Why moon gardening doesn't "work"

& the line between science and spirit

Artist unknown, possibly “Maxine”

Despite what many people may think, I believe that science and spirit often go hand in hand. They both seek to get as close to the “source” of all things as possible. They have the ability to instill a sense of awe and curiosity about the world around and within us. Both help us find purpose and meaning in a chaotic world. If we choose to really look, we can see how they actually compliment each other.

But for those who can’t find the capacity to walk that tightrope between beliefs, the other side is either ignored or demeaned. Gardening by the moon is one of those divisive topics.

On one hand, you have thousands of years of experience from cultures all over the world who worked with the moon to grow crops. People whose lives literally depended on a good harvest. People who didn’t have time to engage in practices that didn’t produce results. We have the Farmer’s Almanac which still includes best planting times in accordance with the moon. Then there are all of the intricate relationships science has unveiled in regards to ocean tides, land tides, and cosmic tides.

On the other hand, we have the scientific community who have performed very few studies on moon gardening. In fact, I couldn’t find any recent studies at all. Rather, scientists use mathematical calculations by way of explaining why moon gardening could never work:

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“(i) the Moon’s gravity on the Earth cannot have any effect on the life cycle of plants due to the fact that it is 3.3×10−5 ms−2, almost 300,000 times lower that the Earth’s gravity; (ii) since all the oceans are communicated and we can consider their size being the size of the Earth, the Moon’s influence on the tides is 10−6 ms−2, but for a 2m height plant such value is 3×10−13 ms−2 and, therefore, completely imperceptible; (iii) the Moon’s illuminance cannot have any effect on plant life since it is, at best, 128,000 times lower than the minimum of sunlight on an average day; (iv) the rest of possible effects of the Moon on the Earth (e.g., magnetic field, polarization of light) are non-existent.”

{From What Has Been Thought and Taught on the Lunar Influence on Plants in Agriculture? Perspective from Physics and Biology}

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So instead of performing any actual trials on the practice, they explain it away with numbers. The variability moon gardening presents is dangerous in the realm of science and was therefore labeled as pseudoscience. While this encompasses the feelings of most of the scientific community, there are those who don’t agree. Dr. William Johnson, a horticulturist who did his PhD on plant pathology has a more open minded view:

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“I find that condemning an age-old practice which has not been undoubtedly proven or disproved is risky and foolish.”

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The one study I did find, conducted by the Agricultural Research Service in Iowa, actually confirmed that tilling soil and weeding plants during the fourth quarter or on a new moon is beneficial. This was due to the lowest amount of light reflected back to the earth by the moon, resulting in low weed seed germination.

So even though the first study quoted above claims the moon’s illuminance has no effect whatsoever on the earth or plant life, this real trial-based study proves otherwise. (It is also abundantly clear by the tone in the first study that the researchers already hold quite the bias against the practice. They continuously say things throughout the paper such as: “We are concerned about the insidious spread of pseudo-scientific ideas”. Why they are so terrified about people gardening by the moon, I still can’t comprehend). What else could we be missing by dismissing the practice so quickly?

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The problem with solely relying on spirit is the risk of being blinded to the physical realities of the world. The problem with relying solely on science is that we miss the intricate nuances of the intangible. There is just so much we don’t know. Like with any two-sided debate in life, living solely in either camp limits the growth of our perspective immensely.

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The variable scientists don’t consider in the few studies they’ve performed is the relationship between moon, gardener, and plant. When performed in a sterile lab setting or run through calculators, there is no singing to the soil, no intention of love behind each task, no bridge being created between soil and stars. That is our role as gardeners after all, to be a medium or a channel for creation.

In my mind, moon gardening is akin to the medicine of flower essences or the philosophy of the Doctrine of Signatures. The person performing the task is just as important to the outcome as the nuts and bolts of a practice.

This is the key to the entire practice. People new to moon gardening think it’s about calculating the perfect time to perform each task in accordance with the moon. While this is the framework that helps us move into this sort of rhythm, it is the connections we forge above and below that make the difference. The abundance, resilience and vibrancy we can achieve by moon gardening isn’t a result of doing all the right tasks on the exact “right” moon phase or star sign. It is a result of building that relationship, of becoming the bridge between stars and soil.

Because the truth is, plants will grow under any moon phase if given the right conditions. It is what they do. But that extra element we instill by bringing the moon’s influence into the equation boosts the entire garden ecosystem. Perhaps this is due to the gardener’s increased awareness of their place in the universe that observing these cycles brings. Or maybe it is the effect of all of these subtle tides within the waters, land, and air that culminate when the moon is just right. Maybe it is something else entirely.

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But those who garden by the moon don’t do it for the physical results, these are just a bonus. We do it because it feels right, because we can feel how the land is still connected to what is beyond the sky. It brings us balance. It brings us into relationship with something ancient, unnamable, and bigger than ourselves. Plus when the plants perform a bit better, are a bit hardier, a bit juicier, more potent, stay fresh longer, we smile quietly and keep singing.

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What scientists don’t understand is that we would never claim that moon gardening is a hard science. We can use elements of science to dive deeper into these relationships, but moon gardening is a spiritual practice first and foremost. It is fitting ourselves into the wider web at work. It is acknowledging we don’t just belong to the earth, we also belong to the stars.

So no, moon gardening doesn’t “work”. It would have to operate or function in a systematic way to fit this definition. It is much wider and deeper than any mathematical concept.

The beauty of this revelation is that the practice doesn’t need to be perfect. I hear many people who start off with moon gardening can get overwhelmed. The Lunica Planner is a great place to start or deepen the practice. And while there is plenty of guidance throughout, I tell them they really can’t get it wrong because it doesn’t move in that way. The sections of the planner for notes, suggestions, spaces to observe and reflect, are more of a guide, a gentle nudge to look up, a place to foster those relationships, rather than a stringent prescription.

What I say is to instead focus on connection over perfection. When you do this, the stars and the soil will move to meet you in the middle.

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If you want to move deeper into a seasonal land-based life, consider ordering my 2024 edition of the Lunica Planner. Because learning to live in tune with the land doesn’t come from grand gestures or life-altering shifts, but rather from daily routines, devotions and observations of the land and how we relate to it.

Lunica was created to be a gardener’s almanac and planner, complete with lunar gardening guides, record keeping, recipes, essays, and plenty of space to journal, plan and reflect.

Purchasing a planner also helps support this publication!

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