Topic: Free Online BioDynamic calendar.

[Plot69]

Found this free online Bio-dynamic calender if anyone is interested. Type in the date, hit reload and violet, there's all you need to know about when, what and what not to do.

http://www.astrologie-info.com/mocal.cgi?language=eng&sidtrop=sid

I'm going to dedicate a couple of beds to bio-dynamics. I shall stick rigidly to it and then compare those beds to the rest of my plot. Always assuming the rest of my beds don't get planted at the optimum time by accident.

Be interesting to hear other peoples results should they decide to try it.

[Barnowl]

This one is also quite well laid out

http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/default.asp

 - they seem to be consistent with one another :)

[Lauren S]

Biodynamics
All plants can be divided into four groups, each related to one of the four elements Earth, Water, Air and Fire

Earth = Root Plants
Asparagus, Beets, Carrots, Garlic, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Leek, Mushroom, Onion, Parsnip, Potato, Radish, Spring Onion, swede, Turnip.

Water = Leaf Plants
Basil, Bay, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Celery, Chicory, Coriander, Cress, Fennel, Kale, Lettuce, Mint, Mustard and Cress, Parsley, Rhubarb, Sage, Sorrel, Spinach, Time.

Air = Flowering Plants
Artichoke, Borage, Cauliflower, Elderflower and all Flowering Plants

Fire = Fruit-Seed Plants
Apple, Apricot, Asparagus Pea, Aubergine, Blackberry, Broadbean,Bush Bean, Cherry, Cucumber, Fig, French Bean, Gooseberry, Marrow, Nectarine, Pea, Pear, Plum, Pumpkin, Runner Bean, Sweetcorn, Tomato, Vine

(Quoting from Nick Kollerstrom:-Gardening & Planting by The Moon)

The magnitude of the yield deviations that were assed with lunar factors was of practical significance.
"The market gardener may have noticed the best beans you have ver picked are on plants that are not huge and have not that many leaves...Now if you sow beans on a Leaf Day, then they turn out such huge plants and they have very poor fruit (beans). When you sow on a Fruit Day, you don't have all that foliage (the plants don't need it, anyway) but they do have alot of fruit.
We've had roughly four times as many pumpkins in roughly the same acreage sowing them on Fruit Days rather on a Leaf Day (un Quote)

Jack Temple's experiment at the Henry Doubleday Reserch Association

'Every time a Leaf sowing date turned up I sowed a row of lettuce and a row of radishes, and everytime a Root Sowing day featured I also sowed lettuce and radish again.
Then when the directors and students from the HDRA dropped by we put the trial to the test'

Initially Jack's visitors were shocked by his outlandish notion, so his reputation with them was at stake.

'However, all that disappeared as I put my knife through two radishes. One was juicy and the other had the texture of cotton wool. The juicy one had been sown on the correct day, a Root Day and the pithy one had been sown on a Leaf Day. That was not all: the juicy radish was ten weeks old while the pithy one was only eight weeks old. Both radishes were also tested for quality and flavour. Subsequent further sowings were tested. Each time we had the same result. The lettuce trials showed lettuce sown on Leaf Days were slower to bolt than those sown on Root Days

Lauren

[Plot69]

- they seem to be consistent with one another :)

But your one doesn't tell you when to have your hair cut... Although what the hell that has to do with the moon God only knows  ???

[Lauren S]

But your one doesn't tell you when to have your hair cut... Although what the hell that has to do with the moon God only knows  ???

Ah just like cutting your lawn on the correct day, it won't grow as fast and you won't need to cut it as often  ;D

Cha Ching, time saved and money too  ;)

[star]

 ;D ;D ;D Like 'em. So bookmarked them both!!

[woodypecks]

Me too .

[Barnowl]

Forget to mention the Gardeners Calendar does a weekly newsletter you can sign up to

http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/February/ThisMonth.asp

I don't really follow the lunar aspect but I do find it useful as a memory jogger.

It contains a few adverts but I  imagine that helps pay for the site.

[Moon Grower]

Well I certainly hope that biodynamic growing works, especially as I'm involved with the company that publishes In Tune with the Moon. I decided I better practice what I'm preaching, or in this case selling ;) and have a moon bed and a control bed. Take a look at my blog site to see what I'm getting up to http://intunewithmoon.findhornpress.com/

[Plot69]

Hi Moon Grower. Welcome.

Just read your blog and your Feb 12 entry highlights exactly what I said about the impracticalities of biodynamics.

Tomorrow and Saturday are good days for harvesting root veggies. so if your ground is not frozen and covered with snow you can dig up a few parsnips or carrots.

I can understand sowing and planting on specific days but why would any day be better than any other for harvesting? I go over my plot on a Sunday, dig up a few parsnips and within the hour they're roasting in the oven. Surely that's better than harvesting them on say, a Tuesday if that's the best time and then letting them wilt until Sunday before cooking them?

I bought the In Tune with the Moon wall chart for the past two years but following it isn't easy. Many times I planned my week around it only to find waiting until next Tuesday to plant a row of leeks has resulted in gale force winds, hail and driving rain. And I end up invariably waiting for a nice dry, warm day that's a little less sticky underfoot regardless of moon tunes. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm fully open minded about it all. But, just like "It's Not Easy Being Green", it's also "Not Easy Being Bio Dynamic".

[Yazzy]

Thanks for both the leads on the online free Biodynamic calendars, Exactly what I was looking for...free instant calendars. Thanks. Going into the garden now to sow fruit seeds!
Yazzy

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I use the planet Pluto to arrange the gardening calendar. It works very well. Trouble is, the next planing day is 23rd June 2056

[OllieC]

Could be something in that, RT, this stuff is also heavily influenced by Uranus, or someone else's.

I find wearing a tee-shirt helps with germination, and having dirty finger nails helps keep weeds down...