First, the moon phases are the same even if you are upside down. Second, I know some farmers who swear by moon phase plantinting, but I have never tested it so I'd say companion planting is more important. I guess there is no reason you couldn't do both. Just google "planting by the moon" or "moon gardening" and you'll have plenty to read.

tj

Planting seeds is supposed to be best at the dark of the moon, the new moon. It is a time of new beginnings. When the moon is full, it is a time of completion. Therefore, supposedly not conducive to planting.

I have tried it, but did not keep good track of how successful it proved to be. I think there must be something to it, as the theory is ages old.

The moon is moving towards being full right now. The next new moon will be March 7th.
Lorna

People have used the moon to indicate when to for many eons, and today after pooh poohing this idea many horticulturists are finding there is some validity in doing this. Planting is determined by the pahse of the moon and things that grow above ground are planted in one phase while things that grow below ground are planted during another, makes no difference if you are planting seeds or started plants. Seeds for leafy vegetables (above ground crops) would not be planted during the same moon phase as seeds for beets (root crops).
The farmers that went to Australia would have followed those guides when they got there just as they did back "home" in England, Ireland, Scotland, or wherever.

horticulturists are finding there is some validity in doing this.
About how much validity? If a person doesn't want to wait 2 or 3 weeks for another cycle, what then?

Planting outside the moon cycle often appears to result in plants that are weaker and more susceptible to attack by insect pests.

There is a lunar eclipse tomorrow (Wednesday Feb 20th) from about 8PM-11PM in North America. Are there any benefits, drawbacks to planting at this time (other than that its February)?

Kyle

It's kind of strange to me that this moon planting is mostly anecdotal and tradional knowledge. Where are the agriculure stations? LOL The farmers around here are probably not paying one hoot to moon signs in their planting.
And then I kind of understand that is a lot more involved than just increasing and ebbing of the moon light for the experts. Sounds like this could get really complicated!!

The thing that bugs me is that some things miss the "favorable" time because of temperatures or conditions and it would require 3 more weeks to plant....not acceptable oftentimes.

Moon planting times for February have already passed for above ground crop planting according to "The Old Farmer's 2008 Almanac". I didn't find anything mentioned about planting during an eclipse.

For sowing above ground plants moon dates are March 8, 15 & 26. For April the dates listed are 11 & 12.

For sowing below ground (root) crops the days listed are Feb. 27 & 28, March 8, 15 & 16 and April 3, 4, 21, & 22.

This book is written for the U.S. I assume dates would vary by a day for Australia. Isn't Oz a day ahead or behind us because of the International Date Line?

Lorna

Wayne certainly has a point about the last freezes. The Almanac also lists dates for last freezes by area. The dates vary by a range of three months. The predictions are based on weather science, but we all know weather predictions are often incorrect.

Lorna

The sowing dates listed above for above ground crops are rather terrible this year for my earlier plantings.

I planted some seeds yeserday because the mood hit me. I was pruning a Navajo White Sage. I pruned off all of the seed pods, so I rescued some of the seeds and stuck them into a flat of potting soil. We can pay attention to what happens with our seeds, which were not planted on "good dates", and see what happens with them!

Lorna

Weed seeds that have been lying dormant in the soil for months or years were planted when? They usually are pretty healthy.

I like planting according the moon and planets and believe in it. I think my garden became much more productive when i have done this. I am an organic gardener and have read that gardening by moon can be broken if you are not following principles of organic gardening.
You can find a lot of information by googling "gardening by moon". I found a lot of interesting reading this way.

My father planted by the moon.
I have a brother in law who grows anything he wants to.
He has a green arm & has never used the moon sign.
I read some where that people use to stone a person, because the blood shed would insure good harvest.
Glad that is a thing of the past.
Moon signs, I am not sure about.