Bio , I trust you are keeping well , thanks for update Can’t believe how mild it is , waiting for winter to hit us Still harvesting veg from allotment , just about to finish off last of apples stored in garage Would be interested in reading additional information on moon etc With small holding , I wonder if a separate thread for this would be better depending on the amount of information it would have ? Hope cats 🐈 are enjoying this good weather
Pushkin arrived just as I had finished typing here and I lost the lot!!! -So I shall write it again from memory -Shall just drag him off the curtains -----Right!
Hi Everyone
We have just been away for a couple of days to draw breath having worked through Christmas and now return refreshed. I think that we could add the other subjects within this Thread as I have had no feedback re Biodynamic gardening on any other and it does fall with the Lunar Theme.
My Mother fell into Bodynamic Methods when my brother had excema as a baby and the doctors recommended that she change from Cow's Milk to Goat. (Now I suppose he would be classified as lactose intolerant, but back in the 60's it was unknown) The results were amazing and due to a lack of supply of milk, mother bought a few goats and started making cheese & butter (With varying degrees of failure (We still had to eat it! -deemed 'good for us'!) she mentioned her problems at a Steiner Meeting and was referred to Michael Hall School, and joined their Biodynamic Garden and Smallholding Setup. Feeding the goats Comfrey & Parsley instead of dried nettles stopped the milk being bitter and making the cheese and butter at key periods in the Lunar & Cosmic Calender improved her success rate to such a degree that she tried out other things including the gardening methods. She soon added Bees to the equation and found that they were gentler on certain days than others when she followed the lunar Calender and the yields of milk and honey were much higher than other goat and beekeepers in the village. Her diaries are a revelation. - So let's give it a go and hope that we attract more readers and more input for 2019!
Steamed some Sea Kale Hearts last night to go with shoulder of Suckling Pig, So sweet, I had been using the leaves as salad as found them bitter cooked, will now let them heart up next season.
Because I did not wanrt Pushkin to jump on the keyboard again -I have started a new paragraph here!!
Here is the Lunar Calender for 10-19th January 2019
10/11th Jan - Moon Ascending in Aquarius so Flower Days. In 15-18c greenhouse or kitchen sow cauliflowers, you should be able to thin them and prick them out in February with this early start. If you plant them out under cover in March -April expect to crop May-July.
12/13/14/15th Jan -That's a lot of Leaf Days! With Moon ascending in Pisces. Sow under heat (12-15C) Lettuces and continue to harvest Lambs Lettuce/Spinach and Winter Lettuce keeping them well fleeced.
16th Jan - Fruit Day - Sow Broad Beans outside. (I might kick some off indoors) -Lost the lot this early last year.
17/18/19 Jan - Root Days Moon ascending in Taurus. Sow turnips in covered nursery bed. Mix some radishes and early carrot seed together and broadcast these in shallow bed under cover. Don't forget that you can harvest the radish leaves whilst young for salads if you are not normally good at growing the actual radish.
Obelixx -I am looking for shallots and garlic to plant -Have you seen them in shops here yet?? None in Dieppe -although did buy 2 beautiful strings of smoked garlic (to eat not plant) in Auchun.
Oh No -Pushkin back in room.....Happy Gardening -I'm pressing POST now!!!
Thanks for the update BF. I planted my garlic in November and it is already several inches high. I bought some white onions sets at the same time but didn't plant those. Must go and look for them. I've seen both on sale in December but haven't been near a garden shop for 3 or 4 weeks now so don't know if they're still around. Maybe they do them earlier here to get the benefits of rain in winter and spring and get a crop before the summer droughts set in.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Did a recky of plot yesterday -Still got Sea Kale/Scarlet Beet/Mooli/Frise Letuce/Beetroot Leaves (don't bother with roots at this time of year/Spring Onions/All hardy herbs/Brussel Tops (Sprouts blown -just can't get these right!)/Kale/Tuscano Nero/Celery/Celeriac -Don't think that's bad for January! What's on your plot? Greenhouse boasts only overwintering plants in pots and broccoli plus Pushkin! -Snow forecast for tomorrow but still very mild really. -Watch out for Giant Moon tomorrow, it will be the nearest to Earth this month & 19th Feb is the only other date this year. Saw it yesterday afternoon and it looked terrific.No gardening recommended today or tomorrow due to Noued ascending today (20th) and perigee with Full Moon and Eclipse tomorrow(21st). here is the Lunar Calender for the rest of the month:-
22/23/24th Jan - Moon descending in Leo so Fruit and Seed Days. Plant bare root Fruit Trees and Bush Fruit. Brush Moss and lichen off trunks.
25/26/27th Jan - Moon descending in Virgo so Root Days. Thin out Carrots sown 7-9th January. Plant white Garlic preferably along a ridge to avoid waterlogging. Plant shallots and both these plantings should give you crops in July.
28/29th Jan - Moon descending in Libra so Flower Days - Start Begonias and Cannas off in Pots covering the roots lightly. Temp needs to be 15-20C for this. If in doubt wait awhile.
30/31st Jan - Moon descending in Scorpio so Leaf Days - If it is not frosty, Prune larger trees and cut Hazel for Pea sticks. Prick out Lettuce sown 12-15th January.
Lots to discuss about BioD Meeting last week. Will start this subject next.
Hello , thanks for info Spent day at allotment , very cold to start with ❄️ then sun came out , warmed up to 6 degrees Moved 2 blueberry bushes into fruit cage , now got 4 in there Sprouts not been good this year , Picked the last few this week and cleared bed To cloudy to see Lunar eclipse tonight Puskin must like warms of greenhouse 🐈
Hello , did you manage to see the Blood Wolf Moon ? Unfortunately to much cloud hear Getting colder , just had some sleet today Hope you are all keeping well
Posts
Can’t believe how mild it is , waiting for winter to hit us
Still harvesting veg from allotment , just about to finish off last of apples stored in garage
Would be interested in reading additional information on moon etc
With small holding , I wonder if a separate thread for this would be better depending on the amount of information it would have ?
Hope cats 🐈 are enjoying this good weather
looking forward to the extra info
Been to Allotment today a bit of Harvesting / tidying up
Spent day at allotment , very cold to start with ❄️ then sun came out , warmed up to 6 degrees
Moved 2 blueberry bushes into fruit cage , now got 4 in there
Sprouts not been good this year , Picked the last few this week and cleared bed
To cloudy to see Lunar eclipse tonight
Puskin must like warms of greenhouse 🐈
Hope you are keeping well
Getting colder , just had some sleet today
Hope you are all keeping well