In this age of precision farming and global positioning, there
is still one ancient satellite
that continues to provide farming information to many people:
the moon.
Farming and gardening by the signs, or phases, of the moon
probably goes back to the
days when dinosaur bones were tillage tools.
But the practice, unlike those bones, hasn’t become a relic. And
many believe the
reason it hasn’t is that it works. Therein lies an age-old
argument, which won’t be
debated here.
But just how do you know when the signs are right?
The lunar month is divided into four phases or quarters. The
light of the moon is the
14-day period (first and second quarters) when the moon is
growing from the new
moon to the full moon. The dark of the moon (third and fourth
quarters) is the
following 14 days — from the full moon to the next new moon.
Some folks even like to get more specific and plant by the signs
of the moon. These
change about every two and a half days.
Examples are when the signs are in the reins, bowels, breast,
heart, knees, thighs,
head, etc. There are twelve such signs, and you’ll have to refer
to an almanac to see
exactly when they change.
Even with an almanac, it may be hard to tell exactly when the
signs change, since each
almanac is based on a particular time zone.
Remember, they change about every two and a half days. As a
rule, most people skip
the first day of a sign just to avoid this confusion.
The signs are associated with the signs of the zodiac. For
instance, Leo is ruled by the
heart and is a barren sign. Cancer is ruled by the breast and is
a fruitful sign.
So what are these phases and signs used for? And how do you use
them? Here are some
age-old rules.
Prepare the soil and cultivate during barren signs. Prepare the
soil in the light of the
moon, and cultivate in the dark of the moon.
Why? The theory is that in the light of the moon, the moon is
growing. This will cause
the soil to remain loose and be easier to turn. The barren sign,
too, indicates a time
when weeds are vulnerable to attack and may more easily be
killed.
Always fertilize during a fruitful sign. Apply chemical
fertilizers in the light of the
moon and organic fertilizers in the dark of the moon.
Irrigate during one of the water signs, Scorpio (the secrets) or
Pisces (the feet). Always
water in the light of the moon (when the moon is growing larger)
since you’re also
watering to make your fruits and vegetables grow larger.
How about planting? Well, plant crops that produce fruit
aboveground in the light of
the moon. Plant crops that produce fruit underground, such as
potatoes, in the dark of
the moon.
The first quarter is best for planting crops that produce seed
outside the fruit. The
second is best for crops that produce seed inside the fruit. The
third is best for planting
crops that grow underground.
Avoid planting in the fourth quarter if you can. And, of course,
always plant in a
fruitful sign (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus, Capricorn,
Libra).
It’s really quite easy to coordinate the signs and the moon’s
phases to follow the proper
timing for your farming or garden practices.
Does following the most original of the earth’s satellites help
grow a better crop?
That’s something you may decide after you’ve tried it.
