Many cannabis growers understand the sun’s impact on their plants. But what about the moon, which makes up the other half of the day? There’s more of a relationship between the moon and your cannabis plants than you may initially think. After all, your plants are exposed to the moon cycle just as much as they are to the sun if you’re growing outdoors!
This guide will explain the idea of growing cannabis by the lunar cycle. We’ll touch on different stages of the lunar cycle, explain how to grow cannabis by the moon, and more. By the end, you’ll understand the benefits of growing cannabis by the moon and everything there is to understand in between. Let’s get started!
The Science Behind Lunar Gardening
First, let’s talk about the science behind the subject – because we deal in facts! When we started digging into lunar gardening, we came across published research on the topic. We found that the moon’s gravitational pull affects plants and their growth stages. Published research shows the influence of lunar cycles on the growth of Ashwagandha.
Lunar gardening has been around for as long as humans have been growing their food, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
But how can something more than 200,000 miles away from Earth affect how plants grow?
Like ocean tides, plants may be affected by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. The theory is that plants can absorb the most water when the tides are also highest. Seeds, therefore, can absorb the most water during these times.
Planting by the moon is a complex art. The moon goes through eight basic phases throughout a 29-and-a-half-day lunar cycle. Let’s look more in-depth at how the moon’s phases may affect plants’ growth stages.
New Moon
You know it’s a new moon when there’s an empty space where the moon usually is! During this lunar phase, the moon pulls water in the soil up toward the surface using its gravitational pull. In fact, moisture levels are at their highest during a new moon! Plus, that pull can encourage seeds to swell, leaves to grow, and roots to extend.
Overall, a new moon is a great time to plant or sow. However, you might stray away from pruning at this stage. It’s not quite time yet!
Likewise, make sure not to harvest on a new moon. Since moisture levels are at their highest, you risk it taking even longer for your harvest to dry.
Waxing Crescent Moon
The moon grows from an empty space in the sky into a beaming crescent. Moonlight gets brighter, and the gravitational pull gets stronger. As more moonlight appears, it encourages above-ground growth of leaves and stems.
The waxing crescent moon phase is the perfect time to start germinating your seeds.
First Quarter Moon
The big, backwards capital ‘D’ in the sky shows you when the first quarter moon phase has arrived. The internal activity of plants increases as the moon grows more in the night sky. This phase helps strengthen your cannabis plants against disease and pests. Once again, during this phase, you don’t want to prune. Don’t trim a single leaf!
Waxing Gibbous Moon
If you didn’t get a chance to plant your seeds yet, use this opportunity to plant instead. The lunar phase, just before the full moon, also has abundant moisture available.If you plant instead during this phase, your plants will still benefit from the amount of moisture in the ground.
Full Moon
Once the full moon reaches its peak, it begins to wane. The full moon indicates that levels of energy are about to lower. Growers should be aware of this shift in energy and pay attention to plants’ roots.It’s also a good opportunity to transplant any cannabis plants you may want to transplant.
Waning Gibbous Moon
When the moon is still bright but not quite full, you’ve wandered into waning gibbous territory. The liquids inside your cannabis moves to the soil and the lower parts of the plant. Cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes are better preserved at this stage.It’s a great time to amend any soil needs you plant may have. Likewise, watering and even harvesting are good options here.
Third Quarter Moon
Moisture for the plants is deep down in the soil at this point.It’s a perfect time to harvest, as the cannabinoids and terpenes aren’t weighed down by excess moisture.
Waning Crescent Moon
As the moon descends into its new moon phase, all that’s left the night before is a C-shaped crescent.Terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids are still better preserved if you harvest them at this point. Watering and amending soil for your cannabis plants is also a good idea. It all depends on where you are in your grow cycle.
How to Grow Cannabis by the Moon
There’s a reason that cultivators have followed the moon timetable for centuries. Next, let’s uncover some tips and steps on how to grow cannabis by the lunar cycle the right way.
Time Your Planting
If you start your cannabis grow cycle on the day of a new moon, you can time your planting to a tee. You’ll optimize when to trim, prune, fertilize, and every other step in between that and harvesting.
Maintain Proper Care
During each phase of the moon, it’s important you maintain the correct, proper care of your cannabis plants. For example, you should plant seeds during a new moon and germinate those seeds as the moon waxes into a crescent. Once the full moon starts to wane, then it’s time to get pruning and trimming.
Choose the Right Strain
Of course, where would you be if you didn’t pick the right strain for the job? Maybe you’re after high-yield seeds so that your harvest can be bountiful. Don’t want to do all the work yourself? Autoflowering seeds can certainly come in handy.
Since 1996, Amsterdam Marijuana Seeds has proudly provided high-quality seeds through free, worldwide, and discrete shipping. Since we only sell the highest-quality seeds, you can feel confident that germination is guaranteed. Maybe this is your sign of giving lunar gardening with our superb marijuana seeds a try!
The Benefits of Growing Cannabis by the Moon
Ultimately, growing cannabis by the moon has the potential to increase yields, potency, flavor, and more.
By paying attention to the moon’s phases, take advantage of the phases that help improve plant growth the most. Moon gardeners believe studying the lunar orbit can give greater insight into when to sow certain seeds.
To sum up, there’s a lot to love about growing cannabis by the moon. Now we understand the moon’s phases and how they might interact with a plant’s growth. From there, we also dug further into the benefits of growing according to lunar phases.
Overall, we hope we’ve made you curious enough to try for yourself. Experiment with different techniques to see what works best for your crops! The best-case scenario is that you start utilizing the sun and moon to truly optimize your plant’s progress. You’ll be growing beefed up, high-yielding cannabis plants by the moon in no time!
Disclaimer: This content is meant for educational purposes only. It has been compiled with research from external sources. it is not meant to substitute any medical or legal advice. Please see your local laws for the legality of cannabis use.
