[NatureNS] when to plant

From: "Marian Fulton & Art Harding" <fulton.harding@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 04:16:33 -0300
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You will probably find that you can plant things much earlier here in
Hantsport.  My tomatoes have been in for a couple of weeks now.  Being close
to the water and up on the hill I rarely have problems with frost after the
middle of May; in fact most years I don't get frost after the 1st of May. In
the fall it will remain frost-free much later than low areas not that far
from here; most falls it is well into October before I see any frost here on
our property.

I grew hot peppers here several years ago; ones so hot I could not eat them
in fact!  My biggest gardening problem has been dealing with heavy clay
soil.  I finally gave up on amending the soil and all new beds are built up
on top of the existing soil.

Marian Fulton
9 Alder Drive 
Hantsport NS

-----Original Message-----
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca]
On Behalf Of john belbin
Sent: 06 June 2008 22:05
To: Naturens
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] when to plant

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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