Clabe and Leora Wilson always planted their potatoes on Good Friday, just like their parents and grandparents had before them.
“My Grandpap Jordan always had an abundance of all kinds of apples (early to late),” Leora wrote in her memoir, “berries of all kinds, plums, every fruit that would grow in Iowa. His apple bins in the basement were always full in the fall and he gave away fruit for the picking. I don’t think he ever sold any. He always had a wonderful vegetable and early garden. He planted by the Moon Signs.”
From Leora’s Dexter Stories: “Each house the Wilsons lived in had a good-sized garden spot. Leora was glad to see wrinkled rhubarb leaves emerge at the new place in the spring, about planting time for onion sets and lettuce seed. They sowed “by the moon,” checking for the best dates to plant each crop. Dates were listed in The Old Farmer’s Almanac, but basically crops that matured below ground were to be planted in the dark of the moon or when it was waning, and crops that ripened above the soil should be planted when the moon was waxing or nearly full. Sprouted potatoes, saved from the year before, were cut in quarters, then nestled into the soil on Good Friday, according to The Almanac.”
But is it just folklore or tradition, or is there something to planting crops by the moon’s phases?
The basic idea is that the phases of the Moon affect plant growth. Just as its gravitational pull causes tides to rise and fall, it also affects moisture in the soil.
It’s said that seeds absorb more water during the full Moon and the new Moon when more moisture is pulled to the soil surface. This causes seeds to swell, resulting in greater germination and better-established plants. Well, what do you know?
The date of Easter is calculated each year as the first Sunday after the full Moon on or after the spring equinox, so on Good Friday the moon is waning. So that’s why my ancestors planted their potatoes that day.
Do you know anyone who still gardens by the suggested dates in The Old Farmer’s Almanac?
I haven’t seen an Almanac since I was a kid. I just now had to look it up to see if they still made it! I remember people used to say that the Almanac was better at predicting the weather than any other system.
It’s fun to look at. My sis usually buys one every year at a grocery check-out, but soon leaves it here for us.
Oh my goodness, Joy. I remember this – now – thanks to your post. Paul’s parents, Joe and Maxine paid close attention to when they’d plant things in their small garden – from notes and clippings from both of their parents based on “The Almanac”. I’ll need to ask Paul about potatoes and their planting schedules! 🥰
I didn’t realize there was any “science” behind it at all!
Same! 🥰
Actually I do. We’ve several friends who have gardens that do and guess what they use. My Father-in-law used to, also. Don’t ask me how it works. All I know is it does.
We gardened when we lived in a new house in Aurora (Guy was a controller at the Arapahoe County tower) on S. Olathe Way, but I don’t think we planted potatoes. Not even here in Iowa. Hurrah for your gardening, along with everything else you manage to get done!
We usually planted some red potatoes, always called “new potatoes”. We also had larger white potatoes. They stored well, even over the winter. Sprouts or not, as long as each chunk had a single “eye”, they were buried in the ground and grew well. 6 or 8 pieces could be cut from each white potato. Of 4 brothers, I spent more time gardening. I earlier commented about raising popcorn,
Oh, new potatoes! That reminds me of creamed peas, and creamed peas and new potatoes! I’m awaiting a CT scan and haven’t been able to eat solids for several days, but now I’m hungry for old-fashioned spring foods.
I loved this post! Thank you for sharing it!!! Wishing you blessings this Holy week!
Bless you, Linda!
Many moons ago, I had a small farm. We grew everything and then put it up for the off-season. Yes, the almanac was the reference on when to plant. Fun post, Joy.
Wow, that’s what Grandma Leora did as well–hundreds of quarts for 9 people, 7 after two sons left for the Navy (1937). They had a huge garden during WWII as well. Thank you, John.
I remember when my mother started a vegetable garden, there was a new Farmer’s Almanac in the house every year. The explanation for planting crops according to the phases of the moon makes perfect sense to me!
We gardened for years and didn’t even think about the Almanac. I don’t think we ever tried potatoes.
We didn’t do potatoes either.
Great information on gardening, Joy. Using the Almanac can really be helpful.
Thank you, Tim. At least it’s interesting!
We never had a garden in our sun-starved back yard, but we had a compost heap. Potatoes would sprout up like dandelions in the spring. Thanks for such an interesting post, Joy. 🙂
Eager potatoes, huh!