I've been doing some experimentation with moon planting this year. In January I sowed my 'ring of fire' chilli seeds using the moon planting cycle. I consulted Gydion McPagan's moon planting guide. Gwydion said that anything other than root crops can be planted from two days before new moon to three days before full. So, as they were not root crops I sowed them as the moon was beginning to wax. They germinated very quickly, I think in just over a week, and I had 100 percent germination. Unfortunately I moved them outside too early, and they perished in the frost.
It was a little too late to do another sowing, but I did anyway, in early March. These seeds took three weeks to germinate, and I only had three come up out of about 8 seeds sown. The only other difference besides the moon phase was the first batch had the benefit of my Dad's heated propagator. Perhaps that is more significant than moon phase! I'll have to try again next year without a propagator.
The most recent sowings I did were totally contra moon phase, as I had left it a bit late to sow and couldn't risk waiting another two weeks for the correct phase. They all did very well, and germinated at much the same rate and with the same percentage as the first batch of chilli seeds.
I need to do some more experiments to really be clear about whether it makes any difference, but thats good because I enjoy experimental gardening most of all.
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