Moon/Non-Moon Garlic Trial

[zazen999]

Results are complete.

For those that weren't following...

I sowed 5 cloves of garlic on a moon day, and followed several days later with 5 cloves on a non moon day.

There were 4 sets sown during Sept, Oct, Nov and Dec/Jan. I was planning 5 but on the non-moon day the ground was frozen so I discounted the paired moon sowing [I didn't harvest on the right day or weigh it at the end].

I can't put tables in here, but the results are all on my Blog.

so, to summarise the results

Sept sown, moon increase in weight was 223% and non moon was 169%
Oct sown, moon increase in weight was 440% and non moon was 382%
Nov sown, moon increase in weight was 1479% and non moon was 1264%
Dec/Jan sown, moon increase in weight was 2954% and non moon was 1386%

All cloves were in the ground for 6 months and taken out on the correct day.

A non-moon day is a leaf day, and I used the Moon Planting Guide in my link below.

All cloves were planted side by side, with 4 inches between each clove. There were 2 beds next to each other with a cane to distinguish which was which. The cloves were counted so that number 1 was nearest the centre cane and 5 was furthest away. *pic will follow

The only things to happen to the cloves between sowing and digging up, were some mild weeding, and 2 popped themselves out of the ground and were promptly put back in again.

As you can see from the results, it seems that the best time to put cloves in is December, on a moon day, and take them out 6 months later. However, the cloves that I took out in the earlier trials were replanted back in random beds around the garden and the allotment, and they continued to grow - with some of the earlier lower weight cloves making nice bulked up bulbs towards the middle of June.

In comparison, my [non trial] September garlics that were harvested at the start of June had all mainly gone too far, with the outer casings being broken by cloves so that they were 'hanging out' - so an earlier harvest for a September planting would be preferable.

None of the non-moon cloves seemed to be 'non-edible' whilst only 2 of the last batch of non-moon cloves were really edible.

One of the last non-moon batch had developed 2 separate bulbs - making 6 final bulbs.

The biggest increase in clove was in the last moon sowing, with a whopping 6400% increase in the smallest bulb in the whole trial. This is the only insane increase however, all the others are pretty stable increases.

I found this a very interesting experiment, especially at the allotment where my OH and my lottie neighbour - both laughed at the trial - but both noticed the difference in the foliage from about April onwards.

Comments welcome.

[purplekat]

Wow - that's a good set of results

Which moon calender did you follow - synodic, biodynamic or sidereal

Do you think it would be a good trial to trial the three methods against each other? as they quite often conflict. I think I might have a go when I get my garden in some sort of order

[smallblueplanet]

Thing with scientific method is that it has to be repeatable!

Same again next year?

[Seahorse]

I'm impressed - not least because you took the time and trouble to record and report! Are you convinced enough to do moon planting next year too?

[zazen999]

Thing with scientific method is that it has to be repeatable!

Same again next year?

Might be better if someone else repeats and I do something different, like onions

[zazen999]

Wow - that's a good set of results

Which moon calender did you follow - synodic, biodynamic or sidereal

Do you think it would be a good trial to trial the three methods against each other? as they quite often conflict. I think I might have a go when I get my garden in some sort of order

I just used the one in my link below.

[smallblueplanet]

...All cloves were in the ground for 6 months and taken out on the correct day...However, the cloves that I took out in the earlier trials were replanted back in random beds around the garden and the allotment, and they continued to grow - with some of the earlier lower weight cloves making nice bulked up bulbs towards the middle of June.

In comparison, my [non trial] September garlics that were harvested at the start of June had all mainly gone too far, with the outer casings being broken by cloves so that they were 'hanging out' - so an earlier harvest for a September planting would be preferable. ...

I'm interested in using the raised beds we grow in more efficiently. What would you grow 'September' garlic after, potatoes? How well do they overwinter, is there a particular variety that survives overwintering better than say spring sown?

If they should have been harvested earlier why didn't you? Why did you harvest garlic only to replant it again? Interesting to see that the experiment does seem to suggest 'moon-sown' gives a greater increase in size percentage-wise. What do they taste like btw?

[zazen999]

I'm interested in using the raised beds we grow in more efficiently. What would you grow 'September' garlic after, potatoes? How well do they overwinter, is there a particular variety that survives overwintering better than say spring sown?

If they should have been harvested earlier why didn't you? Why did you harvest garlic only to replant it again? Interesting to see that the experiment does seem to suggest 'moon-sown' gives a greater increase in size percentage-wise. What do they taste like btw?

