Lunar gardening has been a practice as old as agriculture itself. The gravitational pull from the moon influences the moisture in the soil. When a new and full moon is happening the tides are at their highest points and the sun and moon are lined up with the earth. Just as the moon pulls the tides in the oceans, it also pulls upon the subtle bodies of water, causing moisture to rise in the earth, which encourages growth and germination of plants.

Moon phase gardening considers four phases or quarters lasting about seven days each.

The four quarters of the moon are;
New Moon - or Waxing moon, this is an increased time of light, the lunar gravity pulls water up causing the seeds to swell and burst. This factor, coupled with the increasing moonlight creates balanced root and leaf growth.

This is the time to plant above ground vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, lettuce and celery.

First Quarter - at this point the moon has less gravitational pull but the light from the moon is strong. This is perfect for leaf growth as this helps the seeds inside the fruit grow. Perfect for planting veges like tomatoes, capsicums, melons, beans and peas.

Full Moon - when the full moon is out the gravitational pull is at it highest but the light is decreasing. Moisture levels in the soil are strong and encourage root based vegetables such as beetroot and carrots.

Last Quarter - at this point the moon has both decreased light and deacreased gravitational pull. This is considered the resting period, but is a great time to harvest, transplant, fertilize and prune.