Guytons Garden - Gardening by the moon

 

Robert Guyton writes from his forest garden in Riverton where he practices what he preaches – gardening-wise – and grows fruit, flowers and vegetables using nature as his guide.

Gardening by the moon
What a month to be starting to write a moon calendar for the Mangawhai Focus! If you're a moon-conscious gardener, you'll know that this month is special as it hosts a blue moon, which will be the second of two full moons in just the one month and that's pretty rare! This will be a treat for moon-watchers and gardeners and their children who will be delighted to learn that a moon can be blue, though it'll look the same colour as usual when they race outside on the night of the 31st for a look. Don't let that dissuade them from developing an interest in the moon though.

She's an influential globe and one to watch. The moon's face looks the same no matter what part of the country you view it from, unless you live in a region that is perennially shrouded in mist, fog or cloud, in which case you're going to have to pay close attention to your plants to understand what our closest celestial neighbour is doing.

The moon's influence changes as the month progresses and your gardening behaviour with it. In the early days of this month, coinciding with the first of the full moons set for July 2, there will be little to do in the garden.

Full moons mean no sowing, so keep the packets sealed and cultivate instead. Prepare your soil for later in the month when the moon's phases enter the first quarter and then you can sow to your heart's content, secure in the knowledge that the moon is supporting your actions, rather than thwarting them.

The first quarter phase doesn't begin until the 20th of the month, but until then there's plenty you can do.

On July 5 & 6, you can sow the seeds of root vegetables such as carrots and radishes.

If you're settled somewhere that collects frost or is cooler than other parts of the country, use cloches to pre-warm the soil before sowing.

From July 7 through to 12, prune. Apples especially, respond best to July pruning as do any berries or currants you've not yet trimmed and thinned. Burn those trimmings on a small and cheery fire and when cool, spread the ash thinly around your garden.

July 13 & 14 are another pair of auspicious days for sowing carrots, so take them if you're a lover of that colourful vegetable. Pre-cultivate deeply for long, straight roots.

The new moon phase begins on July 14 and lasts 6 days during which you'll feel your garden and your vitality rising in preparation for the prolific first quarter phase that runs from the 20th through to the end of the month. So take that pent-up gardening energy and expend it on sowing and transplanting everything that likes to start out life at this time of the year.

Dwarf tomatoes, already started indoors, can be planted out into soil that's naturally or cloche-assisted warm, as can French beans and sweet corn. In colder parts of the country, there will be a flurry of under-glass activity going on in order to get cold-sensitive plants started so that they'll have something to show off on the Christmas table, be they peas, potatoes or tomatoes. But Mangawhai gardeners might not have to bother with such under-cover behaviour, so blessed are you with a benign climate.

It's worth considering though, just how disruptive climate change is becoming and how traditional growing advantages are being lost or replaced. Just as it's wise to be looking to the moon for guidance on how and when to plant, so too is it sensible to be checking the climate trends for your region. You might be surprised by what's developing.

All the while, July's blue moon waits to close the month on the 31st. My suggestion for that special day? Celebrate. Have a blue-moon party and invite your gardening friends. If it's cold, choose mulled wine, cider or mead to warm your heart's cockles and write and share poems about the moon, as the ancient Chinese did.
 

The moon for July in brief n Full moon on the 2nd, full moon phase from the 1st to the 4th (5th and 6th good for sowing root crops). n First quarter from the 5th to the 12th, known as the "barren" period. Cultivate and prune (12th and 13th, sow more root crops.) n New moon phase from the 14th to the 19th with the new moon falling on the 16th. n First quarter phase from the 20th to the 28th and a very good time for sowing and planting. n Another full moon phase begins on the 30th, with the blue moon showing on the night of the 31st.