Marking moon magic

In our modern culture of scientific proof and knowledge, gardening by the signs and phases of the moon seems like nothing more than a myth from ancient times.

But is it?

Ed Hume doesn’t think so and has the feedback from gardeners around North America to prove it. For 41 years his highly respected Ed Hume Seeds of Puyallup, Wash., has distributed its moon gardening guide to gardeners all over the U.S. Hundreds of them have reported back that their gardens produced more and were easier to manage when following moon signs.

“We try to survey our people on a yearly basis, and it is just amazing the result that people will claim,” says Hume. “(Gardening by moon signs) probably dates further back than we have any imagination of it dating. It has been passed down from generation to generation.”

In other words, there is a good empirical reason why it might work.

The moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth causes the twice daily ocean tides. If this force, that can move oceans, what’s to keep it from moving water around in plants?

Gardening by the moon involves two elements: the phase or quarter of the moon that controls moisture levels in the soil and the astrological signs of the zodiac that relate to the elements of water, earth, fire and air.

Supposedly, water levels in plants rise and fall with the gravitational pull of the moon. The gravitational pull increases in the first two quarters (waxing) from the new to the full moon and decreases during the last two quarters (waning) of the moon from full back to new.

As the pull increases during the first two quarters, water rises in the plants and then drops in the last two quarters. Each of the quarters takes about a week to complete. The theory goes that the rise in water increases growth in leaves and fruit.

The zodiac signs are tied to an element of water, earth, fire and air, with the earth and water signs considered fruitful and the fire and air signs considered barren.

The moon moves through a different zodiac sign every few days.

When moon phases and zodiac signs are combined, a calendar of positive and negative days is created upon which one can base such gardening activities as planting and transplanting, watering, weeding and tilling, fertilizing and even when to mow lawns to retard growth. And this is just a short list.

“Basically it comes down to … anything that is planted below ground (root crops) is planted in the third or fourth quarters (of the moon) and in a barren sign of the zodiac,” says Hume. Anything that grows above ground should be planted in the first two phases of the moon and in a fruitful sign.

If you try it, let me know how your garden does.