Garden
Organic Gardening by the moon phases with the Moontime Planning Diary 2010 & Moon time Gardener 2010
Grow your own organic food, flowers and herbs, effortlessly with great results …..and it won’t cost the earth.
When you think about different climatic and cultural zones you will understand that people who lived/live without our modern conveniences like refrigeration and super markets face some challenges. Imagine long and cold winters or hot and dry periods, how did people manage their lives before technology?
It was known that “the moon governs all life giving moisture and functions of all things that grow.” Most cultures have grown food, fished and built by the moon for much longer than we have been living our industrialized way.
To be able to bring in a good crop in autumn, it was vital to prepare the soil, plant and fertilise at the most opportune times. It was crucial for survival to harvest, store and preserve food effectively. Much of herbal medicine, forestry and animal husbandry were also done by the moon.
In the garden it is best to first tune in to the four moon phases and the four elements. After a while you find you can fine tune even more by considering the twelve signs of the zodiac.
The Moon Phases
During the waxing moon phase the earth is releasing nutrients and plants absorb what is available. The lunar gravity pulls the sap up into the above ground part of the plant and causes it to grow. Seeds swell and sprout. Planting and sowing above ground vegetables in the 2nd quarter promotes healthy leaf, flower and fruit growth.
The full moon marks the change of the moon’s impulse from waxing to waning and generates strong energies. Just before the full moon in an earth sign is a good time to plant your seeds. Herbs collected at full moon retain this energy, which enhances their medicinal properties and potency.
When the moon wanes the earth inhales, the soil absorbs moisture and nutrients. It is a particularly good time to cultivate the soil, water and fertilize when the moon wanes in an earth or water sign. The 3rd quarter is the best time to sow and plant root vegetables. For best storage, harvest and preserve root crops when the moon is waning in an earth sign.
The new moon again marks a change of impulse, this time from waning to waxing. The earth is in resting mode. Cutting back sick trees now helps them recover quickly.
New moon in an earth sign is the best time to harvest medicinal roots.
It is easy to apply these principles to all gardening activities. For example when is the best time to mow the lawn? It depends on your incentive:
* If you want to encourage strong and healthy regrowth, mow in the waxing moon phase in a water sign.
* If you want to retard the growth of your lawn, because you don’t want to mow so often then mow in the waning phase when the moon is in Aquarius, because it is so barren.
The Elements
As the moon travels through the zodiac it spends about 2.5 days in every sign. Every sign relates to one of the four elements as do the different parts of plants.
* Roots relate to earth
* Leaves relate to water
* Flowers relate to air
* Fruit and seeds relate to fire.
It is easy to see now why it would be an excellent day for transplanting your lettuce when the moon is waxing in a water sign.
The earth element relates to Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn and corresponds to the roots of the plants. These are the favorable days to plant, care for, harvest and eat root vegetables.
Stress to root vegetables has a damaging effect now.
The water element corresponds to the leaves of the plants and relates to Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. These are the favorable days to plant, care for, harvest and eat leafy vegetables.
Stress to leafy plants has a damaging effect on the plant now.
The air element relates to Gemini, Libra and Aquarius and corresponds to the flowers of the plant. These are favorable days to plant, care for, harvest and eat flowers.
Stress to flowers has a damaging effect now.
The fire element corresponds to the fruit of the plant and relates to Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. These are the favorable days to plant, care for, harvest and eat fruiting vegetables.
Stress to fruiting plants has a damaging effect now.
Let the insights of the moon planting phases turn into a magnifying glass that bundles your intentions and enlarges your outcome effortlessly.
UPDATE
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Moontime Gardener 2010
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