Topic: good friday, easter monday

[Trixiebelle]

Well, considering that the Easter 'Holidays' get moved according to the powers that be (for no particular reason that I can think of  ::) ) a far more reliable planting date is OSTARA (21st March) - The  Wiccan/Pagan date for the following:

OSTARA: MARCH 21st

It is believed that the name Ostara comes from the Germanic Goddess Oestara. Oestara is the Goddess of Fertility. From this day forth, the Sun will be giving its growing energies to most all items on Earth. The first indications of Spring, and her green fields, are now appearing.

At the Spring Equinox (Ostara), light and dark are in complete balance and from this day forward the scales will tip in favor of the Sun.
Most seeds are planted around this time for summer gardens. Indicating the future growth potential of the Sun. As like seeds for the garden, our plans for our year should be implemented into full force at this time.

Most rituals at this Sabbat emphasize blessing and the laying of plans. All seeds that are to be used for garden purposes should be blessed on this day for a fruitful "harvest". The hardy seeds can be planted after blessing.

On a personal level, we should make plans for our own personal growth ... be it in Love, happiness, wealth, and the like. Many of these plans are the ones that were written out or memorized at Yule. These plans should now be re-evaluated and finalized. Many may not need to be implemented at this time, but the ones that require the longest time to become reality ... we should implement. The Summer months are the time for growth, so we should start looking forward to this.

I'm a Hippy Chick at heart  ;D

[supersprout]

:o :o
I shall be sure to allow plenty of time for blessing and laying of plans this weekend then Trixie! ;)

[Trixiebelle]

And ref: Lunar sowing .... Dario (our allotment Guru/Trustee and altogether 'Down-To-Earth' bloke aged 75) plants according to the moon cycles. He drops it into conversation as easily as the 'weather'.

[Trixiebelle]

:o :o
I shall be sure to allow plenty of time for blessing and laying of plans this weekend then Trixie! ;)

And make sure you do Sprouty  ;)

[jennym]

... planting date is OSTARA (21st March) - The  Wiccan/Pagan date ...

Or, for trees, more sensibly perhaps is the date of Tu B'Shevat, a date which often falls in February when trees are normally still dormant.

[Trixiebelle]

JENNYM: Imbolc?? Feb 2nd? (Edited)

[jennym]

Probably a link Trixiebelle, although many like to think that Tu B'Shevat is a little older than Brigid  :)
It was explained to me that the date also has a lot to do with paying tithes via the fruit produced, plantings after the date having a full free extra year's worth of fruit - so instead of giving your tithe in the fifth year, you start to give it in the sixth.
Sort of like the tree's bithday.

[Ricado]

going back to carrots, i never aim to sow thin or do any thinning, partly because i dont have that much time, but also im required to produce nice petit veg, and not masses of record breaking size.  I find purposely overcrowding them stops excessive root size, smothers out the weeds and helps keep the moisture in with a good thick leaf canopy.  I sow in a four inch wide band, and a very generous seed rate, and this works for me.

Ive never ever had carrot root fly, and hopefully not now, but i do have a 15ft walled garden perimeter to protect my veg !  Ive heard the fly only flies a few cm off the ground, so fingers crossed i should be ok.

[supersprout]

Thanks ricado, I would prefer not to thin carrots - it seems so wasteful. I've got room to try your 'controlled broadcast' method this year, thanks for the very clear description, will give it a go.

[dandelion]

Curry, how long do carrots take to germinate? I sowed some 3 weeks ago. Is it too early to expect them to come up?

I've sown Early Nantes 2 like you Common Clay. Let me know when yours come up (at least I'll know the conditions will be the same ;D!)

[Curryandchips]

Be patient Dandelion, carrots can take quite a while to come up, particularly at this time of year. Also the seedlings are very tiny. I have just sowed my first row of Flakkee, more rows to sow soon. I also managed to plant the last of my maincrop potatoes - Cara. Most of my shallots went in today as well, they had been 'waiting' in trays of compost, so the roots could start to grow. And the weather has been super as a bonus. Then a bowl of leek and potato soup for lunch, using the last of the leeks.

[MollyBloom]

Not sure just how "objective" my experiment was, but a few years ago I tried using Gwydion's Lunar Planting Guide (bought in Glastonbury, where else?). I sowed half a row according to Gwydion's recommendations, and the other half at more or less the exact opposite time. I noticed that some seeds germinated much more quickly when planted by the recommended moon phase (possibly to do with the moon pulling the water in them a certain way?) but there wasn't a noticeable improvement in either later growth or my final harvest. Came to the conclusion that either I did it all wrong (very possible  ;D) or I upset the seed gods by not doing an accompanying circle dance, or you just pays yer money and takes yer choice according to your own beliefs and I didn't believe hard enough! Wouldn't bother with it again, as it just seemed to add yet another complication to an already busy sowing schedule. If others have had better results, I'd love to hear about it - being a bit of a hippie, I WANTED it to work but found it just didn't, really.

[supersprout]

Pah, that Gwyddion, what do he know ;)

Great story Molly, just goes to show that the only way to find out if something works for you is to Try it and See! ;D ;D ;D

[DenBee]

Well I missed out by a day on the traditional day for potato planing round here, which is apparently Good Friday.

But they went in today - 8 rows, 4 of Sharp's Express (earlies), and 4 of Desirée.

And the bed looks a thing of beauty, though I sez it as shouldn't.  ;)

[Rosyred]

Finished planting all my spuds today. I was getting tired and hope the main went in deep enough.