Since the end of the 20th century, among Russian gardeners and truck farmers, the custom has been established to correlate their activities with the phases of the moon. There is no shortage of special "Lunar gardener calendars" neither in printed materials, nor on the Internet.
Those who believe in the special influence of the lunar phases on all life on Earth in general and on the growth and development of plants in particular, pay special attention to the full moon. The advice given by the lunar calendars regarding this "mystical" time is striking in variety.
Full moon effect on plants
The authors of some lunar calendars claim that during the full moon, you can weed, loosen the soil, but just not plant or transplant plants, since their root system is very weak at this phase of the moon.
There are also more radical recommendations: on a full moon, it is generally impossible to carry out any work on the site or even with indoor flowers: not only do not plant or transplant, but also do not cut off.
Other authors advise starting any business on a full moon, but avoiding intermediate stages, including in relation to plants: planting, but not replanting them, not grafting or pruning.
To understand all these tips, often contradicting each other, it is necessary to understand what is the effect of the lunar phases on plants.
Moon and plants
If we discard the vague reasoning about the "interconnection of everything in the Universe" and references to "the experience of ancient civilizations", then the most intelligible explanation of the connection between the lunar phases and plant life comes down to an analogy with the ebb and flow of the sea.
It is known that the cause of the ebb and flow is the gravitational effect that the only natural satellite of the Earth has on the seas and oceans. From this, it is concluded that the Moon, with its gravity, has the same effect on all liquids on Earth, including plant juices. Consequently, the movement of the intensity of movement of plant juices is in direct proportion to the lunar phases, and this must be taken into account when gardening.
This explanation is indicative of a misunderstanding of how tidal forces operate. Ebb and flow occur not because the Moon simply "attracts" the Earth's water, but due to the stretching of the Earth between the point of the planet closest to the Moon, which is attracted the most, and the point farthest from it, which is attracted with the least force. Water is more malleable than the earth's hard crust, so the hydrosphere stretches more, giving rise to tides. The height of the tides really depends on the relative position of the Earth and the Moon, which is expressed in the lunar phases; in the new moon, it is maximum.
The force with which a body is stretched between these gravitational points is directly proportional to the size of the body. For the Earth, the extension does not exceed 6%, and for some flower it will be as many times weaker as the flower is smaller than the Earth. Such an insignificant force is incapable of having any significant effect on the growth and development of a plant.
Thus, it is possible to plant flowers on a full moon, if earthly circumstances do not prevent it. The gardener needs to focus not on the lunar phases, but on the weather conditions.
