Tag: vegetables

Sow seeds of leafy greens after 17th October

Sow seeds of leafy greens after 17th October

Sow seeds of leafy greens in the week after the new moon on the Saturday 17th October 2020.

Best days for sowing leafy greens are said to be Sunday 18th and Monday 19th October 2020 then again  Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd October  2020 [here in New Zealand].

Orange tree with endive crop

We are moving into warmer times as summer arrives. Leafy greens are best in semi-shade now as they bolt to seed in strong sun. And they need constant moisture to stay tender so keep a watch on soil moisture around them [I poke a finger into the soil and feel if its moist or not].

It’s good to sow new batches often so there are more growing leaves when previous crops are making flowers and seeds instead.

I will sow seeds throughout the week of

  • Lettuce – I’ll sow a number of varieties so hopefully some will do well no matter what the weather does this year – hot/dry/cold/wet.
  • Silver-beet [including rainbow chard/ bright light beets – the ones with vibrant colored stems – so stunning to see in a garden]
  • Rocket [Arugula] 
  • Asian greens – maybe mizuna.
  • New Zealand Spinach – ours is self-seeding so I’ll look see if there are little, new ones growing. It’s OK cooked [needs 2 changes of boiling water to draw out and minimize the oxalic acid content – in the same way that adult forms of true spinach and silver-beet also need]

     Hot-climate ‘greens’ including:

All grow more strongly in warmer weather than do lettuce or silver-beet. Most also grow far taller than lettuce. Do some research. Have a go with something different too.

Red Orach seedling
Magenta Spreen seedling

Summer is a challenging time to have traditional leafy greens grow well – they much prefer cooler weather.

When the weather warms up lettuce etc bolt to seed fast and produce fewer leaves which easily go bitter. When stressed, they stop making leaves and make flowers and seeds instead.

To encourage leafy greens to grow leaves instead of bolting to seed,

  • keep them well-watered 
  • Keep the soil moist and the leaves dry – a challenge for us! When the leaves stay wet they can go slimy or grow rust – not nice.
  • If you water from above, check the sun won’t shine onto the leaves while wet as the droplets focus the sun’s rays and can burn tender leaves.
  • give the plants filtered shade from hot sun – either by taller plants or by shade cloth coverings.
  • Check them daily [especially lettuce with its small, shallow root system]
  • pick individual leaves for salads and cooked greens
  • sow/plant a new batch each week for a continuous supply so we have some growing well even when previous lots are going to seed.

This is a time when I grow excess plants as some will be growing leaves when others are bolting – its all just the cycle of the plant’s life and I work with it as much as possible.

We usually manage to have greens available each day – often heaps! So nice.

Best wishes and enjoy the warm weather in your garden!
Heather

—

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at  http://gardenate.com

PPS

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING, plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

—

—

Take time out from sowing seeds until after the 17th October

Take time out from sowing seeds until after the 17th October

It’s time-out from sowing seeds from Saturday 10th October until after the dark of the moon on Saturday 17th October 2020. 

This is a good time to rescue broccoli, cauli, cabbage, kale, and relatives from the white butterfly caterpillar damage instead.

Cover seedlings with insect mesh houses so the butterflies can’t reach the leaves. Or,

Make some white butterfly decoys to save your crops of cauliflowers, broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc [all the brassica family which the caterpillars love to munch on – and leave eggs, grubs, holes and waste!] These are so much fun – and we like our food un-attacked.

20171011_152813

And this 6 sec video shows ours dancing in the breeze – lovely.

For a ‘walk-through’ of making your decoys, here’s how we did it.

This is also a time to

  • Prepare garden beds for planting
  • either stake plants you wish to keep for seed production [for next year’s crops], and label them so no other gardeners in your plot clean them out and lose them for you.
  • or remove the bolting plants [like the beet stalks above]to free up space for new crops and make compost with them
  • Collect items such as bird-net, pegs, snail deterrent/bait/traps so your efforts planting will be able to survive the animals/birds/weather
  • Plan your next seed sowing, your garden layout, or crop rotation to minimize pest and diseases.

