Natural Designs Studio

GARDENING BY THE MOON 

Several weeks ago I asked an Amish women when she was going to raise her sweet potatoes.  She was planning to dig them the following week when the "moon was taking off."  This supposedly helped the potatoes keep better over the winter.  With curiosity, I asked what she meant by "the moon taking off."  I thought she was implying that it was growing towards a full moon.  "Oh No," she replied, "It's shaving off," or as you might say, "it's getting smaller."  It's funny how we both thought of her remark differently.  Don't you love how we interpret the English language?  

I decided to dig my potatoes by the moon to test this experienced gardener's theory.  Sadly enough, it was all in vain.  My crop of sweet potatoes rotted from the wet weather weeks earlier.  I'm sure her's are just fine, though.  Thankfully I was able to buy some beautiful sweet potatoes at the local produce stand (a few were as big as volleyballs- see above picture).  These potatoes will save our family's Thanksgiving feast.

From the Garden,
Sally