Planting by the Moon

Lunar gardening is nothing but, planting of the garden as per the lunar cycle i.e. the cycles of the moon. The gravitational pull of the moon not only has an effect on the tides, but also influences the moisture levels in the soil. Planting by the moon cycle will help you have healthier crops and maintain a fragrant, flourishing garden throughout the year. If you are doing organic plantation, lunar gardening is the best for you, since it works better in soil that has not been treated with chemicals at all. Read on to know how to plant a garden as per the lunar cycle.

Lunar Gardening

Items Needed

Compost
Lunar Calendar
Seeds
Plants
Pruning Shears

Method

The first step towards building a lunar garden is to buy a lunar calendar. Make sure to get familiar with the terms used in it.
Observe the moon on a daily basis and try to relate your body to the lunar cycle. This will help you have knowledge about planting times, plant care, etc, according the lunar cycle.
The next step will comprise of preparing the soil for planting. The soil should be prepared in the early autumn, in the third quarter moon. This will ensure that your soil remains with compost through the winter and thus, is extremely fertile in spring.
Preparing the soil will require putting manure in the soil. You can either make your own compost or buy manure from the market.
After adding the manure, it is the time to add organic waste, especially if the soil in your garden is on the lighter side. Lighter soil is not good for plants and organic waste helps in darkening it. You can add your kitchen waste also.
Decide on the moon phase in which you will plant the seeds. For annual plants, which grow above ground, the first or second quarter moon, near full moon, is better. For root crops, the period shortly after full moon will be the best.
Adjust your gardening time. It should be either one hour before or after the moonrise or moonset.
If you want to plant seeds, do it in the afternoon. During that time, the soil is warm and is perfect for seeds germination. For specific times, it is better to consult the lunar calendar.
If you want to graft plants, the best time is during the first quarter moon. During this phase, the water content in a plant is on the higher side and thus, grafting takes place easily.
For maintaining the garden, you need to prune the plants. Pruning should be done in the morning, during the waning third-quarter moon. The water content during this time is on the lower side and thus, the water loss in plant is the minimum.

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