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Maramataka Māori for February 2021

February 8, 2021 By SandRa Timmins Leave a Comment

Maramataka Māori, gardening by the moon NZ

Haere mai! Welcome to my first “what you ought to do in your garden according to Maramataka Maōri for this month” guide. I will eventually think of a more nifty title!

Now, when I say February, I actually mean Huitanguru, the ninth month of the Māori year, which begins on the night of the New Moon (Whiro), this year that is the 12th February. I follow the Ātiawa version of Maramataka.

Please take mind that these are not hard and fast rules by any means, take into consideration your climate and what the weather is doing. You know your garden best and this ain’t gospel! If you have not read anything of mine regarding Maramataka I recommend you read this article here.

So without further ado, let’s get into it!

Whiro, 12th February

This is a time to plan; think about where you’re going to put all the seeds you sowed during last quarter or what you will sow for your autumn and winter crops. Generally though, whilst the moon is hidden, duck down yourself, put your feet up and relax.

Haohaoata, 14th February

If you weren’t able to get seeds sown during last quarter (did coincide with kids going back to school after all – or in our case, Unschoolers Camp in Foxton) today is the day to do it. Think not just about what you want to grow to eat but also cover crops/green manure crops like mustard (especially where solancae/nightshade family were growing) buckwheat and phacelia. It seems early but flowers and herbs for Autumn and Spring need to be sown now too – think hollyhock, calendula, chamomile and sweet pea. Coriander and dill.

Tamatea angaanga, 18th February

If the weather is playing nice (it can be unpredictable at this moon phase) it’s a good day for harvesting crops/seeds etc that require drying and storing (read, herbs, beans, corn, garlic/onion, potatoes).

Huna, 22 February

If you want to go woo woo – this is a beautiful night to give your appreciation to the ocean and the god of the sea, atua Tangaroa.

Māwharu, 23 February

The best day (very early morning or early evening) for foliar feeding your plants.

Rākaunui + Rākaumatohi, 27th (full moon) + 28th February

Full moon energy a go-go! A good day to plant plants out ~ especially root veges like carrot, beetroot, parsnips, turnips and swedes. Have you got any spring bulbs yet? Plant them during these two days.

Oike, 1st March

A give back moon, give your love (aroha) and appreciation to Papatūānuku and all that she gives you ~ what can you give back apart from caring for your patch of earth?

Korekore, 3rd March – 5th March

Take it easy my friends because we’re coming up to last quarter and if you want to be well set up for Autumn, Winter and Spring…Last quarter is going to be well busy!

Tangaroa piri a mua (Last Quarter), 6th March

Hold onto your hats people, we have five days of productive activity before we get near the next New Moon…

If you’ve got it in you, this is what you need to be doing for this months last quarter;

  • Sow seeds, think of your greens; spinach, chard, miners lettuce, corn salad.
  • Prick out seedlings, transplant and weed.
  • Harvest, dry and store seeds, including your beans.
  • Should have all your onion, garlic and shallots out and storing well. Check they’re all in a dry place and not going soft in any places.
  • Spray roses with seaweed, make sure the roots are well moist and give ’em a liquid feed.
  • Sow anemones and ranuculi for winter flowering.
  • Finish planting all your spring bulbs (esp if in cool climate NZ)
  • Water and feed your dahlias
  • Take geranium cuttings
  • If you haven’t already; prune apricots, peaches and plums, best to do this after your trees have fruited and before the cold sets in, to avoid silver leaf.

Get this all done by Thursday the 11th March you’ll be away laughing and relaxing for the New Moon period.

Hope you have found this useful! xx

Filed Under: Care and Maintenance, Maramataka Māori Tagged With: Ātiawa iwi, growing by the moon NZ, Huitanguru, Māori moon phases, Māori moon planting, Māori tikanga for growing a garden, maramataka, Maramataka Māori, moon gardening NZ, what does the Maramataka say today

If you follow Maramataka Māori….