September garlic went in after last year's Tomato Moon Trial.

My Sept garlic were Germidor. Overwintered well.

The Trial garlic was from bulbs bought at a greengrocers in Wollaton, Nottingham. The cloves were separated and put into a bag, and I dipped my hand in on the morning of sowing each batch, pulled out 5 randomly, numbered them with marker pen and weighed them. Then they were taken to the lottie and sown.

I harvested the September ones when the tops fell over after a heavy downpour a few weeks ago.

Harvested garlic to weigh for the trial, then I replanted it

All taste very...garlicky. Stronger than last year's efforts. No complaints.

[HayleyB]

Hmmm, so will you be sowing Garlic in November on a moon day then?

Mine were sown October haven't a clue what day and they are still nowhere near ready hurrrumph....

[Two_Sheds]

it seems that the best time to put cloves in is December, on a moon day, and take them out 6 months later.

that's what I need to know!
My garlic is always rubbish

[Hazel at the Hill]

Which moon calender did you follow - synodic, biodynamic or sidereal

Do you think it would be a good trial to trial the three methods against each other? as they quite often conflict........

This is the only thing that has put me off moon planting - how can three nominally similar systems have such opposing (at times) advice? Looking at the web site that you link to, today is a good day for sowing vegetables that produce internal seed bearing fruits (synodic), AND/OR a good day for sowing leaf plants (biodynamic) - can they both be 'right'?

This is hugely impressive, though - thanks for taking the time to do this, Zazen, and to post the results. There'll be more of us moon planting next year - I'm sure.

[smallblueplanet]

September garlic went in after last year's Tomato Moon Trial.

My Sept garlic were Germidor. Overwintered well.

...Harvested garlic to weigh for the trial, then I replanted it

All taste very...garlicky. Stronger than last year's efforts. No complaints.

What are you going to plant after the September garlic?

I'm perhaps not quite following you, what did you plant in Oct/Nov/Dec?

Why did you decide to weigh them when you did?

Good that they taste garlicky!

[zazen999]

What are you going to plant after the September garlic?

I'm perhaps not quite following you, what did you plant in Oct/Nov/Dec?

Why did you decide to weigh them when you did?

Good that they taste garlicky!

There's two lots of garlic referred to:

The trial garlic which was taken out of the ground and weighed at 6 months for a comparison. My main sept garlic [not part of the trail] which was being grown to full maturity fell over in June and was dug up and it was this garlic that had 'gone over'.

The Trial garlic was at the lottie, and followed main crop spuds. Sown in sept/oct/nov/dec/jan on specific dates.

The Sept garlic was at home and followed tomatoes. It now has more tomatoes, some herbs, and peppers in that space.

I only mentioned the Sept garlic as an aside, in that I waited until the tops fell over and it was already bursting out of its skin.

I chose 6 months to see whether the 'plant on shortest day and harvest on the longest day' ie 6 months, was true, and it is but you can't get away with planting it much earlier and leaving it in the ground 6 months as it needs those last 2 months of warmer weather to bulk the cloves up.

[zazen999]

This is the only thing that has put me off moon planting - how can three nominally similar systems have such opposing (at times) advice? Looking at the web site that you link to, today is a good day for sowing vegetables that produce internal seed bearing fruits (synodic), AND/OR a good day for sowing leaf plants (biodynamic) - can they both be 'right'?

This is hugely impressive, though - thanks for taking the time to do this, Zazen, and to post the results. There'll be more of us moon planting next year - I'm sure.

I agree with the 3 systems being contradictory. I think that this year I might sow the same amount of seeds every day for a month, and track all their progress until completely harvested - without looking at any moon calendar - and go back and see which were sown on which date one they are all up and weighed.

I only use the one on the front page of the linkie - otherwise it gets far too confusing. Perhaps someone with knowledge of all 3 would volunteer to analyse my results against all 3 - I could then do the trial 'blind' so to speak and just provide figures.

I do these things more because I come from a scientific background and something like moon planting seems to divide people; I just try to work out if it does work or doesn't. Happy to share the results whatever they be. If I had access to a huge polytunnel, I'd be unstoppable. or should it be

[smallblueplanet]

...I chose 6 months to see whether the 'plant on shortest day and harvest on the longest day' ie 6 months, was true...

I always assumed that the saying related to the 'day length' not the time span? Otherwise it'd be something like 'plant on a convenient day, harvest 6 months later'?