Gardening and Planting by the Moon 2015

3rd March 2015

An interview with Nick Kollerstrom, author of Gardening and Planting by the Moon 2015, an annual guide to bio dynamic growing.

Firstly, can you inform readers a bit about the Moon and it's relationship with earth?

It's a totally unique interrelationship, whereby the Moon always faces towards the Earth. No scientific theories about how it got into such a position around the Earth ever seem to work.

Growing plants by the moon, I am sure this concept will have sceptics. How does it work?

The theory is based upon the Biodynamic farming-gardening movement initated by Rudolf Steiner. All living things respond to the basic solar-lunar cycles, we are tuned into them; but plants more so than animals.

Is there any scientific studies to back up the claims that growing by the moon increases vegetable yields?

Quite a bit actually, as described in my book Farmer's Moon. The yearly Calendar does briefly indicate such experiments.

What got you interested in growing by the moon and where did you first find out about it?

I worked on a bio-dynamic farm in my youth and was fascinated by the Moon-calendar. Then I organized some experiments with growers and became personally convinced that the calendar was basically sound.

Is there any flowers or vegetables in particular that you think grow better by growing in harmony with lunar rhythms?

Not especially

Have you have had any veg growing disasters and what happened?

When i tried to do the expreinents the shoots would get eaten by slugs and birds. It needs a bit of skill to avoid this.

Do you garden organically, and how do control pests and diseases if you do?

I recomment Maria Thun's book "Gardening for Life"

What is the moon up to in 2015? Any moon eclipses or anything else of interest?

Sure there are always lunar eclipses.

Do you have any other interesting tips for growing fruit and veg?

Use my calendar, it works! Its a calendar for organic growers.

Thanks!

Available in print and on Kindle on Amazon.co.uk HERE