August 17, 2019 By SandRa Timmins 1 Comment

Me te rangi i whānau ai a Horu

A whakataukī (proverbial expression) for an unpleasant day

garden personalities

For that is what it is today here, which is a shame. For one; I’m sick of the rain and I’m ready for summer now. For two; Today is Rākanui, the day after full moon and according to Maramataka Māori (Māori moon calendar) “He rā tino pai mō te ono kai….” a very good day for planting and general gardening.

If it wasn’t pissing heaving down with rain.

I had grand intentions on doing my spring divisions today, basil mint, soapwort, mint, peppermint, some more bergamot and St John’s wort.

Fortunately, the weather is set to get better by Monday, Takirau māheahea, I have a window from dawn to midday where it is OK to do planting (Rākaumatohi, which is tomorrow is a very good day for planting and fishing – but I don’t think our weather will be complying by then).

Echinacea (Echinacea augustifolia)

I like to do my rooted divisions after the full moon, the plants still have energy in their leaves but that energy is moving down to the roots as the moon starts losing its brightness (waning). Perfect timing for the new plants to settle their roots into their new home and for the mother plant to recover its losses.

Come Tangaroa piri a roto (moon in its last quarter, 24th August) it will be all on for seed sowing. Being in a cool climate zone I’ve learnt that there’s not a lot of point in going crazy with seeds in August, unless they’re destined for the glasshouse or under cover. But Go! temperate NZ, Go!

As an aside, did you know that September is Mahuru Māori? It’s a nationwide challenge to kōrero te reo Māori (for whatever space of time that suits you) to normailise te reo in everyday life. If you get in quick to register you may be eligible to receive resources to help you as well as there being lots of online resources available. My friend did it last year and to promote te reo Māori and her business Dye Happy (beautiful hand dyed yarn) she posted on facebook Māori words for her craft, like “knitting” “yarn” etc, it was really cool. I’m not on facebook anymore, but I think I’ll do the same on here, (but you know, more plant based!) for me and for you~

Kei a koe mō te kawe i te mānuka? (Are you up for the challenge?) Go here for more information and to register for Mahuru Māori.

Filed Under: Care and Maintenance, Gardening Styles, Maramataka Māori Tagged With: dividing plants, dividing plants according to the moon, dye happy, Mahuru Maori, Maramataka Māori, rooted divisions, whakatauki for bad weather

Maramataka Māori, Gardening by the Moon Aotearoa Styles

August 4, 2018 By SandRa Timmins 3 Comments

This year I’m planting according to the moon, not just any moon, but our moon, marama.

Haha!  Don’t worry, I’m still on the same planet as you – (most of the time) and I’m well aware there is only one moon for us earthlings.

I’m following Maramataka Māori, the Maori lunar calendar for fishing and horticulture. Maramataka means literally, turning of the moon.

Maori Moon by Revolution Aotearoa

(Artwork by Wiremu Barriball of Revolution Aotearoa)

When Europeans arrived in Aotearoa (the ones that knew these sort of things) they were well impressed with Māori horticultural practices; neat, weed-free and obviously productive.  Of course Māori weren’t vegetarian and they lived in a mixed economy of gardening, gathering and fishing.

Long long before “gardening by the moon” became hip and before even your grandparents or great-grandparents talked about planting with the moon (lucky you).  Māori were walking the talk with Maramataka.  In fact the moon and the cosmos were reference point and guide in all aspects of pre-european Māori life.  Matariki didn’t start happening in the 1990’s.

So.  In my admittedly complete amateur understanding of Maramataka – like most cultures, time was cut up by the cycles of the sun and the moon.  (Month = moon.  My bet is women cottoned onto the rhythm of the moon before men!).  But instead of breaking the month up into weeks then days, Māori had a different name for every single night (which also typically marks a day) in a lunar month.

