The moon and potato planting
Gardening is rich with time‑honoured traditions and steeped in folklore, writes GCA CEO and horticulturalist, Peter Burks.
One of these is that seed potatoes should be planted on Good Friday.
Devil isn’t at work
I always try to find the scientific reason behind such rules and, despite being told by one seasoned gardener that it is the only day that the devil isn’t at work, and by another that it was a holiday for farm workers, I feel that there must be a better explanation!
Lunar calendar
Good Friday moves each year because Easter is based on the lunar calendar. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on, or after, the March 21 vernal equinox.
So, I wonder in fact whether it is to do with the theory that attention must be paid to the phase of the moon when planting.
Pull of the moon
The suggestion is that leaf crops be planted when the gravitational pull of the moon is on the increase i.e. when it is moving from a new moon to a full moon, and that root crops be planted when the moon is waning and the pull decreases.
Still time to plant potatoes
Whether you believe in this or not, from my point of view, it allows a much longer season to plant potatoes!
This year the ideal day is around April 19 but anytime up to then and quite a while afterwards will do.
Plus, our member garden centres still have seed potatoes in stock, so you haven’t missed out.
Click here to find one.