As the moon nears its smallest visible ‘dark of the moon’ phase, this time is associated with spindly, weak growth – wait a week or so [and when the ground is warm!] and do some of these alternatives instead.

May you and your garden flourish
Heather

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at http://gardenate.com

PPS:

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING, plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

 —

Sow seeds of below-ground crops after 2nd October

Sow seeds of below-ground crops after 2nd October

Root crops to sow now could include carrots, beetroot, radish, parsnip and similar.

Recommended best days for planting seeds to grow great root crops are

  • Sunday October 4th 2020 through to Tuesday 6th
  • and again Friday Oct 9th 2020.

Often planting charts talk generally of sowing these seeds during the week after the full moon on Friday 2nd October 2020, as it appears to get smaller.

This is a great time to start sowing heaps of root veg for maturing later and storing.

Carrots!

This is a good time for us to actually get them to grow if the ground is still moist here in Auckland.

Germination can be erratic and carrot seeds are tiny so are best planted just at the surface with a very thin covering of fine soil. Which means they dry out quickly too so keep a close eye on them and nurture the babies well so they grow good roots for later.

Some people like to cover the sown seeds with protection from drying out. Hessian, newspaper, boards and whatever is available can work well. Do keep a close eye on the seed bed and remove these covers when the tiny sprouts appear – they need light to grow. Without light they grow lank and spindly – and are loved by pests.

Aren’t the ferny fronds of carrot leaves so delicate compared to the fleshy root we eat? This patch has garlic, carrots and beetroot. Which are invisible below the ground. We never quite know what the harvest will be like, so a sense of adventure and optimism always helps explorations.

We ‘mix and match’ different plants for diversity, pest minimization, and just for the fun of it.

Here the carrots are paired with garlic [taller spikes of leaves at the back] in the hope that the stronger garlic smell will cover the scent of carrots which attract carrot fly [which eat the roots].

These are ‘Egmont Gold‘ carrots which were said to be more resistant to these pests than other varieties in trials carried out by friends. Worth a try.

20170528_154908

Do we plant tubers such as potatoes or sweet potato [kumera] now?

This is late for us to plant potatoes [we plant them to crop before the psyllid bugs are out in force when the weather warms up]. If you plant now, maybe a mesh cover could protect them?

Kumera  likes heat so choose a warm site or they would like a ‘mini hot-house’ over the green shoots for protection still.

These kumera were sprouted on the kitchen bench. The shoots were cut off well above the tuber [so no disease was included] then placed into a jar of water to see the tiny new roots form. I find it amazing each time I see such wonderful growth which is usually invisible in the soil – roots astonish me with how fast they can grow!

For more about our kumera growing experiments, here’s a previous post.

kumera [sweet potato] slips in a jar of water – day 3 growing roots

We will also plant

Beetroot  Eg, this is ‘chiogga’ which grows alternating layers in circles of pink and white flesh. Sweet and very nice.

20160924_121549

Beetroot seed is really a group of seeds joined together so they tend to grow in a clump.

Often directions say to thin out the smaller seedlings to leave the bigger one to grow.

We leave them all to grow usually, until one root is big enough to pick, remove it, and leave the smaller ones to grow bigger. Less effort and easier all round. Mostly it works.

Daikon radish is a long Asian variety

20160927_172201

Young ones like this are a tasty addition to stir-fries or curries or soups or casseroles.

We eat the white root part – nicest when small as older ones can get strong-tasting. The green leaves are also edible and treasured in some Asian cooking.

Said to be great support for liver function – so I think that means it helps our liver deal with all the variety of other chemicals it processes – everything from food and drink to contaminants in these or in the air or water we consume. Seems a simple way to support our well-being so we try different options.

We also use them also for loosening heavy soil [aka the clay of the suburban yard where we live]. The bonus is also getting a harvest to eat.

