Annie,

thank you for this info on planting. Where can I find more of it?
~Natalie

Mama always planted her beans on Good Friday.

Nell

I've heard it said that peas should be planted when the lilac leaves are the size of mouse ears. That would work in any zone - ok, that had lilacs!! lol. These old things have their roots in knowledge and truth!! Thanks Annie!!

Nancy.

Mama always planted her beans on Good Friday.

My dad still plants his butter beans on Good Friday. He plants tomatoes the following Monday. He's in a solid zone 8 so their last frost is usually April 1. I asked him to pick some butter bean seeds for me too. I can't find them here. I don't know the variety he has grown since I was in diapers. Used to hate picking those things. Now, I can't wait.

Great little bit of historic trivia... and advice!

Thanks,
Cameron

LOL, we still have a couple feet of snow on the ground, amd I supposed to plant in the snow? I think it would depend on what zone you live in.

Jenny P

Interesting trivia, I wonder if it applies to this zone as well. We always plant our tender plants after Memorial Day.

I didn't say that the Ides of March is the ONLY day to plant peas, I said,

"(it) is a good day for planting peas!"

Farmer's Almanac - best planting days for March/April

I'm using this as a guide for planting. I figure a hundred years of experience can't be wrong.

Interestingly, northern NYer's plant their tenders out on Memorial Day - it's a tradition. North of there, in Ontario, we plant out on Victoria Day weekend - a week earlier!!!!???? Ah, huh???? So really, we plant out on the long weekend in May, and hope for the best. ON is not a week ahead of NY - duh. So much for the modern theories!!!

Nancy.

Get the book. Go to the page where "Gardening by the Moon's Sign" is located. That is a much better guide than the ones they give in the Growing Guide.

The moon's gravitational pull on the earth affects our wind, the tides and currents and water levels in ALL things on the earth. Plants and animals also feel this pull because we are mostly made up of water. It also affects the soil, because of the water contained within it.

Ancient farmers used Astrology, the placement of the moon and the signs, for thousands of years. We can still apply the knowledge of the ancients who discovered 'astrological gardening' and reap the benefits. Science is after all, only a calculated guess based upon known facts.

In the First Quarter, plant annual seeds (flowers & veggies).

The Second Quarter is best for sowing perennial seeds, herb seeds and is good for setting out annual seedlings. Sunflowers and melons (& gourds) do well planted in this quarter, too.

The Third Quarter is best for transplanting all trees, shrubs and flowers, and for planting below ground crops and sowing root crop seeds.
* Ever wonder why sometimes when you plant carrots or radishes, all you get are tops? Planting below ground crops during this phase of the moon will encourage long, straight root growth, but not much growth above ground.
I plant my turnips during the 1st or 2nd Quarter, so they will make big leaves and small roots, since it is the leaves I like to eat and not the turnip roots.

The last Quarter is a dry, barren quarter. Do not plant during this phase of the moon. It is good for weeding, cutting back vegetation & mowing the grass (so it won't grow back as fast), harvesting root crops, doing repairs to fences and setting posts in the ground. It is good for spraying insects (if you use insecticides) and ridding the garden of all pests. It is a good time for cleaning up your garden, burning debris, tilling the soil & all other garden chores, like laying bricks, cleaning out paths and edging, and etc.

Growth is encouraged during the waxing of the moon (between the New Moon and the Full Moon), and is discouraged during the Waning of the Moon (from the day after Full Moon to the day before the New Moon).
* You can also use this knowledge to decide what day is best for shaving or cutting your hair, depending upon whether you want to encourage growth or stifle it.

Do not plant on the day when the moon changes to the next quarter. It is in flux. Wait one more day when the change is complete.

Hope this helps those interested in trying Astrological Gardening.

~Annie