My journey down the learning path of ancient garden knowledge.
One of my rabbit trails this winter is about biodynamics or lunar planting. This is a huge topic, and it seems that there are so many trails which take you to a deeper understanding or confusion about this ancient method...
I first want to preface this with this is what I am finding based on research to the best of my ability since much of the knowledge has been scattered or forgotten. I think everyone on this page is open and here to journey with me so I am not worried about you all, but I never know where this post will go being a public page. If it is not for you then like I told someone the other day in a gardening group who was slandering because of this topic, move along. It must not be a topic for you and that's ok, no judgement or worries. Sometimes we come back around to a subject, and it makes more sense the next time around. I know that based on belief systems drilled into us there are certain things we are closed minded to, sometimes without even knowing it. I probably would have been one of those people a few years ago, but I started looking at my belief systems and really questioning "why do I believe that? is it because of what I have been indoctrinated with or is it because I have searched for myself and found it to be true?" Being someone who doesn't fake or just pretend something doesn't add up, is not who I am.
This I will write in parts due to a few factors, but the main is that it is so deep and long. I not only want to know "what" you do and "when"... I want to know "why"... this makes learning something take even longer, but the satisfaction of understanding at the end makes it all worth it! So, stay tuned for my coming segments as I build on the whole picture.
HISTORY
I remember thinking that my mom was "superstitious" (programmed word) when she would say that she knew when the full moon was because for three days before she couldn't sleep. … UNTIL I started watching MY sleep pattern and then started correlating it to the calendar of the full moon. I started to take notice that maybe there was something to this talk of lunar "methods and activities" or how the moon affects us. If you work with the public, I don't have to elaborate on how it is to deal with people during a full moon, that is something that you have lived and seen.
Growing up I lived on a small, fairly self-sufficient, farm and my grandpa was a big part of my growing up. Things that he just did because that is what his parents did and the parents before. One of these things I remember them talking about is when to butcher. How could that make a difference I remembered thinking? again superstition (programmed word). I can tell you that in all that I have learned NONE of it is based on "voodoo", "witchcraft", "hocus pocus" and so on. It is easier to label something that you don't understand as supernatural or hocus pocus, but that doesn't make it not true it just now has a perceived label. This is how most of the gods came about in mythology handed down thru the religions. They could not understand a universal law, so they figured it had to be because of a force, or god, bigger than them. In order to work with the god for good fortune they started to form rituals and beliefs.
I also find it interesting that we tend to tie this kind of thinking with these key groups of people, occult, (another programmed word). Why? because they are the only ones that went underground, usually due to persecution by the powers at be or religion and kept the ancient knowledge that WE ALL came from. Most of the time passing it down thru teaching or oral word, not so much writing. If you look up the word occult it means hidden or secret things and yes, they did thankfully hide knowledge. In religion it has been associated with those who worship satan or another deity that is not "our own". I am grateful to those who hide it and kept it being passed down for those who seek shall find. As a "modern" society we have been softened and those skills are no longer needed. The only direction you need these days is how to get to the grocery store.
As an adult we started to experiment with using the full moon as a time to butcher chickens and you know what! It was an amazing difference in how the chickens plucked! I was a believer and suddenly my programmed words started to get questioned. Unfortunately, by then my grandpa had died and my mom and dad had some knowledge they shared, but I wanted more, and it is very hard to find.
There, now that all that is done, let's start. Lunar planting starts off with planting with the phases of the moon. We know that the moons gravitational pull effects the tides and water. How about the water in the earth? I had never thought about that, but it stands to reason, if it affects the tides that we can see, why not the water in the soil?
This is the basic concept. From the new moon to the full moon, the moons pull is strengthening, and it therefore makes the ground wet or moist by pulling moisture up and to the surface. Also, as the moon's light is increasing it increases the amount of "moonLIGHT" that promotes germination into those plants that will flourish ABOVE the ground.
-From new moon to the first quarter plant the seeds that are leaf plants or plants that do not have a seed inside the fruit, like brassicas and greens.
-From 1st quarter to the half-moon sow the seeds that need strong outward pull and lots of water, since this is the period that the moon is at its strongest pull. These are above ground veggies that have seeds in the fruit and flowers. Things like squash, tomatoes, peppers etc.
-From the full moon to the 3rd quarter sow your root crops. This is because the pull now shifts lessening its pull and gravity from the center of the earth takes over and pulls down, creating a drier soil and promotes large root growth.
-From the 3rd quarter to the new moon is the time to harvest to ensure a long winter storage and the best crop. Also, the time to prune or work the ground.
Just following the above method will ensure you a higher produce yield and quality, but also a better harvest and storing time that if you just sowed modern and no method over than planting when you can.... BUT wait... there is more.
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