Broomsedge bluestem, Andropogon virginicus – At the Farm, Mae’s Meadow
“The old-time gardeners say, “With the waxing of the moon, the earth exhales. ” When the sap in the plants rise, the force first goes into the growth above ground. Thus, you should do all activities with plants that bear fruit above ground during a waxing moon. With the waning of the moon, the earth inhales. Then, the sap primarily goes down toward the roots. Thus, the waning moon is a good time for pruning, multiplying, fertilizing, watering, harvesting, and controlling parasites and weeds.” Ute York
For me, I LOVE learning different points of view – especially if it improves my gardening and herbal skills!
The Harvest Moon for Gardeners and Herbalists
The Fall Full Moon’s name is inspired by nature and agriculture. This full moon got its name because it helped farmers with the harvest. There’s a shorter time gap between moonrises each day so the moon comes up and provides light before the light of the day fully fades. Today’s full moon is at 5:05 pm, EST.
Why is the full moon important to gardeners?
The amount of moonlight at different times influences the growth of plants.After the full moon, the moonlight decreases, putting energy into the plant roots.At this time, the above ground leaf growth slows down. So this becomes a favorable time to plant your flowering bulbs, biennial and perennial flowers, and vegetables that bear crops below ground (such as onions, carrots, and potatoes) during the waning of the Moon—from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again.
Why is the full moon important to herbalists and medicinal gardeners?
This is the ideal time for harvesting below the ground: the roots of plants. The moon is pushing energies and chemical constituents down and inwards into the roots.Making herbal medicines during the full moon tends to create a strong balanced (think well rounded) energy. For preparations, it is the ideal time to store the herbs you have been drying. The energies are being “pushed inwards” and are ready for storage or final preparations. The time from Full Moon to New Moon is a time for “warding and loosing”. This is a good time to make or take preparations such as detoxifying herbs or herbs to loose or remove anything unwanted such as weight, stress, and toxins.
Various online and biodynamic resources, especially the Farmer’s Almanac