Planting by moon phases -- make any sense?

[Skeptic Ginger]

Why would the gravitational pull of the moon be any different depending on the phase? Do they think it is actually getting smaller and bigger?

I'm surprised people don't know this.

As Sherman Bay noted, it's when the Moon is lined up with the Sun that increases the gravitational effect as opposed to the Moon being at a right angle to the Sun in relation to the Earth providing a weaker pull.

 

[Capsid]

On a gardening forum I used to visit, someone did a well designed study comparing onion sets planted by the moon phase or normally and then weighed the onions when harvested. The moon planted onions were heavier on average which confirmed to them that moon planting was valid. Ever the scientist, I did a statistical analysis by t test, there was no significant difference.


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[Ladewig]

Even if the moon raised the water table to provide higher than average water levels, six hours later, the seeds would be experiencing lower than average water levels.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Even if the moon raised the water table to provide higher than average water levels, six hours later, the seeds would be experiencing lower than average water levels.

But we're talking agriculture here, so surely cherry-picking is allowed?

 

[wea]

You plant seeds at the first spring warm, then it comes another cold day and your sprouts go rot. You wait instead for the first "good" moon phase (whatever you think it is) and over several years, on average, you'll do better than with beans planted too early.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

You plant seeds at the first spring warm, then it comes another cold day and your sprouts go rot. You wait instead for the first "good" moon phase (whatever you think it is) and over several years, on average, you'll do better than with beans planted too early.

We don't hear much about the tribes that consistently did it wrong.

 

[Aepervius]

The very first Jack Horkheimer Star Hustler episode (1976) mentioned planting crops with respect to Moon phases. I got to thinking, and most googling turned up sites like this, which make claims like ...which sounds like a lot of woo to me.

Even Wikipedia says, under Agricultural astrology:
So was Jack (RIP) full of it, or is there anything here beyond wishful thinking and self-deception?

The moon earth distance is 360 to 400km (perigee apogee) and this is not directly linked to moon phase. It is linked to the position of earth shadow compared to the moon in the sky. So it can hardly have a gravitational "impact". Furthermore I would say capillarity is far more likely to have water go up to the surface than gravitational pull from the moon, at that distance.

So.....I would say woo ?

 

[wea]

The moon earth distance is 360 to 400km (perigee apogee) ...

a little more (x10³)

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

a little more (x10³)

I wondered what took 'em so long.

 

[Ladewig]

The moon earth distance is 360 to 400km (perigee apogee) and this is not directly linked to moon phase. It is linked to the position of earth shadow compared to the moon in the sky. So it can hardly have a gravitational "impact". Furthermore I would say capillarity is far more likely to have water go up to the surface than gravitational pull from the moon, at that distance.

So.....I would say woo ?

Technically, Jack is not referring to apogee vs. perigee, but rather spring tides vs. ordinary tides.

 

[Red Baron Farms]

I think the whole concept is lunacy.

 

[bigred]

All vine and no tater.

 

[Elind]

Moon phases are not connected to the distance between Earth and the Moon. They're all about where the moon and the sun are in the sky relative to us.

Exactly. (But you didn't mention that the premise is woo woo.)

 

[hgc]

A friend of mine is a wine journalist, and visited with a number biodynamic winemakers a few years ago. They plant by phase of moon. They're also really enthusiastic about their own manure-based fertilizer concoctions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodynamic_agriculture

 

[Filippo Lippi]

Yep. Bio-dynamic is Anthroposophy, or "stuff steiner pulled out of his arse" as it's properly termed , applied to agriculture. Stone cold woo.

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[ChrisBFRPKY]

You plant seeds at the first spring warm, then it comes another cold day and your sprouts go rot. You wait instead for the first "good" moon phase (whatever you think it is) and over several years, on average, you'll do better than with beans planted too early.

I think you're the only member to actually sort out the literal meaning of planting by the correct phase of the moon. Congrats.
Chris B.

 

[Ladewig]

I think you're the only member to actually sort out the literal meaning of planting by the correct phase of the moon. Congrats.
Chris B.

Well, actually, no. The phases of the moon are not tied to the calendar in any way. There is no way to identify the "correct" phase of the moon because it bears absolutely no relation to the last frost, the spring equinox, or any other meteorological or astronomical event that would indicate an appropriate time to plant.

 

[ChrisBFRPKY]

Well, actually, no. The phases of the moon are not tied to the calendar in any way. There is no way to identify the "correct" phase of the moon because it bears absolutely no relation to the last frost, the spring equinox, or any other meteorological or astronomical event that would indicate an appropriate time to plant.

And yet people still do it. Whatever the personal beliefs of the benefits to be had. People live by this stuff and also by "The Farmer's Almanac". You're not a good farmer unless you plant by the "signs".

I think the only actual benefit would be increased light at certain phases for above ground plants (transplants). I use this method with my tomatoes and my tomato plants always outproduce other's gardens in this area.

But, as above, the old tradition of planting by the Moon after the Spring equinox is all about timing. Someone picked out a particular phase and planted by it and it worked for them.

I know one person that begins watching the Moon phases prior to Valentine's day in preparation for planting. I've seen him plant peas on Valentines day as well at the 37th parallel. And his garden always does well. Coincidence?
Chris B.

 

[GlennB]

I think the only actual benefit would be increased light at certain phases for above ground plants (transplants).

No. A full moon might appear bright but our eyes are excellent at adapting. Plants don't have that ability. "The ratio of brightness of the sun versus the [full] moon amounts to a difference of 398,110 to 1", so the light of a full moon is utterly insignificant compared with, say, the difference between a cloudy and sunny day.

I know one person that begins watching the Moon phases prior to Valentine's day in preparation for planting. I've seen him plant peas on Valentines day as well at the 37th parallel. And his garden always does well. Coincidence?

Probably not exactly a coincidence. If he's such a keen and devoted gardener then maybe he's just plain good at it?

The moon phase/planting thing is just superstition.

eta: giving those numbers their simplest interpretation, 4 hours of full moon would be equivalent to 0.03sec of full sun

 

[Belgian thought]

...

eta: giving those numbers their simplest interpretation, 4 hours of full moon would be equivalent to 0.03sec of full sun

Good fact to know - thank you.