Moon gardening

Good idea Catriona

This sounds like a good idea Catriona I know that last month there was a question from a reader asking if Moon gardening works. I'll have to dig out the issue again to remind myself what their reply was. Off the top of my head I think the reply was closer to Biodynamics and the information that Geordie posted a month ago relaiting to both the Moon and the planets in conjunction with the Zodiac, rather than the slightly easier methods as found in “Moon Gardening” by R.J. Harris.
Jax

Moon Gardening

This all sounds really interesting and I'm more than happy to join in the trial - again, beans would be my choice as I feel that outdoor tomatoes up here could be hit and miss in any given year. I was flicking through my seed catalogues the other night and thought I might try Blue Lake- and following Andrew's recommendation, will add Blauhilde to my list as well.
Time to go bark at the moon so will bid you all goodnigt
Rat

Seeds from the Magazine

Next year when the weather starts to warm and we begin to look towards planting, I bet Thomson and Morgan (or some other kind company) will be giving GYO magazine something to put on the front cover for "free".

We could use this as part of the trial as we will all then have the same seeds and report back.

If the regulators are reading this post (and I bet they are) then one way to keep people buying the mag is to include the readers to show our input is valued. If they did a feature on the moon method and an easy to follow chart on when to plant then we'd all know we were heading in roughly the same direction.

It will also add interest as we have a very wide variation in locations on the Grapevine, from the Shetlands down to the South Coast. I for one am always concerned at what area of the country the target planting dates are aimed at. Perhaps a different thread reporting on everyones first and last frosts and extremes of temerature?

Going back to the Blue Lake climbing french bean towards the end of the growing season let the pods develope beans. Then dry the pods on the plant and shell them. You have Haricot beans which you will be able to use in stews and casseroles through out the winter.

Que. X files music……. My January issue arrived this morning and on the very fist page Georgina Wroe mentions Biodynamics…. Spooky of what.
The Twilight Zone feeling deepens when you turn to page 43 there is a whole article on Biodynamics and a trial for all GYO readers to join in with. I wont spoil the magazine for those of you yet to buy Januarys issue except to say its once again another good bumper packed magazine.

Is it coincidence or have they taken on board that this seems to be the most popular topic in the grapevine? Would be interesting to know if the grapevine does influence the mag.

Jaxom at least you've got your copy of Januarys magazine. Once again mine has failed to appear.

Broad Beans

The first thing I will say at the beginning of this post is that I will not be covering methods of digging and soil preparation. R.J. Harris has access to a walled garden and a whole staff of people willing to dig down a meter into the soil to construct his growing beds for him. His digging methods make double digging a walk in the park by comparison. There are so many ways to dig and prepare your beds each year that everyone knows in their heart of hearts which one they will be using regardless of what vegetables they intend to grow. If you intend to double dig or build raised beds when it comes time to compare your beans they will all have been grown in the same bed. The only difference will be did you plant in the quarter as directed by R.J. Harris or at another period during the moon cycle.
What I personally want to know from this experiment is if planting seeds and young plant by the quarters of the moon has any degree of influence on how they grow or taste.
As most people have asked for Beans I will start with these first and at a later point pose the same question “Which vegetable do you want next?”
The types of beans covered in the book are
Broad Bean, Climbing French Bean, Dwarf French Bean and Runner Bean.

Broad Beans
Broad Beans can be sown between October and February in monthly sowings. R.J. Harris stops sowing in January as he wants the same ground for spring cabbages that have been sown in pots during May and June in order to go in the ground in June and July.
At the start of the September moon’s fourth quarter apply 60g of Blood, fish and bone to the square meter where you will be growing your Broad Beans.
At the start of the October moon’s second quarter make a channel in the earth 8cm deep and 20cm wide. This channel can be as long as you wish. Put each seed 20cm apart following the line of the edge on one side. On the opposite edge do the same but lightly staggering the placing by 10cm. If you looked at the channel you would see a zing sag placement the entire way down the length of the channel. Back fill the channel using the rake. Mark the channel to show type of crop and if it was sown in conjunction with the moon quarter of against the advice given.
A second method of sowing broad beans is to stretch out two parallel lines 20 cm apart and using a trowel [never a dibber] excavate all the 8cm holes in one go making sure to stagger the second line. Drop a seed in to each hole then go back to the start and fill the holes. This will guarantee no blanks are left. Each month at the start of the moon’s second quarter you can sow another batch of Broad Beans.

