I recently received a message from a reader who was wondering about gardening according to the phases of the moon. Like many gardeners, she has learned to take the lunar calendar into account when planning her annual sowing, a practice passed down from generation to generation. Every year, she consults the moon phases, tries to keep track of them and recalculate them, but runs into a well-known problem: the information available is often fragmentary, sometimes contradictory, and rarely explained clearly. She wondered if it would be possible to present a detailed and structured overview of this gardening method in a column.
I have a problem responding to this letter. The thing is, I don’t believe that the moon has any noticeable influence on our crops. For me, gardening according to the moon is superstition. I have gardened most of my life without taking the phases of the moon into account, generally with great success. In fact, most scientific studies on the subject indicate that the moon has no influence on plant growth… but some have found a small correlation. Unfortunately, sometimes the correlation contradicted beliefs.
Variable beliefs
And besides, beliefs vary. The beliefs of indigenous peoples have nothing to do with those of Europeans, for example; and Asians, Africans, etc., have very different and often contradictory beliefs on this subject. Lunar gardening as practiced in Quebec is based on European beliefs. But even there, the many publications on gardening according to the phases of the moon often contradict each other, which is understandable, since gardening according to the moon is extremely complex.
Does this mean we should deny the moon’s influence on plant growth? Who am I to deny the beliefs of others? Besides, there may be a placebo effect: gardeners who believe in it and follow the phases of the moon will be more successful with their crops than those who do not.
The main principles of lunar gardening
So, for enthusiasts, here is a quick summary:
Waxing moon (between the new moon and the full moon): sowing, planting, and transplanting plants that produce fruits or seeds, such as tomatoes and beans.
Waning moon (between the full moon and the new moon): sowing, planting, and transplanting plants that should not go to seed, such as spinach, lettuce, and onions.
Ascending moon (a period when the moon is a little higher in the sky each day): sowing leafy plants, fruiting plants, or seed crops.
Descending moon (a period when the moon is a little lower on the horizon each day): sowing flowering plants, root crops, or bulb plants.
Lunar nodes, apogees, and perigees: on these days (which require a specific calendar to identify), all gardening work should be avoided.
Zodiac influence: when the moon passes in front of the constellations Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra, it is time to sow flowers. When influenced by Scorpio, Pisces, and Cancer, sow leafy plants; by Virgo, Capricorn, and Taurus, root vegetables; and by Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius, fruiting plants.
Stick to a single source
Obviously, the above is a very brief summary: the real system is much more complex than that, too complex for the average gardener to understand. If you believe in the influence of the stars on planting, the only logical thing to do is to buy a book or consult a website on the subject every year. And consult only one source per year, otherwise the contradictions may confuse you.
Larry Hodgson has published thousands of articles and 65 books during his career, in both French and English. His son, Mathieu, has made it his mission to make his father’s writings accessible to the public. This text was originally published in the newspaper Le Soleil on February 19, 2011.