Planting by moon phases -- make any sense?

[ChrisBFRPKY]

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 understand this, but my tomato plants don't.

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

I know he's a good gardener. And, he plants by the Moon phases.

I do too, only with tomato plants though. They grow faster and have produced more tomatoes than the same exact sets planted 2 weeks prior to mine that were not planted by the Moon phase. I know it sounds like woo, but try it. You'll scratch your head and next year, I bet you'll plant your tomatoes by the Moon phase too.
Chris B.

 

[GlennB]

Confirmation bias is a powerful thing, especially if it's woo-powered.

Meanwhile no plausible mechanism has been suggested for *how* this might work and, without that, I won't be changing my tomato planting schedule (i.e. "oh ****, it's mid March and time to plant tomato seeds" )

 

[Sherman Bay]

I do too, only with tomato plants though. They grow faster and have produced more tomatoes than the same exact sets planted 2 weeks prior to mine that were not planted by the Moon phase. I know it sounds like woo, but try it. You'll scratch your head and next year, I bet you'll plant your tomatoes by the Moon phase too.

So the only possible reason for your favorable observation is Moon phases? Not weather, temperature, biased observations without controls, different seeds, different soils, different exposure, insufficient samples, wishful thinking, not to mention random variations in outcome?

 

[Elind]

I understand this, but my tomato plants don't.




I know he's a good gardener. And, he plants by the Moon phases.

I do too, only with tomato plants though. They grow faster and have produced more tomatoes than the same exact sets planted 2 weeks prior to mine that were not planted by the Moon phase. I know it sounds like woo, but try it. You'll scratch your head and next year, I bet you'll plant your tomatoes by the Moon phase too.
Chris B.

If you read above a little bit you will find plenty of good answers to your woo belief.

The moon phase has nothing to do with it's distance (gravity effect) on the earth; but you do have an incling about what the real answer is. Namely that those planted too early don't do as well as those planted a bit later. Every (most) simpleton gardner knows when it is too early to plant, even if the moon phase is "right" (after all the phase will be right in mid winter too). So you wait for the next woo phase, which is later.

Got it?

 

[ChrisBFRPKY]

Confirmation bias is a powerful thing, especially if it's woo-powered.

Meanwhile no plausible mechanism has been suggested for *how* this might work and, without that, I won't be changing my tomato planting schedule (i.e. "oh ****, it's mid March and time to plant tomato seeds" )

LOL, I didn't think anything of it at first either. I didn't start out with a plan to test the theory either. Due to the rains, my garden ground was not ready until 2 weeks after my parent's garden had already been planted. I used the same tomato sets as they did from the same tray, same nursery. Same land maybe 50 feet distance between the 2 gardens. It just so happened my Mother asked me if I was waiting to plant my tomatoes "by the Moon". As it turned out the correct phase coincided with my transplants. And they did better.

Both gardens were tilled regularly. Both used miracle grow fertilizer sticks next to each plant. Neither was watered. And mine were better.

The only gain I could think of would be a slight increase in light. But as above it's been pointed out Moon light is only a small fraction as compared to that of the Sun. OK, I agree with that. Maybe transplanting by the correct Moon phase provides just enough light to keep the sets from going into "shock"? Thereby promoting healthier growth? I don't know if there's a valid scientific reason behind it or not, possibly it's just coincidence, but my tomatoes always do better now. It won't kill you to plant a couple of sets by the Moon along with your others to try it. You don't even have to tell anyone.
Chris B.

 

[ChrisBFRPKY]

If you read above a little bit you will find plenty of good answers to your woo belief.

The moon phase has nothing to do with it's distance (gravity effect) on the earth; but you do have an incling about what the real answer is. Namely that those planted too early don't do as well as those planted a bit later. Every (most) simpleton gardner knows when it is too early to plant, even if the moon phase is "right" (after all the phase will be right in mid winter too). So you wait for the next woo phase, which is later.

Got it?

I get that you think you have all the answers without ever having worked the problem. Timing may well come to play in an early garden, so please explain the late gardens and why the tomato plants also do better in those as well. ??????? Can you? I can't.
Chris B.

 

[ChrisBFRPKY]

So the only possible reason for your favorable observation is Moon phases? Not weather, temperature, biased observations without controls, different seeds, different soils, different exposure, insufficient samples, wishful thinking, not to mention random variations in outcome?

I don't know for certain why it works. I'll continue to use it for my tomatoes though. Regardless if it's "woo" or not, I think there's something to it. Though I don't know the answer, I'm not throwing it out the window because it seems to work for me.
Chris B.

