Moon your plants!

Memorial weekend is a big planting weekend for many…..for some known as Decoration day….Memorial weekend is a time to remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the service of our country.  As with the first “decoration days” around the time and following the Civil War, flowers and flags are used to help us remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting the freedom we as Americans cherish. For many Memorial weekend is also a traditional time on the calendar to put some flowers and vegetable plants in the ground at home. Frost is past, summer is near and the calendar says it’s time to plant. Some however feel that it’s not the date on the calendar, but rather the Moon that gives rise to optimum conditions to plant. The moon completes one full cycle every 29 days. During that time new, waxing, full and waning moons occur and with it the timing of their gardening activities. We generally enjoy a full “flower or corn planting” moon around Memorial day weekend. The theory is that when the moon is full it’s time to “Moon your plants” for greater gardening success using the lunar phases to your advantage. The lunar phase controls the amount of moisture in the soil at its peak with a full moon. Just as the moon pulls the tide in oceans it also pulls subtle bodies of water causing moisture to rise in the earth encouraging germination and growth of plants above ground. The theory is that during the waxing to full moon, moisture, nutrients and “sap” is thought to flow more strongly along with warmer nighttime temperatures giving the plants vitality. This is great for young tender plants growing above ground like those tomato plants you just bought…so get out there and moon them! The theory also would be that you wait to turn soil until waning moons so you don’t break your back. Save those bulbs, tubers and below ground plantings for the waning phases of the moon too. If you’re looking to put some young tender plants in the ground now, I recommend you head outside and Moon your plants!