Following the moon
February 25, two weeks ago was a beautiful red Full Moon.
It was a good day to germinate plants. I was handed a heating pad and thermometer to start pepper and tomato seeds for Madhava Gosh and myself. At my in laws’ house they have a stand with grow lights built in. Perfect for starting seeds.
Peppers like a warm soil, from 80-90 F, and tomatoes a little less 70-80. The heating pad fits two trays, which take 10 seed starting containers. Once you start the pad, it’s best to fill up all the space in the trays with soil so you don’t lose heat. Therefore I decided to start as many as possible of the other seeds that I had. Some flowers, a few herbs and perennials for the my home garden, as well as the Deity Garden.
I planted some the last day of February, which is 10 weeks from the last frost date here in Moundsville, WV. Which means, I will have to transplant these seedlings to cell flats, then to small or medium pots where they can grow and harden off, before going into the ground in Mid May. Or they will get a bigger pot, if they are to be grown inside the greenhouse, like some of my tomatoes.
Some of these seeds, I know are very unlikely to succeed. They have specific needs that can be hard to care of. There are some seeds that have been sitting in a drawer for a few years. Others we just got them in the mail, but only 2 out 20 sprouted!
Like the old timers, I try to be in sync with earths natural cycles. Sun, Moon, Stars. For my daily spiritual routine, sadhana, I follow the sun. For my garden, I consciously make an effort to follow the moon. The astros complicate things even more, so I don’t give too much thought to it, yet.
Sunday the 10th we sprang our clocks forward an hour. A sign of spring to come. Monday the 11th is the New Moon, good time to germinate or sow vegetables and annuals that produce above ground. Around 1st quarter moon is when spring officially starts.
Next full moon is the most auspicious Gaura Purnima. Thanks and praises to the Lord for his mercy upon us!
Most of the sprouts have sprouted and will soon be ready to be transplanted into flats.
Prunella, Brugmansia, Datura, Sacabiosa, Coreopsis, Marigold, for the Deity garden, Peppers and Tomatoes, for myself and Ghosh, and Coriander, Arugula, Spinach for my garden have sprouted.
