[sarajane]

 Hi all.  I'm new to this forum but not to allotments.  Hubby n I have had one for over 30 years and still learning. Just started to get interested in Lunar/moon planting but don't seem to be able to ind any calendars for sowing dates online unless I buy them.  Not really a skinflint but if I can find out for free would much prefer  Any ideas anyone.

[mumofstig]

not a calendar as such.........but the daily info is viewable on this site

http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Moon_Planting.asp

[sarajane]

many thanks mumofstig.  It gives a weeks view of what to plant.  I probably wont be able to plant all things this way but will have a go if I can coincide the dates to when I'm around to sow the seeds.  Apparently you get a much better germination and a heavier crop.  Just one of those things I fancy looking into. 

[solway cropper]

I wouldn't hold out too much hope of getting better germination and bigger crops. There's far more things affect plant growth than any possible influence the moon may have.

[lacewing]

I tried it and I did seem to get better results but sticking to it is another story.

[Christo]

It all sounds a bit loony to me. 

[arugula]

I see what you did there Christo.

[Swing Swang]

Humpf...

No further comments from SS on this one as I'm likely to get rapped over the knuckles by the mods or even get this thread locked, and I really don't want to upset a new member.

So welcome to the forum sarajane

[Paul Plots]

Lovely to have you join us Sarajane. I'm sure you'll have lots of tips for us but... I've a feeling there's not a huge amount of evidence that Lunar planting is particularly effective.

One of the main problems is actually being able to plant things at exactly the right time as the weather has a tendency to put pay to the best of plans and it is not always the most convenient of times to follow the moon’s cycles.

Moon Planting Trial:
I was reading an article in an old gardening magazine where they had planted various crops using both Lunar planting and traditional / weather based timings. Apparently there was, ultimately, little difference in either germination rates or overall cropping. I'm not sure how carefully or seriously the trial was conducted though.

I’m not sure if you can obtain a copy but the article was in “Gardener’s World” Jan 2009 edition.

[jondav]

There have been,how can I say, quite a few borderline scientific experiments done on plant growth,one study actually separated seedlings into two groups,one group was spoken to softly and praised,while the other was shouted at and roundly cursed, (honestly).W ell the outcome seemed to verify that the praised seedlings,did actually do better.Another study played music to seedlings,one group was forced to "listen" to heavy rock,and the other was serenaded with Beethoven and Mozart,apparently the classical music produced the best results.If you are going to try either of these on your allotment,in the first case make sure nobody hears you cursing your seedlings ,they might think you,ve gone off your rocker,and in the second case a blaring loudspeaker system playing music just might upset the neighbours

[gobs]

Oh, I needed one of these!

According to the calendar, it's good time now to sow your roots. :blink:

Good luck! 

Be brave and do it though, if you mean it!

[Paul Plots]

Oh, I needed one of these!

According to the calendar, it's good time now to sow your roots. :blink:

Good luck! 

Be brave and do it though, if you mean it!

Sowing roots now?  Are you sure?? Which country are we talking about?

Too cold here I would have thought! 

[peterjf]

sounds a lunar to me too ,

but ,

what happens when you find yourself locked in on the allotment site,hehehe

[TheSpartacat]

Hi all.  I'm new to this forum but not to allotments.  Hubby n I have had one for over 30 years and still learning. Just started to get interested in Lunar/moon planting but don't seem to be able to ind any calendars for sowing dates online unless I buy them.  Not really a skinflint but if I can find out for free would much prefer  Any ideas anyone.

Well, if you've been growing for 30 years, I'd imagine it would be an interesting little experiment.
There was a guy featured on Countryfile a couple years back who'd been farming that way for something like 40 years. He felt it was worth it... and he even went to the trouble of sowing fields at night too!!! ... who are we to argue with that kind of experience?

More power to your trowel!!!

On the topic of playing music/ swearing at plants... if anyone is interested in knowing more about that, google a guy called "Dr Masaru Emoto"... he did experiments on water, and the changes of its behaviour when sworn at, or spoken kindly to...
the water was treated with music or words... and then frozen quickly. The "happy" water created stunning ice crystals like snowflakes... the "abused" water had misshapen crystals or no crystals at all....

Who knows? There's a lot of water in plants...

[sarajane]

Hi all and thanks for your responses - didn't think there would be so many views on this subject and really really don't want banning fron the site.  Just a little experiment on my part  - I like to try something different each year and have run out of different seeds to grow.  My hubby already thinks I'm a bit of a lunny tune anyway  -- he's caught me many a time threatening and cursing at beetroot, toms, blight slugs  etc. when I think no one is listening . Never got locked into the allotments.  Our house back onto the allotments and we only have to open the gate at the bottom of the garden and hey ho - there I am.  And YES. I really really really do know how lucky I am.

anyway  -  love the saying  -  POWER TO THE TROWEL