Rob Guyton - Growing gardens after dark

 

Up and down the country, spring is trying her best to bring the plant world back to life following the winter break. She's finding it easier in some parts than in others; Southland is delaying her progress with almost relentless rains while the east coasts of both islands seem determined to dry out the new spring growth before it gets a chance to thrive.

The springtime is often mixed and messy, but somehow we – the gardeners and their plants, farmers and their lambs and calves – get through it intact and ready to make the most of summer heat and light. Seeds are sown now, in anticipation of crops of all sorts and it's at this time that temperature – air and soil – is so important. The rains of the south are keeping soil temperatures down and pasture growth back, while further north seeds are sprouting quickly, provided moisture is kept to them.

Warm showers please
Tunnel houses are coming into their own as the seeds of tomatoes, capsicum, aubergines and cucumbers get growing. But along with an awareness of temperature and moisture levels, information about the moon and her influence helps the seed sower greatly in getting a full strike from any packet of seed.

The remaining days of September are, in the first part, perfect for sowing indoors and out. If there's no rain to ignite the enzymes inside of the seeds you've put into the ground and start the production of their roots and shoots, you'll have to provide it through hose or rose – watering can rose that is – and keep the water to them when they do strike. Drying out is the bane of any seed or young seedling. Use warmed rainwater if you can. Neither seeds nor seedlings enjoy a cold shower.

Moon guides sowing
Once the 27th day of the months rolls around, it's time to take a break from sowing and instead cultivate some soil in preparation for the next time the moon's phase dictates another round of sprinkling seed about. At this point, inquisitive Mangawhai Focus readers will be asking themselves ‘how does the moon affect the growth of plants? What is the process by which a satellite of the earth can influence the tiniest of terrestrial organisms, seeds?’

The answer is simple and complex, transparent and opaque. When the moon is closer to the earth and fully lit, two significant things happen. The gravitational pull from the celestial body is stronger and draws water toward the moon. The tides are testament to that power. Water inside of the cells of animals and plants too, feel the attraction and respond to it. Moisture in the soil of our gardens is drawn upward in the same way, bringing it close to the surface where our carefully sown seeds are lying and they benefit as a result.

Sunshine and moonlight
The more plentiful light reflected by the face of the moon down onto our gardens has a powerful effect also upon the plants we are nurturing. Sunshine during the day is one thing, but an extra dose of reflected sunlight throughout the night boosts plant growth by extending light-hours significantly. Compared to a black night, a moonlit one is an active time for plants, especially those that are very young. As September draws to a close, and the moon is full, her effect is too strong for the very young seedlings, so holding off sowing that might be affected by the full moon is both wise and traditional.

Best moon phase
October begins with a small window of opportunity for sowing the seeds of root crops such as carrots and parsnips, but only on the 2nd and 3rd, after which a "barren period" of five days puts pay to any plans for further sowing. The 9th and 10th provide another brief chance to put down a second root crop sowing, before the new moon arrives with her rising vitality and requirement to get garden jobs that don't involve seeds or seedlings, done.

You can cultivate at this time, weed with confidence and feed your already-growing plants with the liquid feeds of your choice. Side dressings of home-made compost are greatly appreciated by plants over this period. The morning of the 17th day of October heralds the start of the best phase of the moon, according to active and enthusiastic gardeners – the First Quarter period that provides opportunity for all of the planting a gardener could wish for. That phase lasts 9 days and should exhaust the fittest gardener, if used to the fullest.

In the next edition, I'll describe what that might mean with regard to the season, which by then will be well advanced.


When the moon is closer to the earth and fully lit, two significant things happen…