Topic: Biodynamics

[poderosa]

Has anyone had any success by planting veg by using the phases of the moon?

[Obelixx]

I did it in 2005 because I happened across a gardening calendar using moon phases.  It worked very well for the whole garden - bumper germination and crops and plants.

I've found a calendar for this year and will be following it too, starting with sowing broad beans on Valentine's day.   I can't see me getting any otherggardening done before then as winter is bound to arrrive soon and in th emean time we have 100kph winds and horizontal rain!

[saddad]

Haven't tried it myself but an acquaintance on another site swore by it....
 :)

[supersprout]

It's a subject of enduring interest poderosa, if you search on A4a under 'moon' you'll find a lot of references, challenges, and credits. I figure I'd like all the help I can get, so I'll be waving at Obbelix from the broadie patch on Valentine's day ;D

[triffid]

Obbelix -- did you do some counter-moon-phase sowing as well in 2005 to compare?

Like SS, I find this subject fascinating though haven't ever tried it. I'll have a go this year with one or two veg, just as an experiment -- any suggestions as to a crop that'd benefit particularly? I'll sow some at the 'right' time and some at the 'wrong' time (then I'll just have to remember to record which is which  ;D)

[Biscombe]

I´m going to try it! but your have to be more organised in the garden, being so busy at work, dont know if woek and biodynamics will work! found this link on another froum
www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/

[triffid]

 :)
What a useful link, Biscombe -- thanks  ;D

[Barnowl]

Great link. I also try to plant when the moon is waxing which I saw suggested in a book of old gardening lore. Good trigger for succession planting.

[sweet-pea]

I tried a couple of years back, but found it really difficult to fit it in with work!  Might give it another go though as I like the idea, it's just hard to make it down to the plot on the right days!

[kitten]

This is something I'm really interested in, but I think this year we're going to go with the regular methods seeing as it's our first time growing anything on an allotment and just see what happens. Perhaps we'll read up about it & incorporate some biodynamics into the mix on our 2nd or 3rd years. I'd love to see the results tho, so make sure you all take pics & post them for us nosey peeps to see! Good luck! x

[fluffygrue]

I'm fine with the 'phases of the moon' planting. This makes sense.

What I don't understand is how the zodiac sign the moon is in can make a difference. Especially as I've found several online calendars that are all slightly different in terms of when the signs change - ie. one will say that a day is Leo, another says it's moved onto Virgo.

Will still be giving it a go this year, anyhow.

[sweet-pea]

I'm fine with the 'phases of the moon' planting. This makes sense.

What I don't understand is how the zodiac sign the moon is in can make a difference. Especially as I've found several online calendars that are all slightly different in terms of when the signs change - ie. one will say that a day is Leo, another says it's moved onto Virgo.

Will still be giving it a go this year, anyhow.

I wonder if it might be because there is another way which is very similar to biodynamic according to the site Biscombe mentioned http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/MoonPlanting.asp. 

[cookie]

We will try this year as our friends have given us a book with all the phases of the moon. Trouble is that they bought it in France, so will have to translate!

[Ricado]

Cannot see the logic in using the moon as a guide.  I always thought the sun was a major factor, and with adequate moisture and nutrients, what difference does it make when something was sown or planted ?

My stuff gets planted as and when i can, gets as much care as possible (which sometimes isnt really enough), but the results i have had upto now would please most gardeners i would think.  I guess im showing my agricultural roots, but most plants are built for survival and often are much hardier than it would appear.

[teresa]

I have been reading up last few years on gardening by the moon.
It must be a way forward as our lottie is using spring water not mains so is rashioned.
The moons phases controls the water levels in the oceans as well as on the land. So planting when the water leavel in the earth is at its heighest makes sence.
Roots will seek out water and go deeper in the earth to get moisture. If you water daily the roots will be surface feeding and dry out quicker?

I do plant or sow by urges like when its overcast or due to rain same with cutting the lawns.
I know some lottie holders plant and sow in full midday sun and water as well I just cannot understand it to me thats a waste of time.
I think its easier to work with mother nature than against her and my plants do well.
But that what makes gardeners different.

[vee]

I've been searching for the biocdynamic calendar someone mentioned ages ago, so I've just subscribed to the feed for the calendar. It seems to change from day to day so it should be easy to plant seeds when it's supposed to be better for them.

On the programme about allotments (the big dig?) someone was planting using a similar method and was surprised at the difference it made in two lots of potatoes grown biodynamically and traditionally.

Seeds of Italy send out a mini calendar with just the waxing/waning moon information on, but you can also get that just from an ordinary diary.

[Obelixx]

The zodiac content is because certain signs are seen as fertile and others not so, for example, Leo is not favourable for planting or propagating but is excellent for weeding and tidying up.

The calendaar I had in 2005 gave me flower, leaf, root, fruit and do nothing at all days.  I have a large garden but no greenhouse and I have a habit of going out to do one job then getting distracted by something else and not being as efficient as I might.   I found that sticking to the activities prescribed for the day by the calendar meant I got loads more done and a side benefit was better germination of seeds, more successful cuttings and bumper crops.

I don't care how or why it works.  It does for me and that's good enough.

[supersprout]

I found that sticking to the activities prescribed for the day by the calendar meant I got loads more done and a side benefit was better germination of seeds, more successful cuttings and bumper crops.

I don't care how or why it works.  It does for me and that's good enough.

Absolutely Obbelix! ;D

[teresa]

This is the site I found when looking into it a few years ago may be of interest?

http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/index.html

[trojanrabbit]

Hmmm. I'm sceptical about how universally this works, but fairly convinced that it has some effect. Clearly animals are affected by the phase of the moon, and a brief examination of academic databases at my disposal brings up a few papers published on specific test species indicating some favourable trends in certain aspects of plant growth.

On the whole zodiac business (my personal opinion is that it's a load of round spherical objects) - I would suggest that it's just another way of relating to various cycles. It is interesting to note that some studies have found variation in growth behaviour related to the electromagnetic environment - this is strongly dependant upon the point in our orbit about the Sun and on sunspot activity which also seems to be cyclic.

However, as an engineer/scientist I find some of the sweeping statements made by groups putting this forward very irritating verging upon stupidity.  ::) I'm very pleased to see people around here taking the reasonable line of "it seems to help"  :)
No offense Teresa, but I would strongly question the source suggesting that the moon affects water in the soil as it does the tides.  ??? I can find no evidence to support this and based on my small knowledge of fluid and soil mechanics I strongly suspect they simply won't permit any significant effect within the soil from such a relatively weak force. As always I would be very happy to be proven wrong if somebody has a decent study on this  ;D