 

[Elind]

I get that you think you have all the answers without ever having worked the problem. Timing may well come to play in an early garden, so please explain the late gardens and why the tomato plants also do better in those as well. ??????? Can you? I can't.
Chris B.

Huh?

The point is simply that planting too early is not good. What do you mean by "so please explain the late gardens and why the tomato plants also do better in those as well"?

Also do better than what? Do they (in some circumstances) do better than earlier?

 

[Ladewig]

LOL, I didn't think anything of it at first either. I didn't start out with a plan to test the theory either. Due to the rains, my garden ground was not ready until 2 weeks after my parent's garden had already been planted. I used the same tomato sets as they did from the same tray, same nursery. Same land maybe 50 feet distance between the 2 gardens. It just so happened my Mother asked me if I was waiting to plant my tomatoes "by the Moon". As it turned out the correct phase coincided with my transplants. And they did better.

Both gardens were tilled regularly. Both used miracle grow fertilizer sticks next to each plant. Neither was watered. And mine were better.

The only gain I could think of would be a slight increase in light. But as above it's been pointed out Moon light is only a small fraction as compared to that of the Sun. OK, I agree with that. Maybe transplanting by the correct Moon phase provides just enough light to keep the sets from going into "shock"? Thereby promoting healthier growth? I don't know if there's a valid scientific reason behind it or not, possibly it's just coincidence, but my tomatoes always do better now. It won't kill you to plant a couple of sets by the Moon along with your others to try it. You don't even have to tell anyone.
Chris B.

It is probably not even worth trying, but if you planted half your garden two weeks early and half your mother's garden two weeks early, and then planted the other halves at the right time, you wouldn't have a perfect science experiment, but you'd be a bit closer than comparing two gardens 50 feet apart.

It ain't no big thing. If you hold the belief that moon phases are useful in planting crops, it is not my place to talk you out of it.

ETA:
Just so I understand the concept, you plant your tomatoes on a different day every year and these planting days fall somewhere in a 28-day window, right?

 

[ChrisBFRPKY]

Huh?

The point is simply that planting too early is not good. What do you mean by "so please explain the late gardens and why the tomato plants also do better in those as well"?

Also do better than what? Do they (in some circumstances) do better than earlier?

There is an early garden planted usually around the Spring equinox, then some here plant a late garden. The late garden will go into the ground anytime prior to the 4th of July. (I'm at the 37th parallel in KY)

I can understand why some early garden plants could be chilled by a cool morning. That would mean those planted a couple of weeks later would not get that shock and perhaps would do better. But, when you add in a late garden, something planted well after the cool mornings are over, and those tomato plants that were planted by the Moon phase still do better, now what do we do?

There's either something to it, or it's quite a coincidence. Either way, I have better/bigger tomatoes when I plant on the new Moon. From what mumbo jumbo I was told, anytime the Moon is waxing is fine but for best results plant tomatoes on the date of the New Moon.

If you have a garden, plant as usual, then save a couple of tomato plants and plant those with the correct Moon phase and see what you think.
Chris B.

 

[ChrisBFRPKY]

It is probably not even worth trying, but if you planted half your garden two weeks early and half your mother's garden two weeks early, and then planted the other halves at the right time, you wouldn't have a perfect science experiment, but you'd be a bit closer than comparing two gardens 50 feet apart.

It ain't no big thing. If you hold the belief that moon phases are useful in planting crops, it is not my place to talk you out of it.

ETA:
Just so I understand the concept, you plant your tomatoes on a different day every year and these planting days fall somewhere in a 28-day window, right?

I've not tried it with anything other than tomatoes. I will be planting on the 17th of this month though. The rest of my late garden goes in the ground tomorrow (the 10th). I will plant a couple of tomato plants tomorrow and the rest on the 17th. I always do and the plants transplanted on the correct phase will do better. I know from past planting I will have red ripe tomatoes from those planted on the 17th before I have any from the 2 planted on the 10th. I realize it doesn't make sense.



Hilite portion. The correct phase for tomatoes is to transplant on the day of the New Moon.
Chris B.

 

[Ladewig]

Hilite portion. The correct phase for tomatoes is to transplant on the day of the New Moon.
Chris B.

but the new moon is on a different day each year, right? So your new-moon planting procedure means you plant on a different day every year and if you kept track of that date it would fall in a 28-day window, correct?

.......

Also, how do you know which new moon to plant on. Is it the sixth new moon of the year or something else?
.........

I realize it doesn't make sense.

lunacy seldom does.

 

[RedPillNeo]

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.

