The full moon is when the whole of the moon’s disc is illuminated and the gravitational pull from the moon is at its peak.
Over the past two weeks, the moon has been waxing (rising), which in the gardening world means that the energy is going into the growth of the buds and leaves of the plant. This stimulates growth in these areas, reaching its optimum at full moon.
The gravitational pull of the moon is stronger than that of the sun, due to its closer proximity to the earth. At full moon, there is an increased water content in the soil, which is why germination can be faster at the full moon stage. There are a lot of different opinions about planting at full moon, so I will only share what I have learned from my experiments over the past 20 odd years.
A plant’s growing cycle is in tune with the moon as its rays penetrate the soil and are needed in plant growth, from seed to harvest.
When planting by the moon, I have found that your plants show increased vigour and grow at an optimum rate. This in turn will prevent pest and disease and crops won’t bolt to seed as fast as they would when planted by the wrong phase of the moon.
The full moon is exact at 8.20am on 28th July, so this is when I recommend to plant your early potatoes if your ground is not too wet. It’s also a good time to lay your kumara in sand to start the sprouting process, and begin to fertilise your plants, especially your citrus as these trees are hungry right now.
After full moon, as the moon wanes (descends), the energy is more focused on root production and the sap slows down. For this reason, next week is a great time to plant your new fruit trees, move your plants, sow root crops, plant bulbs, transplant and prune during this phase.
Over the next week, sow your early carrot and beetroot seeds for maximum success, along with Jerusalem artichokes so they can begin growing for the long season ahead they require.
We are heading towards less light hours from the moon over the following two weeks, less energy above ground and more focus on the roots. At this time, it pays to make compost, clear out old gardens and have a good old tidy up.
We all have busy lives and cannot always operate entirely around the moon planting phases. This is the reality, however the key is to start experimenting, do what is achievable for you and start to get yourself into the rhythm of the moon to watch the difference unfold!
This week, I have launched my Moon Challenge exclusively for my newsletter subscribers. Week one has already begun, but there’s still time if you want to participate!
Sign up to my newsletter today and we will send you the first challenge so that you can join us for the month of August and demonstrate before your very eyes the true results of planting by the moon!
Happy gardening!
