Working with the Forces of Nature
As our gardening season approaches it’s time to start planning our gardens. After the tilling and mending of the soil we can plot out where our crops will do best and when to plant. Timing is everything and the moon can be a big help. When planting with the moons phases and the astrological signs of the zodiac you’re using the forces of nature in which they were intended.
There are four quarters to one moon and each has its purpose.
1) 
Planting during the first quarter, the new moon, will balance root and leaf growth. During this period the lunar gravity pulls water up and will cause seeds to swell and burst creating the perfect balance for production. This is a great time to plant above ground annuals that produce their seeds outside the fruit. This includes most of your leafy greens and grain crops.
2) The second quarter of the moon’s phase has less gravitational pull and the moonlight is stronger causing strong leaf growth. This is the phase of the full moon and is a great time for planting annuals that produce their fruit on the inside, tomatoes, beans, peppers, and squash are some good examples.
3) The third quarter, on the waning side of the full moon, energy is decreasing and the gravitational pull is high causing more moisture in the soil allowing the roots to have active growth. Great time to plant root crops such as beets, carrots, onions, and potatoes.
4) Now that the garden is planted, the fourth quarter (“waxing”) is a time for resting. Gravitational pull and moonlight are on the low side during this time and not much growth is going on so this is a good time to cultivate, harvest, transplant, and prune. (There’s also a rumor that if you pull weeds during the fourth quarter, they won’t grow back!)
Use your smart phone to let you know where the moon is and what zodiac sign we are in! There’s an app for that!
Here’s another interesting Tip: Mowing lawns during the first and fourth quarter will slow grass growth and mowing during the second and third will help with new growth.
Click here to print out handy reference guides:
Gardening Using Astrological Signs
(Thanks to Richard Wheeler for the super shot of last month’s Super Moon at the top of this article…click it to enlarge)