May you and your garden flourish
Heather

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at  http://gardenate.com

PPS

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING, plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

—

Plant leafy greens after 17th September – and save some for seeds for next year’s crops

Plant leafy greens after 17th September – and save some for seeds for next year’s crops

Useful info for planting seeds to produce great crops of leafy greens:

Best phase of the moon is the week after the dark of the moon on Thursday 17th September 2020.

Best days are

  • Friday 18th September through to Monday 21st September 2020.

Leafy greens grow best in cooler, moister conditions. Sometimes we are lucky about this time of year. We have lots of varieties to choose from so now is a time for quick-maturing ones and heat-resistant varieties too. Those planted now will mature in warmer weather so keep an eye on them.

Watch out for a short hot spell which sends them to seed. Get ready to harvest leaves [they keep in the fridge for some days].

If it gets warm, well, that’s great for other crops so when we lose the lettuces we gain great tomatoes, pumpkins and zucchinis etc. So, for me, its all in how I look at the situation. We also grow mizuna, magenta spreen and other greens to fill the gaps.

When the leafy greens do bolt to flower and seed, that’s a great time to save yourself some well-adapted seeds which can regrow next season.

Plants which have grown well, producing abundant leaves over a long time – your best performers – are prime ones to save seeds from. Choose which now.

Choose the best performers and give them a  stake for support. As well as supporting the tall growth, the stake helps us remember to keep that plant for seed [and tells enthusiastic helpers to leave it alone!]

Could little lettuces, parsley, endive or silver-beet plants really need a stake?

They shoot up and up and up – as tall as me. And then blow over in strong winds; onto any other plants nearby. Not so good. Strong stakes support them and give an attachment point to confine their expansive spreading ways!

20141225_171548
Red-stemmed silver-beet and parsley flowering and seeding – 1.5 m tall and still going up!

How do we choose which plants to allow to seed and which not?

Here are the factors we use for saving leafy greens seeds:

And

If we left the first plants to shoot up and seed, we are selecting for a shorter season of the leaves we like – hmmm.

Each garden is a unique little environment of its own – no two are the same.

Saving your own high-quality seed gives you a huge advantage next season in the garden which grew the seed!

Consider the whole life-cycle when you are choosing which plants to let flower and seed. There’s more about what to look for in this post.

Saving seeds is a wonderful adventure where we can experiment – and you never know when you will get wonderful types just right for you and your garden.

For a note about cross-pollination, see this important information

Pollen of one variety can cross-pollinate other similar types so it’s well worth finding which you need to be careful with.

Have a great time saving your very own seeds. For more about saving leafy green seed, here’s the post again.

May you and your garden flourish!
Heather

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at  http://gardenate.com

PPS

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING, plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

—

Take time out from sowing seeds until after the 17th September

Take time out from sowing seeds until after the 17th September

Take time out from sowing seeds from Thursday 10th September until after the dark of the moon on Thursday 17th September 2020. 

As the moon nears its smallest visible ‘dark of the moon’ phase, this time is associated with spindly, weak growth – wait a week or so [and when the ground is warm!].

Maybe give some protection to anything still growing which likes some shelter from wind and rain. Plastic tunnels are very handy at this time.

Also,

  • Prepare garden beds for Spring planting
  • Collect items such as plastic covers, bird-net, pegs, snail deterrent/bait/traps so your efforts planting will be able to survive the animals/birds/weather
  • Plan your next seed sowing, your garden layout, or crop rotation to minimize pest and diseases.

May you and your garden flourish
Heather

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at http://gardenate.com

PPS:

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING, plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

 —

Plant for strong root growth after 2nd September

Plant for strong root growth after 2nd September

Here in New Zealand, it’s good to sow seeds for strong root growth next week [which is after the full moon on Monday 14th September 2019].

  • Especially good on Thursday 3rd and again on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th September 2020.

The ground is warming up, especially in pockets with a warmer micro-climate. They are worth finding so you can get an earlier start to the new season growth.  We’ve had good rains here in Auckland, and this is a great time to sow some root crops!