The lunar month starts with Whiro.  Ko te rā i muri iho ō tā tō Pākehā new moon (the day after the new moon on the calendar) and ends with Mutuwhenua… E hara i te rā pō pai tēnei kua hinapouri te ao e ai ki ngā kōrero ō neke rā.  It is not a good day at all: The world is in darkness!

It takes a bit of working out if you haven’t been brought up knowing Maramataka and I’m going with the very basics.  I imagine that, especially back in the day, it would have slight variances between iwi’s depending on the Tohunga’s readings of the Matariki stars at the start of the year and a lot of other nuances non-related to fishing and horticulture.  (Please, if you know more, enlighten me and others in the comments section below!)

My journey has just begun, literally, two days ago.  when I bought my seed potato and thought I better start planning when I’m going to start everything.

Old Blue Taewa
Old Blue Taewa

Last year I noticed I had pretty rubbish outcomes with seed I sowed during the new moon but had much better luck during the last quarter.  I’ve acknowledged moon calenders and they’ve been pretty useful for reminding and planning of things to do in the garden.  Koangas Garden Guide (by Kay Baxter) has been my guide, but not my ruler!

Then I read a book earlier this year called Moon Gardening by John Harris, head gardener of Tresillian Estate in the UK.   He explained really simply, the moons effect on the water table.  (Rises as the moon is coming up to full – waxing, whilst the water table drops when the moon is waning and at its lowest during new moon).

I recommend this book if you can get your hands on it.  In it, the author mentions how a television crew came from New Zealand to interview him about moon gardening and he over-heard a crew member murmuring to a mate “Why’d we have to come 18,000 km’s to hear about something the Māori have been doing for hundreds of years?”  Fair bloody call.  White validation?

Anyway, the good man devoted a whole chapter to Maramataka Māori.

I also have a booklet called NGĀ PŌREAREA ME NGĀ MATEMATE O NGĀ MĀRA TAEWA, Pests and Diseases of Taewa (Māori potato) Crops.  You can get this through Tāhuri Whenua the National Māori Growers Collective.  This, amongst other good things to know has the Maramataka Maori (Te Āti Awa version) in it.  And it is from here that I’m getting my info from.

I’m not going to go over the whole Maramataka here but you can join me on my journey…

Right now (the 4th August 2018) it is Tangaroa piri a mua – the 23rd day after the new moon.  He rā pai tēnei ki te ono kai, ki ngā mahi hī ika koura.  A very god day for planting, fishing, crayfish and eels, especially from noon until sunset.

According to Maramataka Māori it’s a pretty good day for planting (and fishing) from midday til sunset three nights before last quarter, called Korekore tūroa (which was the 2nd August).  and we’re all good for sowing and planting and fishing until Mauri (a couple of night before new moon), the 9th August, E hara i te rā pai tēnei he oro mauri te kai ka omo.  Not a very good day for planting or fishing.  fish, eels and crayfish are very elusive.

I have sown white sage, licorice, thyme, motherwort, common sage and spillanthes so far (with use of a heat-pad).  With dill, parsley, chervil, shiso, savory, tulsi and catnip to go.  It’s a bit early for some but I always like to push the boundaries!  (My early potatoes will go in next month).

Another book I highly recommend if you’re into this sort of thing is A Tohunga’s Natural World, plants, gardening and food. by Paul Moon.  Gardening from a Tuhoe Tohunga’s perspective.

A Tohunga's Natural World

I’ll be updating on here on how I go and what I’ll be doing next according to the Maramataka.  Have you done this/do this?  Please comment below on how it works for you~ ngā mihi!

2021 Update; I am now doing monthly guides on what to do according to Maramataka Māori, they will be published as blog posts but can also be found under the heading “Maramataka Māori” in my menu.

Filed Under: Gardening Styles, Maramataka Māori Tagged With: A Tohunga's Natural World, gardening by the moon, John Harris, Māori moon/lunar calendar, Maramataka Māori, National Maori Growers Collective, Paul Moon, Tāhuri whenua

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