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

I know from research into indoor growing that certain plants are sensitive to photoperiod to trigger flowering, plants that need 12 hours of darkness to flower can be inhibited or slowed by a full moon. The photosensitive horomone (?) can be destroyed by even brief light, so whether by full moon or a flashlight played over the crop once during the dark period, light far dimmer than needed for photosynthesis can set back flowering by an entire night.

Not sure if seedlings have a similar mechanism at play for growth horomones rather than flowering horomones. Also consider the folly of letting the transplants become rootbound while waiting for the correct lunar cycle to plant in the ground.

 

[GlennB]

I know from research into indoor growing that certain plants are sensitive to photoperiod to trigger flowering, plants that need 12 hours of darkness to flower can be inhibited or slowed by a full moon. The photosensitive horomone (?) can be destroyed by even brief light, so whether by full moon or a flashlight played over the crop once during the dark period, light far dimmer than needed for photosynthesis can set back flowering by an entire night.

How did you make these observations about the moon when you were growing indoors? How would you know that playing a flashlight over the plants delayed flowering, as opposed to flowering just not being quite due at that time? A controlled experiment?

Additionally, a full moon is preceded and followed by a nearly-full-moon, so the exposure to moonlight is progressive (but still negligible). There's nothing very special about a full moon in terms of light. Oh, and if moonlight is the key factor, what happens when someone plants out their tomatoes at the right moon phase but during a lengthy cloudy spell?

It's woo.

 

[RedPillNeo]

How did you make these observations about the moon when you were growing indoors? How would you know that playing a flashlight over the plants delayed flowering, as opposed to flowering just not being quite due at that time? A controlled experiment?

It's woo.

This has been abundantly tested by indoor/outdoor cannabis growers. The initiation and progress of the flowering stage requires an uninterrupted 12 hour dark period. Crop yield and quality is adversely affected by photosynthetically irrelevant light levels and durations during this period. A full moon is reported to be bright enough to delay/affect flowering of outdoor crops.

Again, not sure if its relevant to the claim about when to plant tomatoes, I just wanted to point out a mechanism by which some plants are sensitive to low light levels. I'm an avid gardener of 'straight' plants, but I learned quite a bit about how plants grow from books about indoor cannabis cultivation than from 'straight' gardening books.

 

[ChrisBFRPKY]

but the new moon is on a different day each year, right? So your new-moon planting procedure means you plant on a different day every year and if you kept track of that date it would fall in a 28-day window, correct?

It falls on a different day yes. When using this practice you either watch the phases the Moon over a few days to determine if it's waxing or waning or now, most simply look it up on a lunar phase calendar online (At least that's what I do).

Also, how do you know which new moon to plant on. Is it the sixth new moon of the year or something else?
.........

I don't know anything about counting the specific number of Moon phases of the year for planting, only which phase to plant on or during. (tomatoes)

lunacy seldom does.

I agree.
Chris B.

 

[GlennB]

This has been abundantly tested by indoor/outdoor cannabis growers. The initiation and progress of the flowering stage requires an uninterrupted 12 hour dark period. Crop yield and quality is adversely affected by photosynthetically irrelevant light levels and durations during this period. A full moon is reported to be bright enough to delay/affect flowering of outdoor crops.

Again, not sure if its relevant to the claim about when to plant tomatoes, I just wanted to point out a mechanism by which some plants are sensitive to low light levels. I'm an avid gardener of 'straight' plants, but I learned quite a bit about how plants grow from books about indoor cannabis cultivation than from 'straight' gardening books.

Yes, photoperiodism is well known and works both ways when it comes to flowering. Some plants flower as spring approaches and some wait for autumn. But that the precise 12/12 cutoff can be disturbed by moonlight or even peeking with a flashlight is the wooish part " Natural nighttime light, such as moonlight or lightning, is not of sufficient brightness or duration to interrupt flowering." If this were untrue then certain flowering trees in urban environments that are subjected to street lights every night could never flower, ditto many back-garden flowering plants. And typical street lighting is a lot brighter than full moonlight (~20 lux vs ~0.5 lux)

 

[Ladewig]

It falls on a different day yes. When using this practice you either watch the phases the Moon over a few days to determine if it's waxing or waning or now, most simply look it up on a lunar phase calendar online (At least that's what I do).

I don't know anything about counting the specific number of Moon phases of the year for planting, only which phase to plant on or during. (tomatoes)

So, every year, you are looking at the lunar calendar in June?

 

[ChrisBFRPKY]

So, every year, you are looking at the lunar calendar in June?

Yes, June for the late garden and March/April for the early garden.
Chris B.