I might sow some more

  • daikon radish – larger seeds can be sown deeper so will stay more moist. The white root is great to eat. Some people use the top green leaves too.20160927_172201
  • beetroot – ‘seed’ is a largish cluster of seeds so can also be planted deeper.  ‘Bulls blood’ or ‘Detroit red’ are some tried and true heritage varieties we use. We also like ‘chiogga’ with it’s alternating circles of red and white – stunning looking sometimes!

Beetroot 31 12 2016

  • carrots

It’s a delight when we do grow carrots. The tiny seeds need to be planted close to the surface and kept moist.  Hot sun dries them out quickly – and they die fast. Maybe it’s still early enough in Spring that the ground is moist and the sun just warm rather than hot?

20170528_154908

It’s best to sow carrot seeds directly in the ground as they dislike root disturbance being transplanted [they are very likely to bolt straight to seed and make no root for us to eat].

Why do carrots so often make odd-shaped roots?  When the ground is

  • hard,
  • clay,
  • rocky,
  • too rich with compost/manures/fertilizer.

The delicate seedlings are programmed to send roots downwards. As they grow down, when tiny roots contact hard spots [like rocks], they go round and grow more options [= forked roots]. They also avoid anything too rich in nutrients for the rootlets to process.

PS Seeds like ‘real’ water – preferably rain. Otherwise the nearest is tank water of stored rain. Then maybe bore water, last treated water from a mains supply.

One older gardener we knew would place all sorts of containers outside to catch the rain to water her seedlings. She used all sorts from teapots on – she also grew great veg!

—

May you and your garden flourish
Heather

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at  http://gardenate.com

PPS

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING, plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

—

Sow seeds for fruits and flowers before 2nd September

Sow seeds for fruits and flowers before 2nd September

In Auckland, even though the days are getting longer,  the ground is cold and there is little we sow in the open yet. Even putting seedlings into cold ground is not very successful as they are not happy to grow in the cold ground.

This is a time to sow under shelter, in hot-houses, tunnel-houses, conservatories, or inside somewhere with good light and warmth. A heat-pad [often sold at pet stores to keep pets warm] gives bottom heat needed by some seeds to germinate.

Has the Spring flush begun at your place yet? Some years it may, some not so much just yet. When lawns grow faster than they can be mowed, plants seem to shoot into the air! A joy to watch them grow.

It’s time to sow seeds for fruits and flowers this week – best on

  • Friday 28th August through to mornig of Sunday 30th August 2020 [here in New Zealand]

Before the full moon on Wednesday 2nd September 2020. 

So, what could we plant this week?

Start tomato seeds, and capsicum, eggplant [aubergine], chilies – from the amazing solanaceae family – if you can continue their growth in warmth until November when seedlings could be planted outside and the ground has warmed up. Pots in a hot house or under a plastic bag in a sheltered spot on a patio/deck?

Zucchini, pumpkins, cucumbers and similar maybe can begin now too?

Broccoli too.

Flowers!

May you and your garden flourish
Heather

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at  http://gardenate.com

PPS

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING [even just sprouts on the window-sill], plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

—

Plant leafy greens after 19th August

Plant leafy greens after 19th August

Woo hoo, Spring is nearly here! So good to think warmer weather is coming after winter’s cold. Hibernation time for us and for plants is nearly ended so time to get thinking what we’d like to plant and sow ready for the Spring flush when new growth just shoots up!

It’s still not quite time in our garden in Auckland NZ as the open ground is too cold for much success sowing seeds and planting there. It’s a good time to put a plastic tunnel over a piece of ground to warm it up for sowing leafy seeds soon. This is a time to sow into punnets for transplanting when the seedlings are strong and the ground is warmer.

Sow seeds for leafy greens now if you have

  • a hot-house,
  • tunnel-house,
  • conservatory or
  • warm, bright window

7-100_7144

Best times for planting seeds of greens?

