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Joyce, I have no idea why it would work but the business of planting your tender veggies after the full moon certainly worked for me often enough to make me wonder. When I first moved to Kingston in the center of the Annapolis Valley some 30 years ago I bought a large heavy duty roto tiller and created a huge new garden. Anxious to get going I purchased a large number of transplants and put them all in right after the May 24 weekend. I got a prompt visit from a neighbour, a 80+ retired farmer who told me that the "moon was all wrong" and the frost would get my plants. I pooh-poohed the whole thing and he left, unimpressed with the city slicker who had moved in. A few night later came a vicious frost and I lost the lot! Unwilling to believe in superstition, I replanted. I got another visit and he told me that it still wasn't right as we hadn't had the full moon yet. Well it happened again within 2 nights and I began to get the expensive message. From then on I consulted our local expert for a few years and then began to watch the moon phases myself. The only times I got away with early planting were those years when it rained on the days of the full moon. So I still don't know if there is anything in this custom or if it is just a method of slowing down the impatient people like me - but it seemed to work. I still watch for the full moon after May 24th. As to peppers, they grow very well in the hot, sandy soils of the central valley, as long as you supply lots of water. We grew all kinds of them, including the super hot varieties and almost always had such a good crop that we had more than we could ever use. Cantaloupes also grew well most years and they are so much sweeter than the ones you buy commercially. I have really missed them the last couple of years as I simply could not find any transplants. I have no idea if they will grow in my new heavy clay soils of Hantsport. Tomatoes also grew well in Kingston and there is no taste like your own, fresh out of the garden. By far the best crop I ever had was the year I was able to mulch them heavily with rockweed obtained from the Annapolis Basin. That crop was incredible and seemed to go on for ever. John Belbin -Hantsport
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