"Lunar gardening is the oldest form of gardening known to man," said John Harris, Head Gardener of Tresilian House Gardens, near Truro in Cornwall, and author of Moon Gardening (Really Useful Books, Mar 2007). "I find it very effective to time my sowing, planting and pruning by the moon." Rather than the more romantic notion of a silhouetted figure wistfully gardening by the moonlight, much of the technique relies instead on planting according to the phases of the moon.
The theory relies on the moon's gravitational effect on the flow of moisture in soil and plants and, to a lesser degree, the effect of moonlight on seed germination. The chaldean and Egyptian cultures were known to take into account zodiacal constellations when planting, but it was Rudolph Steiner's biodynamic movement that revived it back in 1924. Since then, all things organic and biodynamic have reached mainstream consciousness - lunar planting being one of them. It's even being discussed in Gardener's Question Time.
Despite its many adherent's the technique is still viewed by some with suspicion. "The Royal Horticultural Society is aware that some people believe in planting with the moon phases for productive growth," says Nicole Russell of said Institution. "However, as there isn't any scientific basis for the theory it doesn't endorse the practice." At first glance it does in fact seem very easy to find a scientific basis for the practice - a wealth of studies "proving" its efficacy are repeatedly cited by those enamored by moon planting.
The scientific community however is less convinced. "The paper published in Plant Physiology in 1987 is the only documented example that I can find in what I would describe as a journal of repute in the field," says Professor Jerry Roberts of Nottingham University's Plant and Crop Sciences Division. "The authors show an effect of the lunar cycle on imbibition (the take up of water by the seed) although they cannot explain its scientific basis. Imbibition is a physical process of water uptake (both seeds that are alive and dead are equally able to 'imbibe') so this would have to be related to the amount of water that is available for uptake. I cannot explain it either."
So it would seem that while scientific "proof" is generally thin on the ground, there does seem to be something of note worth investigating. Professor Roberts admits that while "it is not clear why the phases of the moon should have an effect on germination, that doesn't mean to say that there isn't something going on that we haven't thought about". This sense of science somehow lagging behind a folk understanding is a common one with regard to lunar influence on our lives. The menstrual cycle being inexplicably linked to the cycle of the moon is a case in point. So while we wait for the definitive study to arrive, gardeners may well take heed of the increasing masses looking to the moon this spring.
Justin Schamotta - Justin was born in South Africa, raised in the Welsh Valleys and now resides in Brighton. He has been co-editor of Bulb magazine, deputy ...
