - andere Ergebnisse. Lebendige Erde, January 2001, 48-49.  
Llewellyn's Lunar Organic Gardener (1993). Llewellyn, St Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.
Lücke, J. (1982) Untersuchungen... (Dissertation). Universitüt Giessen 1982.  
Mather, M. (1942). The effect of temperature and the Moon upon seedling growth Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, 67, 264-70.
Maw, M. (1967). Periodicities in the influences of air ions on the growth of garden cress. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 47, 499-505.
New Zealand Biodynamic Association (1989). Biodynamics, New Directions for Farming and Gardening in New Zealand, Random Century, Auckland, New Zealand.
Rossignol, M., Tizroutine, S. & Rossignol, L., (1990). Lunar cycle and nuclear DNA variations in potato callus. In Geo-Cosmic Relations. (G. Tomassen, ed.), Pudoc; Wageningen, Holland, 116-126.
Sattler, F. & Wistinghausen, E. (1989, English trans. 1992). Biodynamic Farming Practice. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Spiess, H. (1990a). Chronobiological investigations of crops grown under biodynamic management. 1. Experiments with seeding dates to ascertain the effects of lunar rhythms on the growth of winter rye. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture, 7, 165-178.
Spiess, H. (1990b). Chronobiological investigations of crops grown under biodynamic management II. On the growth of little radish. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture, 7, 179-89.
Spiess, H. (1993). Haben Lunare Rhythmen Bedeutung fur den Ecologishen Landbau? Stiftung Ecologie und Landbau, 42, 397-403.
Spiess, H. (1994) Chronobiologische Untersuchungen mit besonderer Berucksichtigung lunarer Rhythmen im biologische-dynamischen Pflanzenbau, Darmstadt; 2 vols, I 'Band 3' of 258 pp. , and II 'Band 4 - beschreibung der einzelergebnisse' of 319 pp., the data.
Steiner, R. (1993). Lectures on Agriculture, 1924. translation by C.Creger & M.Gardner, Biodynamic Farming and Gardeniung Association, Kimberton, PA., U.S.A.
Thun, M. (1964). Nine years observation of cosmic influences on annual plants. Star and Furrow, 22 (translated from Lebendige Erde, Jan/Feb. 1963).
Thun, M. & Heinze, H. (1979). Mondrhythmen im Siderischen Umlauf und Pflanzenwachstum. Darmstadt, Germany.
Thun, M. (1991). Work on the Land and the Constellations. Lanthorne Press, Launceston, Cornwall, U.K.
Thun, M. (1999). Gardening for Life - the Biodynamic Way Hawthorne Press; Stroud, Gloucester, U.K.
Thun, M. (2001). Working with the Stars, a Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar. 26th Edn. Lanthorne Press, Launceston, Cornwall, U.K.
Wachsmuth, G. (1932). The Etheric Formative Forces in Cosmos, Earth and Man. Anthroposophic Press; London, U.K.
Wildfeuer, S. (1986). Stella Natura, The Kimberton Hills Agricultural Calendar, 19th edn. Kimberton Hills Publications, Kimberton, U.S.A.

A quick look on online acedemic jornals produced quite a few results too.

including

ISHS Acta Horticulturae 73: I International Symposium on Spices and Medicinal plants
RESPONSES OF LUNAR-PHASES ON THE GROWTH OF ABRUS PRECATORIUS LINN. (LEGUMINOSAE) AND ITS EFFECTS AS CRUDE DRUG ON DISEASES
Author:    C.R. Karnick

There is also quite a bit regarding growth and lunar phase influences on animals, including H.H Sapiens.

All in all interesting reading whicever side of the fence one is on.

[richyrich7]

But is one reads the literature, it might help. But then again if one tries it and it works for you why not ?

I think that is the true point Mell  

No-one could argue with that. But I think the vast majority of the population would consider the zodiacal influence to be no more than superstition and a bit of fun.  

Rob

Dunno Russel Grant's made a packet out of it, there's more to life than we will ever know, being it explained by science or not IMHO.

But I think we all need to agree to disagree on this subject and leave it be now.

[Ice]

Mell, I took a name at random from that list and looked him up on t'internet.  Nick Kollerstrom has many books to sell on this subject, hardly an objective, scientific opinion.  Just someone out to make a fast buck.

[Mell]

Throughout history people will try to explain something in a way that makes sense to them. This is very often very simplistic in many ways and almost always involves symbolism in some way.

This is still true & it is equally true that most of what we accept as fact the average person cannot explain in any real detail, we simply accept that it is true. VERY few of us have definative proof that man landed on the moon or that DNA is a double helix form or that genes control our eye colour, yet we accept it and in another time or place we would be considered naiive. The only thing that really makes it acceptable is that the majority in our society accept it as fact. We rarely test the hypothosis for ourselves.

To get back to basics of the forums' topic, how many of us understand how plants grow on a scientific level, and how`many feel we need to know in that detail or indeed seek scientific proof that plants metabolise in the way they do ?  (people have grown veg for years without scientific proof it will work, it just does)

If one can bring to the table backing of an acedemic sort that offers support to something not working, all well and good, but stating something is incorrect based on the vast majority believing it is a superstition really isn't an effective argument, as the vast majority may well be incorrect in their opinions. One only has to see the influence of propaganda to realise this can easily happen, without even looking to complex social analysis