Which of the three other moon quarters you also chose to use as a control is up to you but please make notes of what went where and when.
When you finished harvesting all your broad beans cut down the plant to soil level but leave their roots in place as these roots will be of enormous benefit to the next crop of spring cabbages that have been sown specifically in pots to go in this very spot. Spring Cabbages are ravenously hungry for nitrogen and this need has been meet by the secreted Broad bean plant roots left in the soil.

Climing French Beans will come tomorrow.

Climbing French Beans

Climbing French Beans
At the start of the April moon’s forth quarter work 115g per square meter of Fish, Blood and Bone in to the ground where you will be growing your Climbing French Beans.
Early in April sow your seeds into individual pots. There is no quarter of the moon that dictates when to sow the seeds in pots. Having said this bare in mind that at the start of the May moons second quarter you will be planting out your plantlets so they must be of a size and hardened off enough to go outside by this time.
At the start of the May moons second quarter, construct your wigwam or bean frame that will support your beans in the coming months. Water each plantlets in their pots well two hours before planting into the ground and leave in a shady place until required. As each platlet is planted in the ground to the outside of each stick insert a single Climbing French Bean seed 5cm deep as close as possible to the cane. This will extend your season and double the wigwam/frames productivity.
At the start of the June moons fourth quarter dress the surface of the Mays planted Climbing French Bean bed with 60g of Blood fish and bone. Lightly work it into the soil.
If you wish to extend the season of the Climbing French Beans you can repeat the process for a June and July wigwam making sure that you have sown, bean seeds a month prior as you did to create your May wigwam of Climbing French Beans.
At the end of the harvest cut the beanstalks down to the ground but leave the roots in the soil, as these will have built up a good supply of goodness for the following crop of vegetables.
Early in the year you may have to protect young plant with fleece until the weather gets warmer.
Remember to sow a control group so that you can compare results and make sure you mark each group withthe details to aid identification later in the year.

Runner Beans
To grow Runner beans using the moon gardening methods of R.J. Harris follow exactly the same directions as that for Climbing French Beans.
Lesley Jay: has your January issue arrived now? I hope it has.
Jax

Moon dates

I thought I should post the dates that the moon quarters are for the months when people may want to join in the test.

April 2006
First quarter APR. 27
Second quarter APR. 5
Third quarter APR. 13
Fourth quarter APR. 21


May 2006
First quarter MAY 27
Second quarter MAY 5
Third quarter MAY 13
Fourth quarter MAY 20


June 2006
First quarter JUNE 25
Second quarter JUNE 3
Third quarter JUNE 11
Fourth quarter JUNE 18

July2006
First quarter JULY 25
Second quarter JULY 3
Third quarter JULY 11
Fourth quarter JULY 17

As people may have spotted, the first quarter of a moon could be at the end of the month in which you had intended to plant seeds or plants.
For example:
In the case of Climbing French Beans. you would prepare the soil with Blood, fish and bone on the April Moons Fourth quarter which is APR.21st and plant out the plantlets you grew in early April in pots on the May Moons Second quarter which is MAY 5th.
May Moons First quarter does not come till later in the month on MAY 27th


I just hope I haven't started to confuse people
Jax

What the Moon looks like today

What the Moon looks like today
For a scientific explanation about the moon what better place to go than the U.S. Naval Observatory.
Moon phase information
At times like this, I wish I was Johnny Ball
Jax

Silly question?

Hi All,

This intrigues me and I'm up for the trial, but when planting seeds at the right time for the moon, does this mean in the ground where the moon has it's power? I always sow most seeds in pots in the greenhouse, would this count or would it just be sowing outside?

Regards
Louise

Thankyou Jaxom you must have been posting the answer to my question as I was sending it - what a brain!!!

Thanks again
Looloo

Jaxom when planting the seeds in the greenhouse do we have to follow the moon or is it just when the plants are planted out?