Lunar/biodynamic gardening

[indigo]

This year I'm hoping to get back into my garden, sow some seeds, grow some new plants etc.  When I was doing a lot, I used Maria Thun's calendar.  I see there's a Nick Kollerstrom one too - any preferences for ease of use?  I did find the Maria Thun one made me have to think a lot, dangerous stuff

[cohan]

i have never heard of these calendars- i have heard of planting things according to the moon, but don't know much about it...

[Maggi Young]

Welcome to the Forum, Indigo.
Like cohan, I know nothing of these calendars but I know there are some here who garden by the lunar calendar so they will doubtless be along to comment!

I am thinking of Carol and David Shaw of Findhorn who write an 'In Tune with the Moon' blog. See the blog and more aboutCarol and David here:  http://intunewithmoon.findhornpress.com

[Carol Shaw]

Just sent you a PM Indigo

[indigo]

ah, I'm surprised, a minority group?  Lots of reads, few comments.  Hopefully I've sparked some interest.

Thanks Maggi, just been over to the blog, at least I'm not entirely on my own for once  You and Cohan should give it a go - makes all the difference!  When I was using it you should have seen my garden - amazingly big healthy plants

Cohan, I have a good friend near Calgary, you guys are brave living there, I'm fascinated as to what flowers you have there.

Carol, thanks, will pm you back shortly

[Maggi Young]

Since this Forum is open to all you will find that there are always more 'views' than responses, Indigo.

Growing- or living-  in tune with the lunar cycles is nothing new, of course; the ancients were doing it before "gardening" as we know it was even a concept.

.....Another of the many natural sciences that has fallen out of common use in recent times.

[indigo]

Indeed.  We humans dropped a lot of good stuff and are slowly relearning what we should know.

[David Nicholson]

Sounds a lot of "blah" to me, but, there you are, each to his/her own

[Brian Ellis]

I have an open mind David, and I continually think that there may well be something in it as the Moon exerts the gravitational pull on the water in the oceans that creates the tides.  Plants and people are largely also composed of water so perhaps there is an effect on the water in them as well.

[indigo]

As you say David, each to their own.  You'll just have to try it and see   

Having seen the results, I wouldn't garden any other way now and several sceptical people who saw my garden when I was really working in it are converts too.

Well spotted Brian    The moon affects many aspects of life - human, animal, plant etc as well as the tides which most people accept quite happily.

[David Shaw]

I agree with Indigo. Last year we 'played' with growing some vegetables by the lunar calendar and were quite impressed by the results. This year we are doing a much larger and more scientific trial in the vegetable garden. I am quite sure that the moon's pull has influence on many aspects of our life.

[David Nicholson]

I can just see the moon from the window as I type. Hang on, it's trying to tell me something-oh yes! time to go for a pint

[Gerry Webster]

.....Another of the many natural sciences that has fallen out of common use in recent times.

Natural sciences

[Martinr]

I'd be interested in how you'd create a scientifically valid experiment given all the other known influences like moisture content of the seed, soil moisture at the time of sowing and afterwards, temperature, variations of all sorts. Even if the moon has an influence (and you might have twigged I'm a little sceptical) I suspect it would be swamped by these much larger effects.

You'd end up having to do something in which statistics could play a meaningful role which implies a large experiment

[Maggi Young]

.....Another of the many natural sciences that has fallen out of common use in recent times.

Natural sciences

Would you prefer "natural philosophy" ?

The natural sciences  might be called earth sciences, I suppose.....systems that are natural rather than man-made......