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My grandmother was certainly no old wife telling
tales, but was full of sage advice about planting and growing
things. A farmer for most of her 80-plus years, she may not have
been too far off in her opinions about planting potatoes only during
the full moon, or sowing seeds during a waxing moon.
Science is just now beginning to understand
the effects of the lunar cycles on the earth, although the way these
cycles relate to the ocean tides is known. And it is impossible to
deny the influence the moon has over people as it moves through its
phases.
On the farm, corn was always planted during
the first quarter of the moon. Root crops, which for us were
potatoes, were only planted and harvested during the full moon.
Increasingly, the same planting theories are applied to shrubs,
trees and perennials. Any plant that requires strong root
development to grow and thrive is best planted during the third or
fourth quarter of the moon. For even better results, try planting
your trees when the moon is a rising, waxing moon. Are you planting
flowers? It is thought that by planting them during the first
quarter of the moon, they will grown bigger and faster. Another
interesting statistic is that it is more likely to rain heavily
after a full moon than at any other time during the month. Something
to think about when planting your garden.
Watch for those "Blue Moons." A
"Blue Moon" is when there are two full moons occurring in
a single month. It usually means a late frost is on the way. Or, as
Grandma would say, "Pay attention to when the locusts start
singing. The first fall frost is six weeks away."
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