After the new moon on Wednesday 19th August 2020 [which always gives the possibility of a new beginning] is the best week to plant for lush leafy greens.

The best days are Saturday 22nd August through to Tuesday 25th September 2020 [here in New Zealand].

In Auckland the weather is cold and the ground is cold and wet.

If you already have leafy greens growing, do keep in mind that snails and slugs love tender greens! Check your growing crops and protect them from these beasties which can devastate tender plants.

We surround seedlings with a protective barrier where possible. These ones have been reused over and over so I am happy with them. We also use an assortment of cut-down plastic containers to surround seedlings.

20171021_120356

They also do better when protected from too much rain – a plastic house or cover really helps.

20180709_115243

20171010_172138

20171010_172131

[And – why do self-seeded ones prefer to grow in the path rather than the garden bed! ]

20180423_171705

May you and your garden flourish!
Heather

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at  http://gardenate.com

PPS

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING, plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

—

Take time out from sowing seeds until after the 19th August

Take time out from sowing seeds until after the 19th August

Take time out from sowing seeds from Wednesday 12th August until after the dark of the moon on Wednesday 19th August 2020. 

As the moon nears its smallest visible ‘dark of the moon’ phase, this time is associated with spindly, weak growth – wait a week or so [and when the ground is warm!].

Also,

  • Maybe give some protection to anything which likes shelter from frost, wind or rain. Some bamboo canes, poly-pipe, plastic sheet and bird-netting to hold it all together in strong winds works well. We peg the netting down to the ground with weed-mat wire pegs or loop it round nails in raised bed edges.
  • read up on this next season and seed types to plant for success – they all have their favorite times.
  • prepare beds to grow GREAT crops of your favorite veg or fruit when the time is right.
  • Plan your next seed sowing, your garden layout, or crop rotation to minimize pest and diseases.

May you and your garden flourish
Heather

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at http://gardenate.com

PPS:

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING, plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

 —

Sow seeds for fruits, flowers and seeds before 4th August

Sow seeds for fruits, flowers and seeds before 4th August

In Auckland, even though the days are getting longer,  the ground is cold and there is little we sow in the open now. Even putting seedlings into cold ground is not very successful as they are not happy to grow in the cold ground.

This is a time to sow under shelter, in hot-houses, tunnel-houses, conservatories, or inside somewhere with good light and warmth. A heat-pad [often sold at pet stores to keep pets warm] gives bottom heat needed by some seeds to germinate.

It’s time to sow seeds for fruits and flowers this week – best on

  • Tuesday 28th July pm and Wednesday 29th July, then again
  • Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August 2020. [here in New Zealand]

Before the full moon on Tuesday 4th August 2020. 

So, what could we plant this week?

Start tomato seeds, and capsicum, eggplant [aubergine], chilies – from the amazing solanaceae family – if you can continue their growth in warmth until November when seedlings could be planted outside and the ground has warmed up. Pots in a hot house or under a plastic bag in a sheltered spot on a patio/deck?

Not an easy time to succeed in growing much yet. Patience is better and learn about requirements for plants you want to grow so you give them great conditions and they can reward you well.

May you and your garden flourish
Heather

PS

For more ideas about what to sow and when in NZ, have a look at  http://gardenate.com

PPS

For more about planting by the  moon phases,

If you like experiments about when to plant for best results, a great one is to plant the same seeds in rows right beside each other [so all other conditions are identical], and label the rows with the date of planting. Then sow seeds from 1 packet at weekly intervals, each week in a new row.

This way you can see how the recommendations for best/worst seed sowing outcomes from moon-planting guides work for you. Maybe they do, and maybe they don’t.

I enjoy experimenting with such ideas – and if only I can rescue the rows from the snails and black-birds, I might even get some results to share!

Here’s a post I wrote about planting by the moon phases if you like more information and reflections on it.

Moon planting guides remind me to plant SOMETHING [even just sprouts on the window-sill], plan a little, and help me have a continuous supply!

—