good friday, easter monday

[littlegem]

well, they're coming up.

What has everyone left to plant until these two days. and is it because of superstition?, old wives tales?, one of them things?, cos thats the way grandma did it?  the position of the moon? or just plain 'it works'?

answers on a post card please

[littlegem]

[CityChick]

I've been reading one of the books about gardening by the moon.  Not sure I'm a believer, but if nothing else it does help narrow down my choices of what to do each day when faced with oodles of seeds and plants all screaming "grow me, grow me, grow me now!!" ;D

AFAIK Friday is a flower day and Monday is a leaf day - so at least I'll only have to consider a quarter of all what needs doing on each of those days. Its the rules, everything else will just have to wait until another day ::) :P

[Curryandchips]

I will be the boring one, and state that I have a list of stuff that I expect to have planted by this time. That is based upon its time to crop, and expected temperatures for germination and growth, not upon any predetermined sayings about what should be planted when, although at the end of the day, these sayings etc were only a form of mnemonic.

Totally dull I know, but someone has to do it !

[DenBee]

Being quite new at this lark, I must admit that I hadn't realised the significance of Good Friday planting until the chap who has donated part of his allotment to us (and also my mum) informed me that I'm not to plant potatoes till after Good Friday.

And now I daren't.  ;D

[amanda21]

;D  This good friday easter monday lark is all well and good but I can't quite see how it works every year as it can be anything from mid March to mid April - and even though Easter is at its latest this year, the weather doesn't seem to know this!!   ::)

[Curryandchips]

Surely this is a historical/traditional thing? In earlier times, before we had diaries etc, the gardening calendar was linked to the religious one (thinking Christian - Saints Days etc), so that as the various days approached, rural people knew what had to be done during that period. I know this is still a practice across parts of Europe, and presumably applies to faiths other than Christian as well. In reality, the fact that Easter is a movable event does create problems for gardeners following this practice.

[supersprout]

Hey curry, I've always found the Easter dates to be a useful indicator of when the soil and weather will be ready for planting. I think this is because of the way the dates are calculated linked to the moon's phases.

Easter Day is roughly the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs next after the vernal equinox. The full moon involved is not the astronomical Full Moon but an ecclesiastical moon (determined from tables) that keeps roughly in step with the astronomical Moon. As people have already said, Easter is never before March 22 or later than April 25.

I agree Easter is a handy mental milestone, and there may also be more to it than meets the eye. Can it be complete coincidence that the 2006 growing season seems to be slow to start, and Easter is late? ::)

[markfield rover]

I was told to plant pots on Good Friday,because the Devil is busy elsewhere!shant
question it !!!!

[Common_Clay]

In earlier times, before we had diaries etc, the gardening calendar was linked to the religious one (thinking Christian - Saints Days etc), so that as the various days approached, rural people knew what had to be done during that period. I know this is still a practice across parts of Europe, and presumably applies to faiths other than Christian as well.

I was led to believe it had nothing particularly to do with religious faiths but because Good Friday was the first holiday for many people in the year and the first chance to get out there and sow their spuds.

:)

[Curryandchips]

I agree Easter is a handy mental milestone, and there may also be more to it than meets the eye. Can it be complete coincidence that the 2006 growing season seems to be slow to start, and Easter is late? ::)

Has there ever been any objective work done on germination against lunar cycles?

[supersprout]

Yes, see this:
http://www.biodynamic.org.uk/Evidence%20for%20Lunar%20Sideral%20%20Rhythms%20in%20Crop%20Yield%20An%20overview.pdf
If you're interested, http://www.biodynamic.org.uk is worth a look :D
Am pondering whether leeks are Leaf or Root ???

[CityChick]

My book has got leeks listed with garlic and onions as root plants...

[supersprout]

Whew thanks lisa! ;D ;D ;D
Which book please? :o :)

[Curryandchips]

Thank you supersprout, fascinating reading ... It does intrigue me though, last year I planted many rows of carrots spanning a 3 week period, and they all performed remarkably well. It may be that the data was skewed by other factors, I can't say.

[Common_Clay]

Hi Curry, (or anyone else!)

              Do you sow many rows of carrots? I'm never quite sure of the success rate or yield of a row, this being my first proper year of them, minus a a few autumn ones I got last year, but there weren't loads. I'm just stuck in my head of the sort of quantities I should be thinking of growing for three. So far I have three rows of early nantes 2 (about six foot long I think) and two rows of amersterdam forcing 3 for use as baby carrots. I'm planning on planting some more anyway, but how much more?!
Would really appreciate any advice. Thanks a lot in advance.

[Curryandchips]

Thanks for the interest Common Clay. Now is the time I consider sowing my carrots, which will essentially be my years crop. I will be planting a minimum of 9 rows of 6 metres each, sowed as thinly as I can manage. The sowings always end up germinating far too many carrots, so thinning becomes necessary. My first thinning will take place probably in June, when the carrots are about little finger size, and delicious served raw with mayonaise or aioli. The second thinning will take place a few weeks later (July), when the carrots are about large finger size, and served in the same way or lightly poached. The main crop will be lifted late (september onward) for freezing. I still have a carrier bag full of carrots in the freezer, together with french beans, broad beans, leeks, parsnips, beetroot and sweetcorn. And a bit of onion ...

PS I grow for a family of four ...

[CityChick]

Supersprout - I've got 2 books:

"Gardening for Life: the biodynamic way", by Maria Thun

and

"Gardening and Planting by the Moon, 2006", by Nick Kollerstrom

The first one covers the general principles of biodynamic gardening, the latter is more specific to this year and has a calendar listing what each day is supposed to be good for.  I'm using it like a diary and noting down what I did when.

[Common_Clay]

I will be planting a minimum of 9 rows of 6 metres each, sowed as thinly as I can manage.

That's a lot of carrots! Looks like I need to get my skates on then... thanks :)

[umshamrock]

Curry,

How do you freeze all those veggies? Do you boil for a few minutes first?

Thanks,
Shamrock

[Curryandchips]

Unshamrock, some people advocate blanching, I just freeze after washing and slicing.

Common Clay, yes, it appears a lot of carrots, but they are a fundamental part of our diet, so they will get eaten throughout the year.