Donna,

I don't even try to plant based on what moon it is. The Worm Moon would mean entirely different things to gardeners in Florida than it would mean to gardeners in Oklahoma or to gardeners in South Dakota. I've read books about planting by the moon (my favorite one was by Louise Riotte because she lived in Ardmore so her moons and their seasons were something I could relate to here in OK) and found that trying to match up the right phase of the moon with the right air temps and soil temps drove me right up the wall.

I plant based on soil temperatures and air temperatures combined with the weather forecast because they govern what will or will not thrive or survive, and planting this way has worked for me since at least the 1970s so I do not feel inclined to change my ways at this point. I love reading about the moons---one I'm familiar with from growing up in Texas is the Comanche Moon, though I wouldn't plant by it! However, while reading the moon lore is fascinating, it isn't necessarily helpful in terms of gardening since plants grown when and how the weather allows regardless of what the moon is doing.

I have been finding worms in my soil since the first week in January, and if I had looked during the last week of December, I probably would have found them there then. As warm as the weather has been, I'm surprised I haven't found worms lying on the patio furniture sunning themselves and working on their tans. Since we have had a warm and moist fall and winter in my part of the state, the earthworms are big, fat, happy and numerous. I love seeing them.

My patio furniture took off for the garage last night where it is locked away snugly from the gusting winds, as are the wheelbarrows and anything else I thought might blow clear to Kansas today. When we were kids, we loved days like this because you sure could fly a kite (as long as you could hang on to it and your string didn't break) but I don't care for the high gusting winds so much any more. My wind chimes sound like they are having a fit out there. I should go out and bring them inside before they have a nervous breakdown.

Dawn

I haven't paid much attention to planting by the moon, either, but I did get the garden planner from the coop, too. Even gave it to my brother & sister for Christmas presents!

Thanks for the info, ladies and/or gentleman. I can't imagine planting by the moon -- I am far too confused by simple things like weather and temperatures. :)

Dawn, I hope those chimes are okay. I don't like to think about them sitting in a therapist's office.

Donna, The chimes are fine, having made a very melodious racket all day. They are complaining of having numerous bumps and bruises, but what else would you expect from wind chimes that danced wildly in the wind all day long and continue to do so even now. (There's no other houses close enough to us for me to have to worry that the chimes might be bothersome to someone.) It wasn't as bad here as it was in many other parts of Oklahoma today. Our highest gust was only 42 mph.

Like Dawn, I haven't tried to plant by the moon for many years. But when my grandparents were alive and living next door, I often did to keep them from being too frustrated. They kept track of it and were sure to advise DH and me of the best times to plant. But they've been gone for 40 years and we've been on our own ever since.

We do butcher by the moon though. We buy our chickens at a time that we can butcher on a full moon. Grandpa swore they would bleed better and it seems to us, having done it both on the dark and on the full, that they do bleed better.

I will definitely take note of any unusual behavior in the vermicompost box tomorrow. =)))

ChickenCoupe, I hope you are out there right now checking on those worms.

@draej Nothing special happened except I picked up what I thought was one very long worm to find it was two of them "stimulating" each other. Perhaps they're more inclined to breed? haha Funny though.