By Jannie Vaught

For those of us who use a Moon Calendar to garden, January’s new moon will be January 21, 3:55 p.m. Using the Luna Calendar for gardeners. Gardening in harmony with the moon’s phases has been practiced for thousands of years. Farmers determined the best times to plant and harvest their crops. The gravitational pull of the moon affects the ocean tides, and so does it affecting the water in the ground and pants. Moonlight, during its different phases also influences the growth of plants. When gardeners follow the Moon Calendar guide, they say their seeds germinate sooner, their plants are stronger and they have higher crop yields.

To use a Moon calendar place the date of the month’s new moon as your start time. For instance, this month is Jan 21. Every month find the New moon or Dark Moon. This holds for all months. This is broken into the 4 quarters of the moon. 2 days before that date Dig and cultivate Rising vitality, prepare for the very fertile time, and delay sowing other than grass seed. 2 days after the new moon it is Most prolific- for sowing and planting all that produce above ground. Peas, beans cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, pumpkin, flowers, etc. Don’t prune, causes dieback. Take all cuttings, good for grafting No Root crops (these go to seed). This lasts for 10 days., the last 3 days are good for applying liquid fertilizer. This is the time I start seedlings indoors under lights that will transplant outside when warm weather arrives.

The next 5 days should have you at the Full Moon. Cultivate only, This time will have quick germination and weak spindly plants. The next 3 days are Good for All Root crops, especially carrots, onions, potatoes, etc, This will be February 9-11 and when I will be planting my potatoes, a second crop of onions and leeks, Spray now. Coming out of the full moon the next 5 days are a Barren Period with Low Vitality Low sap run and Harvest of all crops. Avoid planting and sewing will go to seed, cultivating at this time will check weed growth for some time. Pruning while the sap is low. Next 3 days Spray now, Put in All root crops, especially swedes (turnips), carrots, flowers, and grass seed. By using this simple guide you can use your wall calendar. just mark the date of the Full Moon, New Moon Then the in-between sections. Making the 4 quarters. It’s a standard year-round. The new moon pulls water down and sap goes down while the Full Moon brings water up and Sap up. Using this for weeding and mowing works well also. Seed starting and planting out.

Just like sailors follow the tides gardening also follows the tides of the pull of the moon.

Growing Green and following the pull of the moon Jannie